Shahin's invasion of Asia Minor (615)

Shahin's invasion of Asia Minor
Part of the Byzantine–Sassanid War of 602–628
Date 615 Location Asia Minor Result Sassanid victory
Belligerents
East Roman (Byzantine) Empire	Sassanid Empire
Commanders and leaders
Heraclius, Philippicus	Shahin

In 615, during the ongoing war with the Byzantine Empire, the Sassanid Persian army under spahbod Shahin invaded Asia Minor and reached Chalcedon, across the Bosporus from Constantinople. The Sassanids had already captured Roman Syria and Palestine in the previous year. After negotiations with Byzantine Emperor Heraclius, a Byzantine ambassador was sent to Persian Shahanshah Khosrau II, and Shahin withdrew again to Syria.

This was not the first time the Persians drew up their armies at the walls of Constantinople, but this time the invasion was more widespread. Beginning in 614 the Persians encroached on Asia Minor. In 614 they captured Melitene and Shahin divided his armies in two, one army marching to sack Sardis and Miletus and his army move towards Chalcedon. Despite the successful retreat back to Syria, the Persians did keep Caesarea (modern Kayseri) and the key Armenian fortresses of Theodosiopolis (modern Erzurum and Martyropolis. '

References

Sources

• Dodgeon, Michael H.; Greatrex, Geoffrey; Lieu, Samuel N. C. (2002). The Roman Eastern Frontier and the Persian Wars (Part I, 226–363 AD). Routledge. pp. 196–97. ISBN 0-415-00342-3.
• Frye, R. N. (1983). "The Political History of Iran under the Sassanids". In Yarshater, Ehsan; Bailey, Harold ;. The Cambridge History of Iran. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-20092-9.
• Howard-Johnston, James (2006). East Rome, Sasanian Persia And the End of Antiquity: Historiographical And Historical Studies. Ashgate Publishing. ISBN 0-86078-992-6.