century, 97 engagements
Battles of the 3rd century
97 engagements of the 3rd century are placed in the atlas: 69 battles, 19 sieges and 9 campaigns across 17 present-day countries, most in China (32), Turkey (13), Italy (9). The century's largest wars by placed engagements: Roman–Sasanian wars (21), Early Imperial China (10), Campaigns of Aurelian (7), Crisis of the Third Century (6).
Engagements by decade
Wars of the century 13 with pages
- Roman–Sasanian wars 21
- Early Imperial China 10
- Campaigns of Aurelian 7
- Crisis of the Third Century 6
- Gothic War of 248–253 4
- Palmyrene War 4
- Zhuge Liang's Northern Expeditions 3
- Germanic Wars 3
- end of the Han dynasty 2
- Roman–Parthian Wars 1
- Roman conquest of Britain 1
- Gothic Wars 1
- list of Roman civil wars and revolts 1
Most widely documented engagements
| Date | Engagement | Place | War |
|---|---|---|---|
| AD 208 | Battle of Red Cliffs | Chibi | Early Imperial China |
| AD 260 | Battle of Edessa | Edessa | Roman–Sasanian wars |
| September AD 268 | Battle of Naissus | Niš | Campaigns of Aurelian |
| AD 251 | Battle of Abritus | Dobruja | Gothic War of 248–253 |
| AD 217 | Battle of Nisibis | Nusaybin | Parthian War of Caracalla |
| 28 April AD 224 | Battle of Hormozdgan | Shushtar | |
| August AD 221 | Battle of Xiaoting | Early Imperial China | |
| AD 268 | Battle of Lake Benacus | Lake Garda | Campaigns of Aurelian |
| AD 243 | Battle of Resaena | Rhesaina | Roman–Sasanian wars |
| AD 285 | Battle of the Margus | Great Morava | |
| AD 244 | Battle of Misiche | Anbar | Roman–Sasanian wars |
| AD 271 | Battle of Fano | Metauro | Campaigns of Aurelian |
| AD 274 | Battle of Châlons | Catalaunian Plains | Campaigns of Aurelian |
| AD 271 | Battle of Pavia | Pavie | Campaigns of Aurelian |
| AD 271 | Battle of Placentia | Piacenza | Campaigns of Aurelian |
| October AD 208 | Battle of Changban | Jingmen | Early Imperial China |
| AD 298 | Battle of Lingones | ||
| AD 218 | Battle of Mount Dingjun | Early Imperial China | |
| AD 252 | Battle of Barbalissos | Barbalissos | Roman–Sasanian wars |
| July AD 219 | Battle of Fancheng | Fancheng District | Early Imperial China |
| 8 June AD 218 | Battle of Antioch | Antioch | |
| AD 272 | Battle of Immae | Palmyrene War | |
| AD 259 | Battle of Mediolanum | Mediolanum | |
| AD 272 | Battle of Emesa | Homs | Palmyrene War |
| February AD 228 | Battle of Jieting | Zhuge Liang's Northern Expeditions | |
| June AD 228 | Battle of Shiting | Qianshan | Early Imperial China |
| AD 234 | Battle of Wuzhang Plains | Wuzhang Plains | Early Imperial China |
| AD 216 | Parthian War of Caracalla | West Asia | Roman–Parthian Wars |
| AD 235 | Battle at the Harzhorn | Harzhorn | Crisis of the Third Century |
| AD 202 | Battle of Bowang | ||
| AD 298 | Battle of Vindonissa | Vindonissa, Celtic oppidum / Roman legionary camp / civilian settlement | |
| AD 214 | Battle of Xiaoyao Ford | Hefei | |
| AD 253 | Siege of Antioch | Antioch | Roman–Sasanian wars |
| AD 298 | Battle of Satala | Phasiane | Sasanian campaigns of Galerius |
| December AD 228 | Siege of Chencang | Chencang District | Zhuge Liang's Northern Expeditions |
| AD 208 | Battle of Jiangling | Jiangling County | Early Imperial China |
| AD 242 | Sasanian campaign of Gordian III | Mesopotamia | Roman–Sasanian wars |
| AD 215 | Battle of Yangping | Hanzhong | |
| AD 203 | Battle of Xiakou | ||
| the AD 250s | Siege of Dura-Europos | Dura-Europos | Roman–Sasanian wars |
| April AD 238 | Siege of Aquileia | Aquileia | Crisis of the Third Century |
| AD 250 | Battle of Philippopolis | Plovdiv | Gothic War of 248–253 |
| AD 252 | Siege of Nisibis | Nusaybin | Roman–Sasanian wars |
| AD 205 | Battle of Nanpi | Nanpi County | |
| AD 296 | Battle of Carrhae | Harran | Sasanian campaigns of Galerius |
| AD 263 | Battle of Ctesiphon | Ctesiphon | Odaenathus' Sasanian campaigns |
| AD 235 | Siege of Nisibis | Nusaybin | Roman–Sasanian wars |
| AD 208 | Roman invasion of Caledonia | Caledonia | Roman conquest of Britain |
| AD 255 | Battle of Didao | Gansu | Jiang Wei's Northern Expeditions |
| AD 253 | Battle of Dongxing | Chaohu | |
| AD 202 | Battle of Liyang | Henan | |
| March AD 231 | Battle of Mount Qi | Zhuge Liang's Northern Expeditions | |
| AD 254 | Battle of Thermopylae (254) | Thermopylae | Gothic Wars |
| AD 270 | Palmyrene invasion of Egypt | Roman Egypt | Crisis of the Third Century |
| AD 296 | Sasanian campaigns of Galerius | Kingdom of Armenia | Roman–Sasanian wars |
| AD 249 | Battle of Verona | ||
| AD 213 | Siege of Jicheng | Gangu County | |
| AD 283 | Carus and Numerian's Sasanian campaign | Mesopotamia | Roman–Sasanian wars |
| AD 229 | First Mesopotamian campaign of Ardashir I | Kingdom of Armenia | Roman–Sasanian wars |
| AD 261 | Odaenathus' Sasanian campaigns | Mesopotamia | Roman–Sasanian wars |
| AD 215 | Battle of Baxi | Hanzhong Campaign | |
| AD 219 | Battle of Han River | Hanzhong | Hanzhong Campaign |
| AD 208 | Battle of Hefei | Hefei | Early Imperial China |
| AD 208 | Battle of Yiling | Yichang | Early Imperial China |
| AD 231 | Battle of Hefei | Hefei | |
| AD 250 | Battle of Beroe | Augusta Traiana | Gothic War of 248–253 |
| AD 250 | Battle of Nicopolis ad Istrum | Nicopolis ad Istrum | Gothic War of 248–253 |
| AD 253 | Battle of Interamna Nahars | Terni | list of Roman civil wars and revolts |
| AD 222 | Battle of Ruxu | ||
| AD 260 | Siege of Antioch | Antioch | Roman–Sasanian wars |
| AD 260 | Siege of Caesarea | Caesarea of Cappadocia | Roman–Sasanian wars |
| AD 230 | Sassanid campaign of Severus Alexander | Media | Roman–Sasanian wars |
| AD 201 | Battle of Cangting | Cangting | end of the Han dynasty |
| AD 229 | Battle of Jianwei | Longnan | |
| AD 254 | Siege of Thessalonica | Thessaloniki | Germanic Wars |
| AD 240 | Fall of Hatra | Hatra | Roman–Sasanian wars |
| AD 280 | Yawm al-Nakhla | Nakhla | |
| AD 214 | Battle of Qi Mountains | end of the Han dynasty | |
| AD 272 | Siege of Tyana | Tyana | Palmyrene War |
| AD 272 | Palmyrene War | Palmyrene Empire | Campaigns of Aurelian |
| AD 234 | Battle of Hefei | Hefei | |
| AD 233 | Battle of Hefei | Hefei | |
| AD 253 | Battle of Hefei | Hefei | |
| AD 229 | Ardashir I's Siege of Hatra | Hatra | Roman–Sasanian wars |
| AD 237 | Second Mesopotamian campaign of Ardashir I | Mesopotamia | Roman–Sasanian wars |
| AD 297 | Siege of Alexandria | Alexandria | |
| AD 272 | Siege of Palmyra | Palmyra | Palmyrene War |
| AD 268 | Siege of Mediolanum | Mediolanum | Crisis of the Third Century |
| AD 253 | Siege of Emesa | Emesa | Roman–Sasanian wars |
| AD 268 | Battle of Pons Aureoli | ||
| AD 261 | Battle of Serdica | Serdica | Crisis of the Third Century |
| 20 April AD 239 | Siege of Dura-Europos | Dura-Europos | Roman–Sasanian wars |
| AD 300 | Battle of Radmān | Radman | Campaign against the Southern Coalition |
| AD 269 | Siege of Augustodunum Haeduorum | Augustodunum | Crisis of the Third Century |
| AD 296 | Battle of Londinium | Londinium | Carausian Revolt |
| AD 268 | Battle of Nestos | Nestos | Germanic Wars |
| AD 300 | Alemanni and Frankish invasion of Gaul | Gaul | Germanic Wars |
The 97 most widely documented engagements of the century are listed; the war pages list every placed engagement by date.