Daras

[?], 530
Strategic Context
After a long period of peace, the Byzantine and Sassanid Empires fight a war 502-506,
followed by a twenty-year truce. In 526, tensions rise between the two Empires and

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fighting begins to escalate. After a successful Byzantine raid into Sassanid Armenia in
529, Firuz leads a Sassanid army into Mesopotamia to capture the Byzantine fortress of
Daras. Belisarius constructs a wide ditch and leads the Byzantine defenders outside

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Daras’ walls to do battle. He then sends a message to Firuz suggesting a short armistice
to hold negotiations. Firuz interprets these two actions as a sign of weakness and
resolves to attack.
Stakes
+ A Byzantine victory would frustrate
Sassanid efforts to reduce Byzantine No Image
frontier fortresses.
+ A Sassanid victory would trap Available
Byzantium’s most talented commander in
a fortress, paving the way for further
invasion.

By Jonathan Webb, 2009

 Daras, 530
Strength

 Byzantines  Sassanids

 Belisarius  Firuz

 25,000  40,000
 Well  Well

By Jonathan Webb, 2009

Eurasia c. 500

BYZA
NTIN
E EM
PIRE
The narrow battlefield consists of the terrain in front of the fortress of Daras with rough hills on both sides. Just in front of
the high walls of Daras is the Byzantine trench, dug out to be wider than a horse can leap.

Sassanids
(Firuz)

Byzantines
(Belisarius)
Belisarius
The
Belisarius
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opens his infantry
cavalry
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stands
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continue the
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acavalry
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backed flee.
and
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thewings.
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the
cavalry fall in
Immortals push the Byzantine cavalry all the way back to the gates of Daras.
cannot properly
at the head of his leftengage
wing. Belisarius’ refused center.
Sassanids
Pityaxes Firuz Baresmanes (Firuz)

Byzantines Sassanids
Cavalry Cavalry
Light cavalry Infantry
Infantry Levy infantry

Byzantines
Sassanids
Symbol guide
(Belisarius)
(Firuz)
Byzantines
(Belisarius) 25,000
40,000
 Daras, 530
Casualties & Aftermath
Byzantines: Sassanids:

≈1,000 8,000
or or
4% 20%

Belisarius initially repulsed a Sassanid invasion of Syria the next year but was
overwhelmed and defeated at the Battle of Callinicum in 531. He withdrew to the
islands of the Euphrates, saving his defeated army from complete destruction
against persistent Sassanid attacks. Despite this mixed military success, Byzantium
was forced to pay regular tribute to the Sassanids thereafter in the Treaty of Eternal
Peace, which lasted only eight years before another war broke out.
By Jonathan Webb, 2009
 The Art of Battle:
Animated Battle Maps
http://www.theartofbattle.com

By Jonathan Webb, 2009