Battle of Dara - The Battle

The Battle

Despite being outnumbered, Belisarius decided to give battle to the numerically superior Persians. He dug a number of ditches to block the Persian cavalry; leaving gaps between them to allow a counterattack. These were pushed forward on either flank of his position; while his center was refused back. Here he placed his unreliable infantry behind the center ditch. On the left and right flanks were the Roman cavalry, of questionable quality. Supporting them on their interior flanks were small bodies of Huns: 300 Hun cavalry under Sunicas and Aigan supporting the left; and as many more Huns on the right under Simmas and Ascan. Belisarius also placed a body of Heruli cavalry under Pharas in ambush position off of his left flank. A reserve composed of his own bucellarii household cavalry was held behind his center and commanded by Armenian John; his trusted lieutenant and boyhood companion.

On the first day, there was no general engagement, but instead a series of challenge fights between champions of both sides. One particular combat involved a Persian knight, who challenged Belisarius to a single combat; but was instead met by a Roman bath slave named Andreas. Andreas, who had been secretly training with Belisarius' own household troopers, killed not only this Persian champion, but also a second challenger later in the day. The Persians then withdrew to Ammodius for the night.

On the second day of the battle, 10,000 more Persian troops arrived from Nisibis. The Persians and Byzantines exchanged volleys of arrows, resulting in minor casualties on each side. The Persians formed two lines: the right flank under Pityaxes and the left under Baresamanes.

The first wave of the Persian attack was directed against the Roman left flank. The Persians forced a crossing of the ditch, pushing back the Roman cavalry. But the intervention of Sunicas' Huns attacking from the interior of the Roman line; as well as Pharas' Herulians attacking out of ambush from the opposite side, forced the Persians wing to retreat.

The Persians then attacked the Byzantine right wing, where Perozes sent the Persian Immortals, the elite Persian armored lancers. The Roman cavalry defending the ditch, were pushed back here as they had been on the right. But Belisarius counterattacked with his reserve bucellari cavalry, and split the Persian troops in two. Half the Persians pursued the Byzantine cavalry, but the rest were trapped, and Baresmanes was killed along with 5,000 other men. The Byzantine cavalry also recovered and routed their pursuers. Belisarius allowed a pursuit for a few miles, but let the majority of Persian survivors escape.