Siege of Naples (536) 536
Recorded location from Wikidata; battle sites are often approximate.
Key facts
| Year | 536 | 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 | 40.8333, 14.2500 | Wikidata P625 |
About the battle
The siege of Naples or siege of Neapolis took place in October–November 536, where Byzantines captured the city controlled by the Ostrogoths (Goths) during the Gothic War (535–554).
After securing Sicily, Belisarius crossed the narrow strait to Rhegium and marched along the Italian coast toward Rome. The first resistance came in Naples, where its citizens chose to resist, encouraged by pro-Gothic leaders, despite Belisarius's generous terms. The siege lasted about twenty days with significant Byzantine casualties, and Belisarius nearly called it off before the discovery of a small entrance into the city near the aqueduct. Byzantine troops widened the hole in the rock to ease access in secret. After Belisarius's final offer to surrender was rejected, his troops stormed the city during the night, where killings and looting took place. Belisarius restored order among his troops, allowing his soldiers to keep the loot and releasing all citizens of Naples. The 800-strong Gothic garrison was captured and treated well but the pro-Gothic leaders met violent ends. The fall of Naples opened the way for Belisarius to advance on Rome, which he entered unopposed on 9 December 536.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Siege of Naples (536) (revision 1370743882), 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 Naples (542–543) 542 · 0 km
- Siege of Naples (1528) 1528 · 0 km
- Siege of Naples (1191) 1191 · 0 km
- Battle of the Counts 1287 · 0 km
- Capture of Neapolis 327 BC · 0 km
- Battle of Vesuvius 340 BC · 15 km
Other battles of the Gothic War of 535–554
- Siege of Panormus 535
- Siege of Rome (537–538) 537
- Siege of Ariminum (538) 538
- Siege of Milan (538–539) 538
- Siege of Urbinus 538
- Siege of Auximus 539
- Siege of Ravenna (539–540) 539
- Battle of Treviso 541
- Siege of Verona 541
- Battle of Faventia 542
All 20 battles of the Gothic War of 535–554 →
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