Atlas of Battles

battle, medieval

Battle of Melitene

Battle of Melitene was a battle fought in AD 576 at Melitene, in what is now Turkey. Its exact site is not recorded; the atlas places it at Melitene. It was part of the Byzantine–Sassanid War of 572–591, which ran from AD 572 to AD 591. The recorded result: Byzantine victory. Recorded strength: 50,000 against 70,000 – 90,000; 24 elephants.

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FoughtAD 576
WhereMelitene, Turkey38.423N, 38.366E, placed at the location, approximate
OutcomeByzantine victory
BelligerentsByzantine EmpireagainstSasanian Empire
Casualties and lossesUnknownand35,000 to 45,000 killed
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 Melitene, AD 576
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 576 (year precision)
PlaceMelitene, Turkey
38.423N, 38.366E
KindBattle, medieval
Territorial changeFailure of Khosrow's plans to capture Edessa
Strength50,00070,000 – 90,000; 24 elephants
Casualties and lossesUnknown35,000 to 45,000 killed
Commanders
  • Justinian (magister militum per Orientem)
  • Cours (Byzantine general)
Battle of MeliteneBattle of MeliteneBattle of MeliteneSiege of SamosataBattle of ElbistanSiege of HadathBattle of RabanBattle of MeliteneSiege of SamosataBattle of ElbistanSiege of HadathBattle of RabanDiyarbakırAdıyamanElâzığTunceli100 km38.423N, 38.366E
Placed at Melitene; the exact site is not recorded. with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Battle of Melitene 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 Q1235371, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Melitene (576), revision 1370269344, 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.