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| Battle of Edessa | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of theRoman–Persian Wars | |||||||
 A rock-face relief dating to the third century atNaqsh-e Rostam, depicting the triumph ofShapur I over the Roman EmperorValerian.[1] | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
| Sasanian Empire | Roman Empire Germanic andGoth allies | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Shapur I | Valerian (POW) | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| Unknown | 70,000[3] | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
Entire force[4] | |||||||
TheBattle of Edessa took place between the armies of theRoman Empire, under the command of EmperorValerian, and theSasanian Empire underShapur I, inEdessa (now the Turkish city ofUrfa) in 260. The Roman army was defeated and captured in its entirety by the Sasanian forces; for the first time, a Roman emperor was taken prisoner.[6]
Prior to the battle, Shapur I had penetrated several times deeply into Roman territory, conquering and plunderingAntioch inSyria in 253 or 256. After defeating the usurperAemilianus and assuming imperial power for himself, Valerian arrived in the eastern provinces as soon as he could (254 or 255) and gradually restored order.[7] Soon he had to confront a naval Gothic invasion in northern Asia Minor. The Goths ravaged Pontus and moved south into Cappadocia. An attempt by Valerian and his army in Antiocheia to intercept them failed because of theplague. While Valerian's army was in that weakened state, Shapur invaded northern Mesopotamia in 260, probably in early spring.[4]
In his sixties, the aged Valerian marched eastward to the Sasanian borders. According toShapur I's inscription at the Ka'ba-ye Zartosht, Valerian's army comprised men from almost every part of the Roman Empire as well as Germanic allies.[8] The two armies met betweenCarrhae andEdessa and the Romans were thoroughly defeated, with Valerian being captured alongside the remnant of his forces.[4][9]
According to Roman sources, which are not very clear, the Roman army was defeated and besieged by the Sasanian forces. Valerian subsequently tried to negotiate, but he was captured; it is possible that his army surrendered after that. The prisoners included, according to Shapur's claims, many other high-ranking officials, including apraetorian prefect,[10] possiblySuccessianus. Some sources also make the claim that Shapur went back on his word and seized the emperor after already agreeing to truce negotiations.[11]
However, these accounts are typical of Roman description of defeats: incompetency of generals and treachery of foreigners. According to Ian Hughes (2023), the Romans suffered c. 10,000 casualties in battle, and Valerian was captured similar to what Shapur I reported. The rest of the Roman army retreated to Edessa, but were forced to surrender to save their lives.[5]
There are varying accounts as toValerian's fate following his capture at the hands of Shapur.
Some scholars claim Shapur sent Valerian and some of his army to the city ofBishapur, where they lived in relatively good conditions. Shapur used the remaining soldiers in engineering and development plans, as the Romans were skilled builders and artisans.Band-e Kaisar (Caesar's dam) is one of the remnants of Roman engineering located near the ancient city ofShushtar.[12]
According to another source (Lactantius), Shapur humiliated Valerian, using the former emperor as a human stepstool while mounting his horse. He was reportedly kept in a cage and was humiliated for the Sasanian emperor's pleasure, according toAurelius Victor. Upon his death, Valerian's body was allegedly skinned and stuffed with, depending on the account, manure or straw, to produce a trophy of Roman submission preserved in a Sasanian temple.[10][11]
However, some other accounts stipulate he was treated with respect, and that allegations of torture may have been fabricated byChristian historians oflate antiquity to show the perils that befell persecutors of Christianity.[11]
Following Valerian's capture, Shapurtook the city of Caesarea Cappadocia and deported some 400,000 of its citizens to the southern provinces of the Sassanian Empire.[13] He then raidedCilicia, but was finally repulsed by a Roman force commanded byMacrianus,Callistus andOdenathus ofPalmyra.
Valerian's defeat at Edessa served as the catalyst for a series of revolts that would lead to the temporary fragmentation of the Roman Empire. In the East, Macrianus used his control of Valerian's treasury to proclaim his sonsMacrianus Minor andQuietus as emperors. Along the Danubian frontier,Ingenuus andRegalianus were also proclaimed emperors. In the West, the Roman governorPostumus took advantage ofGallienus' distraction to murder the Imperial heir,Saloninus, and take control of what is now called theGallic Empire.[10]
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