Atlas of Battles

commander, 19 engagements

Battles of Belisarius

Battles of Belisarius

6th century Byzantine general instrumental in reconquest of much of the former Roman Mediterranean territories (505-565)

Belisarius is recorded as a commander at 19 placed engagements in the atlas between AD 528 and AD 559: 10 battles and 9 sieges across 6 present-day countries, most in Italy (8), Turkey (4), Tunisia (3). Taken in date order, the sites lie 12,423 km apart end to end, 690 km between engagements on average. Most belong to Gothic War of 535–554 (8), Iberian War (4), Vandalic War (2).

Battle of ThannurisBattle of MindouosSiege of PanormusBattle of the Bagradas RiverSiege of CarthageSiege of NaplesSiege of UrbinusSiege of AriminumSiege of RavennaSiege of AuximusBattle of NisibisBelisarius' invasion of MesopotamiaSiege of UrviventusBattle of MelantiasBattle of DaraBattle of CallinicumBattle of Ad DecimumBattle of TricamarumSiege of RomeBattle of DaraBattle of CallinicumBattle of Ad DecimumBattle of TricamarumSiege of RomeBaghdadAthensViennaGenevaAlexandriaAnkaraTel AvivMilanAleppoDamascus1000 km39.059N, 25.552E
19 placed engagements, coloured by era. Present-day coastlines; ringed marks are the most widely documented.

Engagements by year

AD 528: 2 engagementsAD 530: 1 engagementsAD 531: 1 engagementsAD 533: 2 engagementsAD 535: 1 engagementsAD 536: 3 engagements3 in AD 536AD 537: 1 engagementsAD 538: 2 engagementsAD 539: 2 engagementsAD 541: 2 engagementsAD 553: 1 engagementsAD 559: 1 engagementsAD 528AD 559
19 dated engagements, one bar per year, coloured by era.

In time order

Battle of Thannuris, AD 528Battle of Mindouos, AD 528Battle of Dara, AD 530Battle of Callinicum, AD 531Battle of Ad Decimum, AD 533Battle of Tricamarum, AD 533Siege of Panormus, AD 535Battle of the Bagradas River, AD 536Siege of Carthage, AD 536Siege of Naples, AD 536Siege of Rome, AD 537Siege of Urbinus, AD 538Siege of Ariminum, AD 538Siege of Ravenna, AD 539Siege of Auximus, AD 539Battle of Nisibis, AD 541Belisarius' invasion of Mesopotamia, AD 541Siege of Urviventus, AD 553Battle of Melantias, AD 559AD 528AD 559
One tick per dated engagement; each tick is a link.

Wars 5

Engagements by date

DateEngagementPlaceFrom the lastResult
AD 528Battle of ThannurisTell Tuneinir, SyriaSasanian victory
AD 528Battle of MindouosÖğündük, Turkey129 km NESasanian victory
May AD 530Battle of DaraDara, Turkey72 km WByzantine victory
19 April AD 531Battle of CallinicumNikephorion, Syria221 km SWSasanian victory (see Aftermath)
13 September AD 533Battle of Ad DecimumCarthage, Tunisia2,570 km WByzantine victory
15 December AD 533Battle of TricamarumCarthage, Tunisia12 km NEByzantine victory
October AD 535Siege of PanormusPanormus, Italy303 km NEByzantine victory
AD 536Battle of the Bagradas RiverMedjerda River, Algeria552 km WByzantine victory
AD 536Siege of CarthageCarthage, Tunisia252 km EByzantine victory
September AD 536Siege of NaplesNeapolis, Italy559 km NEByzantine victory
2 March AD 537Siege of RomeRome, Italy188 km NWByzantine victory
AD 538Siege of UrbinusUrbino, Italy202 km NByzantine victory
February AD 538Siege of AriminumAriminum, Italy38 km NByzantine victory
AD 539Siege of RavennaRavenna, Italy50 km NWByzantine victory
March AD 539Siege of AuximusOsimo, Italy146 km SEByzantine victory
AD 541Battle of NisibisNusaybin, Turkey2,445 km ESasanian victory
AD 541Belisarius' invasion of MesopotamiaMesopotamia, Iraq429 km SEByzantine victory
AD 553Siege of UrviventusOrvieto, Italy2,900 km NWByzantine victory
February AD 559Battle of MelantiasMelantias, Turkey1,355 km EByzantine victory

Sources and method

Commanders come from the commander fields of the English Wikipedia infoboxes of these engagements (CC BY-SA 4.0), resolved to one article each; portrait, dates and description from Wikidata (CC0) and Wikimedia Commons, Meister von San Vitale in Ravenna, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Distances are great-circle distances between recorded sites, not marches.