Battle of Anglon

Lazic War The Battle of Anglon took place in 543 AD, during the Byzantine (East Roman) invasion of Sasanian-ruled Armenia ("Persarmenia").

The Sasanian ruler Khosrow I began an invasion of Commagene in 542, but retreated to Adurbadagan and halted at Adhur Gushnasp, intending to begin a campaign against Byzantine Armenia.

Seeing this as an opportunity, Emperor Justinian I ordered all Roman forces in the East to invade Sasanian Armenia.

[4] Martin was the newly-appointed Master of Soldiers in the East (magister militum per Orientem) at the time, but according to primary sources did not have much authority over other generals.

The city was an important commercial center in the region, and it had ample supplies and was suitable for cavalry action.

[7] The Romans had been marching in strict formations, but as soon as they found out that the Persians are concentrated in Anglon, they spread out to plunder.

One day's march from Anglon, a captured Persian spy told the Romans that Nabedes has fled.

As the Roman forces proceeded into the rough terrain of Anglon, they probably assumed that Persians are hiding in the fortifications.

As the pursuing Romans passed through the narrow streets and rough terrain of the village under the fort, the Persians (presumably dismounted cavalrymen) launched their ambush from the village buildings outside the fortress, attacking the Heruls and killing their commander Narses in close combat.

The Romans and their commanders panicked and fled, leaving their heavy equipment (including arms, armor, draft animals, and baggage train) behind.

Despite Procopius' assessment that the force was poorly organized and led, the Romans in fact managed to swiftly deploy to face the Persian army in the field and defeat them in the first encounter.