Siege of Caesarea Maritima (614) explained

Conflict:Siege of Caesarea
Partof:the Byzantine–Sasanian War of 602–628
Date:614
Place:Caesarea Maritima, Palaestina Prima, Byzantine Empire
Territory:The Sasanians capture Caesarea Maritima, gaining access to the Mediterranean Sea
Result:Sasanian victory
Combatant1:Byzantine Empire
Combatant2:Sasanian Empire
Commander1:Unknown
Commander2:Shahrbaraz
Casualties3:Minimal destruction

The siege of Caesarea relates to the siege and conquest of Caesarea Maritima of the Byzantine Empire's Palaestina Prima province by the Sasanian Empire in 614 CE.

History

The Shah Khosrow II appointed his general Shahrbaraz to conquer the Byzantine controlled areas of the Near East. Following the victory in Antioch, Shahrbaraz conquered Caesarea Maritima, the administrative capital of the province.[1] By this time the grand inner harbor had silted up and was useless, however the Emperor Anastasius had reconstructed the outer harbor and Caesarea remained an important maritime city, providing the Sasanian Empire with access to the Mediterranean Sea.[2] While the Sasanian siege and occupation of Caesarea resulted in limited physical destruction, the socioeconomic effects were likely more significant. The later Arab conquest also devastated the city and it subsequently entered a period of decline.[3]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Book: The Armenian History Attributed to Sebeos . Sebeos . R. W. Thomson . Liverpool University Press. 1999. 206. 978-0-85323-564-4. 17 January 2014.
  2. Web site: Caesarea Maritima. Joseph Patrich. Institute of Archaeology Hebrew University of Jerusalem. 2011. 13 March 2014.
  3. Book: Caesarea Maritima: A Retrospective After Two Millennia. Avnēr Rabbān . Kenneth G. Holum. Brill. 1996. 626. 90-04-10378-3. 21 March 2014.