Siege of Verona
date | 541 |
---|---|
place | Verona |
output | Gothic victory |
Parties to the conflict | |
---|---|
Commander | |
Johannes |
|
Troop strength | |
12,000 | 5,000 |
losses | |
light |
unknown |
Iberian War
Dara - Satala - Callinicum
Vandal
War Ad Decimum - Tricamarum
Gothic War
1. Naples - 1. Rome - Verona - Faventia - Mucellium - 2. Naples - 2. Rome - 3. Rome - Sena Gallica - Busta Gallorum - Mons Lactarius - Casilinus
Moors wars
Mammes and Bourgaon - Babosis and Zerboule - Cillium - Marta - Fields of Cato
The siege of Verona in 541 AD ended in the defeat of the Byzantines .
After the appointment of Totila as the new king of the Ostrogoths , Justinian gave his commanders the order to conquer further areas in Italy. Finally, Johannes, Bessas, Vitalius and other commanders raised garrisons in the larger cities of Italy for protection and marched against Verona with a force of about 12,000 men . Through a Roman traitor, the Byzantines with a small troop of about 100 men under the Persian captain Artabazes were able to gain access to the city at night, kill the guards and after a short battle force the Gothic garrison to retreat.
After this apparently quick capture of the city, however, the Byzantine commanders, who had set up a large encampment in front of the city walls, came to a dispute over the distribution of booty. When the Gothic garrison realized that the Byzantines were not occupying the city with their main force and that Totila had advanced with reinforcements, they returned to the city and drove back the occupying forces under Artabazes. Since the gates were locked, Artabazes and his remaining men had to flee over the walls with heavy losses. After the city was captured by Totila, the Byzantines withdrew across the Po and suffered a decisive defeat on their march back in the Battle of Faventia , which prevented a further advance in Italy for the time being.
source
- Prokopios von Caesarea: Works - 2: Gotenkriege (Greek-German), translated and edited by Otto Veh, Bücherei Tusculum, 2nd volume, Heimeran, Munich 1966, ISBN 9783776520668 , pp. 455-461.