Battle of Callinicum
| Battle of Callinicum | |||||||||
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| Part of the Iberian War | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
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Byzantine Empire Ghassanids (Byzantine clients) |
Sassanian Empire Lakhmids (Persian clients) |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
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Belisarius Hermogenes Ascan Al-Harith ibn Jabalah |
Āzārethes Al-Mundhir III ibn al-Nu'man |
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| Strength | |||||||||
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20,000
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20,000 |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| Heavy | Heavy | ||||||||
20,000
20,000
The Battle of Callinicum took place on Easter Saturday, 19 April 531 AD, between the armies of the Byzantine Empire under Belisarius and the Sassanid Persians under Āzārethes. After a defeat at the Battle of Dara, the Sassanids moved to invade Syria in an attempt to turn the tide of the war. Belisarius' rapid response foiled the plan, and his troops pushed the Persians to the edge of Roman Syria through skilful manoeuvring before forcing a battle in which the Persians proved to be the pyrrhic victors.
In April 531 AD, a Persian army under Āzārethes, consisting of an entirely mounted force numbering about 15,000 Savārān cavalry with an additional group of 5,000 Lakhmid Arab cavalry, crossed the frontier at Circesium on the Euphrates and marched north. As they neared Callinicum, Belisarius, who commanded the Byzantine army, set out to follow them as they advanced westwards. Belisarius' forces consisted of about 5,000 men and another 3,000 Ghassanid Arab allies, for the remainder of his army had been left to secure Dara. The Byzantines finally blocked the Persian advance at Chalcis, where reinforcements under Hermogenes also arrived, bringing the Byzantine force to some 20,000 men. The Persians were forced to withdraw, and the Byzantines followed them east.
Initially, Belisarius only wanted to drive off the Persians, without a risky battle. The Byzantine troops, however, were restless and anxious, and clamoured for battle. After failing to convince his men, and realizing they would not fight, and possibly mutiny unless he agreed, Belisarius prepared his force for battle.
The two armies met outside Callinicum on 19 April 531 AD. Both armies formed up differently, Belisarius again choosing an "odd" formation that confused his opposing general. In this case he anchored his left flank on the bank of the river with heavy Byzantine infantry, to their right the army's centre, all of the Byzantine cavalry, many of which were cataphracts under the command of Ascan. Linking the centre to the Byzantine right was a detachment of Lycaonian infantry, positioned such that their right was anchored on a rising slope occupied by the army's right wing, which consisting of the 5,000 strong Ghassanids allies. Belisarius himself took up position in the centre of his deployment.
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Wikipedia