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Battle of Anglon

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Battle of Anglon
Part of the Lazic War
Date543 AD
Location
Anglon village, Dvin region, Armenia, Sasanian Empire
Result Decisive Sasanian victory[1][2]
Belligerents
 Sasanian Empire
Commanders and leaders
 Nabedes
Units involved
All forces of the magister militum per Orientem, per Armeniam, and possibly some of the praesentalis[3] Sasanian forces of Persarmenia
Strength
30,000 4,000
Casualties and losses
Heavy Unknown

The Battle of Anglon took place in 543 AD, during the Byzantine invasion of Sasanian-ruled Armenia ("Persarmenia") in the early phase of the Lazic War.

After receiving the news of a rebellion in Persia and an epidemic in King Khosrow I's army, the Byzantine armies in the East under the orders of Emperor Justinian I initiated a hasty invasion of Persarmenia. The outnumbered Persian forces in the region performed a meticulous ambush at Anglon, decisively defeating the Byzantine forces in a siege-like confrontation.

Background

The Sasanian ruler Khosrow I began an invasion of Commagene in 542, but retreated to Adurbadagan and halted at Adhur Gushnasp, intending to begin a campaign against Byzantine Armenia. The Byzantines approached Khosrow I to begin negotiations, but in the middle of this they received information about the epidemic of the so-called Plague of Justinian in Khosrow I's force and a rebellion in Persia by the prince Anoshazad. Seeing this as an opportunity, Emperor Justinian I commanded all Byzantine forces in the east to initiate an invasion of Persarmenia.[4]

Byzantine invasion

Martin was the newly-appointed magister militum per Orientem at the time, but according to primary sources did not have much authority over other generals. The Byzantine invasion force, which numbered 30,000 in total, was initially scattered:

Justus, Peranius, Domnentiolus, John, son of Nicetas, and John the Glutton stayed at Phison, near Martyropolis, performing incursions into Persia.[4]

The target of the offensive was Dvin. The city was an important commercial center in the region, and it had ample supplies and was suitable for cavalry action. Besides, it was the place where the Christian envoys came from who were likely to switch to the Roman side. According to Syvänne, the Catholicos and his brother may have planned the operation together with Valerian.[6]

Persian forces in Persarmenia numbered 4,000 and were under the command of Nabedes. They concentrated at the mountainous village of Anglon about 13 miles (21 km) from Dvin[7] (probably identical to Ankes/Angegh/Angel, Dsakhgodn Canton, Ayrarat Province, Kingdom of Armenia)[8][9][10][11] The village featured a fortress perched on top of a mountain and surrounded by village houses. Nabedes prepared a defensive position for an elaborate ambush by blocking the entrances to the village with stones and carts, digging trenches, and setting up ambushes in the houses of the village outside the fortress and in the fortress itself, while marshaling an army below.[12]

The Byzantine forces united only after crossing the Persian border, in the plain of Dvin. Peter advanced first, probably as a vanguard.[6] Initially, they were marching in strict formations, but as soon as they found out that the Persians are concentrated in Anglon, they spread out to plunder.[12] According to Procopius, the Byzantine generals lacked a proper union among themselves (cf. #Analysis). One day's march from Anglon, a captured Persian spy told the Byzantines that Nabedes has fled. As the Byzantine forces proceeded into the rough terrain of Anglon, they probably assumed that Persians are hiding in the fortifications. Soon the Byzantine scouts informed the commanders of a Persian army in the open and hastily formed a single-line formation. Martin's forces formed the center, Peter's forces formed the right, and Valerian's forces (probably joined by Narses and his Herules and Armenians) formed the left. Narses and his regulars and Herules were the first to engage. Apparently, part of the Persian army was defeated, and the Persian cavalry feigned retreat toward the fortress. Their flight was followed by Herules and others as koursores. As the pursuing Byzantines passed through the narrow streets and rough terrain of the village under the fort, the Persians, including their archers, launched their ambush from the buildings, easily defeating the lightly-armored Herules and killing their commander Narses in close combat. The Byzantine cavalrymen were now trapped in the rough terrain. Finally, a sortie of the Persians who sallied out from the fortress led to a complete rout of the Byzantine forces, who left their heavy equipment (including arms, armor, draft animals, and baggage train) behind. The Persians did not pursue them beyond the rough terrain out of fear of an ambush. Adolius was among those killed in the retreat.[4][13][14][15][12][6]

Analysis

The only source describing the battle is the Byzantine historian Procopius, whose account is especially critical of the Byzantine army's performance in the campaign.[14] However, modern sources have disputed his assessments.

The force in the battle is considered an example of the "inadequacy" of many of the recruited soldiers.[16] Others note the lack of coordination between the Byzantine generals.[5] However, according to J. B. Bury, Procopius (who was a companion of General Belisarius) has exaggerated the incompetence of the Byzantine generals in this campaign and the severity of their defeat.[4] Petersen, too, considers aspects of Procopius' description of the battle—including the division of the Byzantine army and their staggered deployment—to be a distorted description of what were actually intentional military strategies and tactics in face of logistical constraints and the need for mutually supportive columns. The soldiers "mixed in with the baggage train" were probably protecting valuable siege equipment and supplies. Despite Procopius' assessment that the force was poorly organized and led, the Byzantines in fact managed to swiftly deploy to face the Persian army in the field and defeat them in the first encounter.[14] Sarantis et al. (2013) focuses on the meticulous ambush by the defenders, describing it as "heroic".[17]

Anglon is an example of the less common form of defensive fortification in which settlements are outside the defensive structures; this is sometimes seen in the Caucasus. Another example is seen in the siege of Tzacher/Sideroun in 557.[18]

The outcome of the battle gave the Persians momentum in the Lazic War. The siege of Theodosiopolis by Mihr-Mihroe probably occurred immediately after this battle.[6]

References

  1. ^ Humphreys, Mike (2018-03-22), "Anglon, Battle of", The Oxford Dictionary of Late Antiquity, Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/acref/9780198662778.001.0001, ISBN 9780198662778, retrieved 2019-11-16
  2. ^ Whately, Conor (2015-12-18). Battles and Generals: Combat, Culture, and Didacticism in Procopius' Wars. BRILL. p. 108. ISBN 9789004310384.
  3. ^ Lewin, Ariel; Pellegrini, Pietrina (2007). The late Roman Army in the near east from Diocletian to the Arab Conquest: proceedings of a colloquium held at Potenza, Acerenza and Matera, Italy. Archaeopress. p. 338. ISBN 9781407301617.
  4. ^ a b c d Bury, John Bagnell (1889). A History of the Later Roman Empire: From Arcadius to Irene (395 A.D. to 800 A.D.). Macmillan and Company. p. 432–437.
  5. ^ a b Whitby, Michael (2017). "Justinian and Persia, 527–562". The Encyclopedia of Ancient Battles. American Cancer Society. pp. 1–15. doi:10.1002/9781119099000.wbabat0870. ISBN 9781119099000.
  6. ^ a b c d Syvänne, Ilkka (2021). Military History of Late Rome 518-565. Pen & Sword Military. pp. 237–239. ISBN 978-1-4738-9529-4.
  7. ^ Bury, J. B. (1 January 1958). History of the Later Roman Empire from the Death of Theodosius I. to the Death of Justinian. Courier Corporation. p. 108. ISBN 978-0-486-20399-7.
  8. ^ Oriental Translation Fund. 1830. p. 95.
  9. ^ The Eclectic review. vol. 1-New [8th]. 1833. p. 293.
  10. ^ Smith, William; Wace, Henry (1882). A Dictionary of Christian Biography, Literature, Sects and Doctrines: Hermogenes-Myensis. 693a: Little, Brown.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  11. ^ Petersen, Leif Inge Ree (15 September 2013). Siege Warfare and Military Organization in the Successor States (400-800 AD): Byzantium, the West and Islam. BRILL. p. xxvii. ISBN 978-90-04-25446-6.
  12. ^ a b c Petersen, Leif Inge Ree (15 September 2013). Siege Warfare and Military Organization in the Successor States (400-800 AD): Byzantium, the West and Islam. BRILL. p. 543. ISBN 978-90-04-25446-6.
  13. ^ The Seventh Great Oriental Monarchy: Or the Geography, History and Antiquities of the Sassanian Or New Persian Empire. Belford, Clarke. 1887. p. 64–65.
  14. ^ a b c Petersen, Leif Inge Ree (2013). Siege Warfare and Military Organization in the Successor States (400-800 AD): Byzantium, the West and Islam. BRILL. p. 530. ISBN 9789004254466.
  15. ^ Petersen, Leif Inge Ree (15 September 2013). Siege Warfare and Military Organization in the Successor States (400-800 AD): Byzantium, the West and Islam. BRILL. p. 291, 264n28. ISBN 978-90-04-25446-6.
  16. ^ Krumbacher, Karl; Marc, Paul; Heisenberg, August (2005). Byzantinische Zeitschrift (in German). G.G. Teubner. p. 70.
  17. ^ Sarantis, Alexander; Christie, Neil, eds. (2013). War and Warfare in Late Antiquity (2 vols.): Current Perspectives. BRILL. ISBN 9789004252585.
  18. ^ Petersen, Leif Inge Ree (2013). Siege Warfare and Military Organization in the Successor States (400-800 AD): Byzantium, the West and Islam. BRILL. p. 304. ISBN 9789004254466.

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