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siege, medieval

Siege of Edessa

Siege of Edessa was a siege conducted in AD 610 at Edessa, in what is now Turkey. It was part of the Byzantine–Sassanid War of 602–628, which ran from AD 602 to AD 628. The recorded result: Byzantine victory.

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FoughtAD 610
WhereEdessa, Turkey37.150N, 38.800E
OutcomeByzantine victory
BelligerentsByzantine Empire; Supported by: Ghassanids; Western Turkic Khaganate; Hephthalites; NobatiaagainstSasanian Empire; Supported by: Sasanian Iberia; Jewish rebels; Lakhmids; Principality of Iberia; Avars; Sclaveni; Makuria; Eastern Turkic Khaganate
Casualties and losses200,000+ deadand200,000+ dead
Part ofByzantine–Sassanid War of 602–628AD 602 to AD 628

Where it sits in the Byzantine–Sassanid War of 602–628

Battle of Arzamon, AD 605Siege of Edessa, AD 610Siege of Caesarea, AD 611Battle of Antioch, AD 613Siege of Caesarea Maritima, AD 614Sasanian conquest of Jerusalem, AD 614Battle of Ganzak, AD 624Battle of Aghdam, AD 625Battle of Archesh, AD 625Battle of Sarus, AD 625Siege of Constantinople, AD 626Battle of the Lycus, AD 626Battle of Nineveh, AD 627AD 605AD 627Siege of Edessa, AD 610
13 placed engagements of the Byzantine–Sassanid War of 602–628 in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

DateAD 610 (year precision)
PlaceEdessa, Turkey
37.150N, 38.800E
KindSiege, medieval
Territorial changeStatus quo ante bellum
Casualties and losses200,000+ dead200,000+ dead
Commanders
  • Heraclius
  • Phocas
  • Philippicus (comes excubitorum)
  • Germanus (magister militum under Phocas)
  • Leontius (general under Phocas)
  • Priscus (magister militum)
  • Khosrow II
  • Shahin Vahmanzadegan
  • Shahraplakan
  • Stephen I of Iberia
  • Rhahzadh
  • Narses (magister militum per Orientem)
Siege of EdessaSiege of EdessaBattle of EdessaSiege of EdessaBattle of UrfaSiege of EdessaSiege of EdessaBattle of EdessaAleppoGaziantepDiyarbakırAdıyamanKilisMardinKahramanmaraşAl Hasakah100 km37.150N, 38.800E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

Contested ground: this site was fought over 9 times between AD 163 and 1920.

In the same war

Elsewhere in AD 610

Siege of Edessa is one of 179 engagements of the 7th century in the atlas and one of 622 in present-day Turkey.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q134291524, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Siege of Edessa (610), revision 1384269960, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.