Battle of Ctesiphon (Julian's expedition)
363 CE · Outside Ctesiphon (southeast of present-day Baghdad, Iraq) · World · Ancient
The Roman army defeated the Sasanian army outside the city but was unable to take Ctesiphon and was forced to retreat; Julian was killed during the retreat.
Belligerents
Roman Empire
- Commanders
- Julian
- Strength
- Main expeditionary force of tens of thousands (by one account 65,000)
Sasanian Persia
- Commanders
- Shapur II (commander-in-chief), Generals of the House of Suren
- Strength
- No reliable record
Background
The Roman emperor Julian, an adherent of the traditional religion, hoped to restore the empire's prestige in the East with a great victory, and in the spring of 363 CE he led a large army south along the Euphrates into the heart of Mesopotamia.
Course of the battle
- Sailing down the riverThe Roman army advanced along the Euphrates with a fleet, taking fortresses along the way, and passed through a canal into the Tigris.
- Night crossing and assaultThe Roman army forced a night crossing of the Tigris and defeated the Sasanian army beneath the walls of Ctesiphon.
- Burning the fleet and turning backJudging that the city could not be taken, Julian burned the fleet and withdrew north, harassed along the way by Sasanian cavalry.
- Emperor killed in battleIn June Julian was wounded and died in a skirmish near Samarra; Jovian was acclaimed emperor and sued for peace.
Outcome at a glance
| Date | 363 CE |
|---|---|
| Place | Outside Ctesiphon (today southeast of Baghdad, Iraq) |
| Result | The Roman army defeated the Sasanian army outside the city but was unable to take Ctesiphon and was forced to retreat; Julian was killed during the retreat. |
| Winner | The Roman Empire won the pitched battle, but the expedition as a whole failed |
| Casualties | According to the Roman historian Ammianus, Sasanian losses far exceeded Roman ones, but the figures may be exaggerated, and there are no exact figures. |
| Territorial change | To extricate the army, the succeeding emperor, Jovian, sued for peace, ceding to the Sasanians five districts east of the Tigris and the fortress of Nisibis. |
Impact
This defeat ended Rome's last large-scale attempt to conquer Mesopotamia and left Christianity's dominant position in the empire unchallenged from then on.
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