Emperor Julian The Roman emperor Julian the Apostate, who led his forces against the ancient Persian capital of Ctesiphon and later in the campaign died in battle in 363 CE. © DEA/G. Dagli Orti—De Agostini/Getty Images. (more) Battle of Ctesiphon Roman history [363] Actions Cite verifiedCite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style MLA APA Chicago Manual of Style Copy Citation Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Ctesiphon-363 Give Feedback External Websites Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

　　External Websites First World War.com - The Battle of Ctesiphon, 1915 Print Cite verifiedCite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style MLA APA Chicago Manual of Style Copy Citation Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Ctesiphon-363 Feedback External Websites Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

　　External Websites First World War.com - The Battle of Ctesiphon, 1915 Written by Michael Kerrigan Michael Kerrigan has written many books, including volumes on Greece and the Mediterranean and Rome for the BBC Ancient Civilizations series and Ancients in their Own Words (2009). Coauthor of... Michael Kerrigan Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Nov 11, 2024 • Article History Table of Contents Location: Ctesiphon Iraq (Show more) Participants: ancient Rome Sasanian dynasty (Show more) Key People: Julian (Show more) See all related content Ask the Chatbot a Question Ask the Chatbot a Question Battle of Ctesiphon, clash of June 26–27, 363ce, during the realm of Roman Emperor Julian the Apostate, who had invaded Persia. At Ctesiphon, just a few miles south of present-day Baghdad, Iraq, Julian’s army battled the Sassanid forces of Shāpūr II. The Romans won on the battlefield, but then faced a Persian scorched-earth policy. The campaign ended with the Roman army exhausted and demoralized, and Julian dead.

　　Julian, only 32 at the time of the battle, was an attractive, charismatic figure: a man who lived his life on a heroic scale, a reckless romantic in search of striking gestures and epic triumphs. One was the Persian campaign of 363, which historians largely regard as a strategic error—and an unforced one, since Shāpūr, with no interest in continuing to fight against Rome’s much superior forces, had sued for peace. Nonetheless, seeking the prestige that would accrue from defeating Persia, Julian proceeded with his invasion, sailing up the Tigris River to the Persian capital at Ctesiphon and, in a dramatic gesture, burning his boats to signal that there was no turning back.

　　Britannica Quiz A History of War The Persian army awaiting the Romans outside the city was an intimidating sight, with long lines of cataphracts (armored cavalry) arrayed against the Romans. Undaunted, Julian had his cavalry form a crescent, the wings enveloping the enemy. The Romans gained an unexpected victory, but their siege engines had gone up in flames with the fleet, so that there was no way that they could hope to lay siege to Ctesiphon and capture the city. Instead, Julian decided to strike deep into Persia, from where Shāpūr was advancing with another army. Harried by the Persians, who had burned all the crops, the Romans were soon hungry and morale was low. Avoiding a head-on clash, the Persians waged a campaign of skirmishes and small engagements.

　　Julian decided to withdraw, moving northward toward Anatolia, but the Persian attacks continued, and, in one of these—at Sāmarrāʾ, in what is now central Iraq—he was mortally wounded. His army limped home, decimated by starvation, disease, and enemy attack: never had a “victorious” army returned in so forlorn a state.