Atlas of Battles

battle, notable, ancient

Battle of Emesa

Battle of Emesa was a battle fought in AD 272 at Homs, in what is now Syria. It was part of the Palmyrene War, which ran from AD 272 to AD 273. The recorded result: Roman victory; Collapse of the Palmyrene Empire. Recorded strength: 180,000; Engaged: 60,000 infantry; 5,000 cavalry; (According to Zosimus) against 70,000.

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Map of the Roman Emperor Aurelian's march to Palmyra AD 272.
Map of the Roman Emperor Aurelian's march to Palmyra AD 272.. Original:Demis project Current version:User:Barosaurus Lentus, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
FoughtAD 272
WhereHoms, Syria34.720N, 36.710E
OutcomeRoman victory; Collapse of the Palmyrene Empire.
Belligerents20px Roman EmpireagainstPalmyrene Empire
Casualties and lossesUnknown, probably lightandHeavy
Part ofPalmyrene WarAD 272 to AD 273

Where it sits in the Palmyrene War

Battle of Immae, AD 272Battle of Emesa, AD 272Siege of Tyana, AD 272Siege of Palmyra, AD 272AD 272AD 272Battle of Emesa, AD 272
4 placed engagements of the Palmyrene War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

DateAD 272 (year precision)
PlaceHoms, Syria
34.720N, 36.710E
KindBattle, ancient
Strength180,000; Engaged: 60,000 infantry; 5,000 cavalry; (According to Zosimus)70,000
Casualties and lossesUnknown, probably lightHeavy
Commanders
  • Zenobia
  • Zabdas
Battle of EmesaBattle of EmesaSecond Battle of HomsFirst Battle of HomsSiege of EmesaSiege of EmesaSiege of EmesaBeirutṬarābulusHamahTartusTadmurAd NabkLatakiaDouma100 km34.720N, 36.710E
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 7 times between AD 253 and 1299.

In the same war

Battle of Emesa is one of 85 engagements of the 3rd century in the atlas and one of 133 in present-day Syria.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q2530973, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Emesa, revision 1370439956, 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.