Battle of Dara 530
Recorded location from Wikidata; battle sites are often approximate.
Key facts
| Year | 530 | Wikidata P585 (point in time) |
|---|---|---|
| Era | Medieval (500–1499) | derived from year |
| Location | Turkey | Natural Earth (modern borders) |
| Continent | Asia | Natural Earth |
| War / conflict | Iberian War | Wikidata P361 |
| Participants | Byzantine Empire, Cadiseni, Ghassanids, Heruli, Huns, Lakhmids, Sasanian Empire | Wikidata P710 |
| Coordinates | 37.1800, 40.9550 | Wikidata P625 |
About the battle
The Battle of Dara was fought between the Byzantine Empire and the Sasanian Empire in June 530 AD during the Iberian War.
Following the collapse of diplomatic efforts between the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I and Shah Kavadh I, a Sasanian army advanced on the fortified city of Dara, where it was met by a smaller Byzantine force commanded by Belisarius. Despite being outnumbered, Belisarius prepared a defensive position outside the fort's walls, using trenches to protect the infantry and control the locations of engagements to offset the Sasanian numerical advantage. After two days of skirmishing and unsuccessful negotiations, the main battle ended in a Byzantine victory. Disciplined cavalry deployments on the flanks, combined with coordinated counterattacks, shattered the Sasanian wings and triggered a Sasanian rout.
Despite the defeat, the Sasanians resumed offensive operations the following year, culminating in the Byzantine defeat at the Battle of Callinicum. The Perpetual Peace treaty was signed in the summer of 532, where the Byzantines paid tribute to the Sasanians.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Battle of Dara (revision 1381249664), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; formatting and citations removed. No text added.
Nearby battles
- Siege of Dara (573) 573 · 2 km
- Siege of Nisibis (338) 337 · 26 km
- Siege of Nisibis (237) 235 · 26 km
- Siege of Nisibis (252) 252 · 26 km
- Siege of Nisibis (573) 573 · 26 km
- Battle of Nisibis (541) 541 · 26 km
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