Siege of Amida (359)
| Siege of Amida | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Perso-Roman wars of 337–361 | |||||||||
The walls of Amida, built by Constantius II before the siege of 359 | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Sasanian Empire and allies | Eastern Roman Empire | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
|
Shapur II or Peroz Tamshapur Grumbates Urnayr |
Aelianus Sabinianus Ursicinus | ||||||||
| Units involved | |||||||||
|
Sassanian army Xionites Gelani Albani Segestani |
Legio V Parthica and an unnamed cavalry unit (garrison) Legio XXX Ulpia A detachment of Legio X Fretensis Tricensimani Decimani Superventores and Praeventores (light cavalry) Comites Sagittarii (Household mounted archers) Magnentiaci and Decentiaci (legions from Gaul loyal to Magnentius) | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
| c. 100,000 |
20,000–120,000 *est. 5,300 soldiers | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| c. 30,000 dead | Most defenders, some citizens, some refugees from countryside | ||||||||
The siege of Amida was a military investment of the Roman fortified frontier city of Amida (modern Diyarbakır, Turkey) by the Sasanian Empire. It took place in AD 359 when the Sasanian army under king Shapur II invaded the eastern provinces of the Roman Empire. Shapur wanted to exploit the absence of the Roman Emperor Constantius II who was overseeing affairs in the western part of the Empire. The city fell after a siege of 73 days.