Siege of Auximus 539
Recorded location from Wikidata; battle sites are often approximate.
Key facts
| Year | 539 | Wikidata P580 (start time) |
|---|---|---|
| Era | Medieval (500–1499) | derived from year |
| Location | Italy | Natural Earth (modern borders) |
| Continent | Europe | Natural Earth |
| War / conflict | Gothic War of 535–554 | Wikidata P361 |
| Participants | Byzantine Empire, Ostrogothic Kingdom | Wikidata P710 |
| Coordinates | 43.4861, 13.4821 | Wikidata P625 |
About the battle
The siege of Auximus (also called siege of Auximum or siege of Osimo) took place in 539 AD, where the Byzantines seized control of Auximus (present-day Osimo) from Ostrogoths (Goths), during the Gothic War (535–554).
The leader of Byzantine forces, Belisarius, chose to surround and starve the defenders rather than assault the fortifications of Auximus. The Byzantine troops encircled the town, cutting it off from supplies. The Goths made attempts to forage beyond the walls to stave off starvation and repel Byzantine attacks. They also continued to hope for relief from their king, Vitigis, who promised in a secret communication to do so. After seven months of siege and their king's inaction, the Gothic garrison agreed to surrender, retaining half of their possessions and joining the Byzantine army. The capture of Auximus enabled the Byzantines to advance against the Gothic capital of Ravenna, which fell soon after, marking the completion of the first phase of the Gothic War.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Siege of Auximus (revision 1370252242), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; formatting and citations removed. No text added.
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Other battles of the Gothic War of 535–554
- Siege of Naples (536) 536
- Siege of Rome (537–538) 537
- Siege of Ariminum (538) 538
- Siege of Milan (538–539) 538
- Siege of Urbinus 538
- Siege of Ravenna (539–540) 539
- Battle of Treviso 541
- Siege of Verona 541
- Battle of Faventia 542
- Battle of Mucellium 542
All 20 battles of the Gothic War of 535–554 →
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