Atlas of Battles

battle, medieval

Battle of Martyropolis

Battle of Martyropolis was a battle fought in AD 588 at Silvan, in what is now Turkey. It was part of the Byzantine–Sassanid War of 572–591, which ran from AD 572 to AD 591. The recorded result: Byzantine victory.

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The frontier between the Roman/Byzantine and Sassanid Persian empires in Late Antiquity (4th-7th centuries). Basemap taken from Image:Arshakuni Armenia 150-en.svg. Sources: G. Greatrex & S.N.C. Li
The frontier between the Roman/Byzantine and Sassanid Persian empires in Late Antiquity (4th-7th centuries). Basemap taken from Image:Arshakuni Armenia 150-en.svg. Sources: G. Greatrex & S.N.C. Li. Cplakidas, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
FoughtAD 588
WhereSilvan, Turkey38.142N, 41.001E
OutcomeByzantine victory
BelligerentsSassanid EmpireagainstByzantine Empire
Casualties and lossesHeavy casualties; 3,000 taken captiveandUnknown
Part ofByzantine–Sassanid War of 572–591AD 572 to AD 591

Where it sits in the Byzantine–Sassanid War of 572–591

Siege of Dara, AD 573Siege of Nisibis, AD 573Battle of Apamea, AD 573Battle of Melitene, AD 576Tamkhusrau's Armenian Campaign, AD 577Maurice's Sasanian Campaigns, AD 578Battle of the Nymphios River, AD 582Battle of Solachon, AD 586Battle of Martyropolis, AD 588Battle of the Araxes, AD 589AD 573AD 589Battle of Martyropolis, AD 588
10 placed engagements of the Byzantine–Sassanid War of 572–591 in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

DateAD 588 (year precision)
PlaceSilvan, Turkey
38.142N, 41.001E
KindBattle, medieval
Casualties and lossesHeavy casualties; 3,000 taken captiveUnknown
Commanders
  • Maruzas
  • Germanus (magister militum under Phocas)
Battle of MartyropolisBattle of MartyropolisBattle of TigranocertaSiege of MartyropolisSiege of MartyropolisSiege of AmidaSiege of AmidaSiege of AmidaSiege of AmidaZakhoMuşMardinElâzığNusaybinTatvanSiirtBingöl100 km38.142N, 41.001E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

Contested ground: this site was fought over 4 times between 69 BC and AD 588.

In the same war

Battle of Martyropolis is one of 128 engagements of the 6th century in the atlas and one of 687 in present-day Turkey.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q2237614, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Martyropolis (588), revision 1370449202, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.