Battle of Hormizdegan

Battle of Hormozdgan
Date April 28, 224 Location Near Shushtar, Khuzestan, Iran Result Decisive Sasanian victory
Belligerents
Parthian Empire	Sasanian Empire
Commanders and leaders
Artabanus V  †	Ardashir I Shapur I
Strength
An army larger than Ardashir I's army	10,000 cavalry

The Battle of Hormozdgan was the climactic battle between the Parthian and the Sasanian Empires that took place on April 28, 224. The Sasanian victory broke the power of the Arsacid dynasty, effectively ending almost five centuries of Parthian rule in Iran, the rest of the Middle East, the Caucasus, and Central Asia.

The battle was the culmination of rivalry between Ardashir I son of Papak, Parthian vassal king of Pars and his overlord, Shahanshah Artabanus V of Parthia. Ardashir ascended the throne of Pars in 208 after deposing his elder brother, Shapur. He immediately started expanding his domains and quickly conquered neighboring provinces of Kerman, Isfahan, Susiana (modern Khuzestan), and Mesene (modern Maysan). This expansion brought the attention of the Arscacid Great King Artabanus V (r. 216–224).

After a period of negotiation and maneuvering, war became inevitable. Ardashir moved his army into Khuzestan in the spring of 224 and took a favorable position in the field of Hormozdgan, near the modern Iranian city of Shushtar. His position allowed him to control the water supplies on the field. Artabanus moved with his army from the Arsacid capital of Ctesiphon in Mesopotamia, and had to take a less favorable position with limited access to water. What we know about the battle is based on biased Sasanian sources. The two armies clashed on April 28, 224. Sasanian records indicate that the battle was over the same day.

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