Siege of Maiozamalcha

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Siege of Maiozamalcha

Date and place: 8 May 363 CE, Maiozamalcha, near Ctesiphon in the Sasanian Empire.

Context: Part of Emperor Julian’s Persian War. Julian hoped to avenge Roman defeats and expand Roman control in the East.

Opponents: Roman Empire (emperor Julian) vs. Sasanian Empire (garrison at Maiozamalcha).

Key events: Julian’s forces approached Maiozamalcha after a long campaign through Assyria and the Euphrates region. The siege began with heavy fighting and limited progress. On the second day, Julian’s engineers secretly dug a tunnel under the city walls. The Romans surged through the breach and captured the city from the inside.

Result: Roman victory. Nabdates, the Sasanian garrison commander, and eighty of his men were captured and their lives were spared. The city was plundered and burned as the Romans continued toward the Sasanian capital, Ctesiphon.