Siege of Rome (549–550) 549
Recorded location from Wikidata; battle sites are often approximate.
Key facts
| Year | 549 | 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 | 41.8767, 12.4814 | Wikidata P625 |
About the battle
In 549–550 AD, Rome was besieged for the third time during the Gothic War (535–554), as Byzantine forces defended against an Ostrogothic (Goths) army under their King Totila.
Within the first five years of the war, the Byzantines had conquered much of Italy, culminating in the capture of the capital of the Gothic kingdom in 540. However, corruption and harsh taxation reignited Gothic resistance under Totila, who reversed many Byzantine territorial gains in a few years.
In June 549, Totila besieged Rome, facing a Byzantine garrison of about 3,000 troops under Diogenes, who prepared for a prolonged defense with stored food. Totila imposed a blockade to starve the Byzantine garrison. Discontented defenders, unhappy over years of unpaid wages, accepted promises made by him and opened the gate to the Goths on 16 January 550. A massacre followed, and although residents tried to escape, many of them were killed in ambushes. A Byzantine cavalry unit briefly resisted from the Tomb of Hadrian, but the terms Totila offered persuaded most of them to enter his service. Determined not to lose Rome again, Totila settled Goths in the city and brought the imprisoned senators from Campania back to reside there.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Siege of Rome (549–550) (revision 1370252613), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; formatting and citations removed. No text added.
Nearby battles
- German occupation of Rome 1943 · 1 km
- Sack of Rome (390 BC) 390 BC · 2 km
- Siege of Rome (472) 472 · 2 km
- Sack of Rome (546) 546 · 2 km
- Siege of Rome (537–538) 537 · 3 km
- Battle of the Colline Gate 82 BC · 4 km
Other battles of the Gothic War of 535–554
- Siege of Verona 541
- Battle of Faventia 542
- Battle of Mucellium 542
- Siege of Naples (542–543) 542
- Sack of Rome (546) 546
- Battle of Sena Gallica (551) 551
- Battle of Mons Lactarius 552
- Battle of Taginae 552
- Battle of the Volturnus 554
- Siege of Salona (537)
All 20 battles of the Gothic War of 535–554 →
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