Nisibis (217 AD)

For centuries, Rome and Parthia contended for dominance in the Middle East. Nisibis 217 AD was a three-day battle with the Romans led by their new emperor Marcus Opellius Macrinus against the Great King of Parthia, Artabanus IV. On the …

217

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For centuries, Rome and Parthia contended for dominance in the Middle East. Nisibis 217 AD was a three-day battle with the Romans led by their new emperor Marcus Opellius Macrinus against the Great King of Parthia, Artabanus IV. On the first day, the battle began when conflict arose among the soldiers for possession of a watering place. Macrinus deployed his Romans in their typical formation, infantry in the center and cavalry at the wings. The formation also had gaps in the line to allow the light infantry to skirmish forward and withdraw to safety when necessary. The Parthian army was strong in cavalry and horse archers, and at sunrise the cavalry charged firing volleys of arrows while the cataphract cavalry and cataphract camels attempted to close with the Roman line. But, when the Roman light infantry evaded, they strew the ground with caltrops (spiked balls) and the pursuers found themselves in a difficult situation. After several such assaults and night drawing near, both armies retired to their camps. The second day was a repeat of the first day, with skirmishing from morning to night but again no clear advantage to either side. On day three, the Parthian army attempted to use their greater numbers to surround the Romans. The Romans succeeded in extending their line using the light cavalry and light troops to protect their flanks. By the end of the third day, both armies had suffered severely and were exhausted. Under these circumstances, Macrinus opened negotiations with Artabanus and bought peace with some territorial concessions.

Nusaybin, Turkey

The Battle of Nisibis was fought in the summer of 217 between the armies of the Roman Empire under the newly ascended emperor Macrinus and the Parthian army of King Artabanus IV. It lasted for three days, and ended with a bloody Parthian victory, with both sides suffering large casualties. As a result of the battle, Macrinus was forced to seek peace, paying the Parthians a huge sum and abandoning the invasion of Mesopotamia that Caracalla had begun a year before.

Wikipedia: Battle of Nisibis (217)

Parthian

Roman

Roman Persian Wars