Lazic War The siege of Ariminum (Italian: Assedio di Ariminum), also known as the siege of Rimini (Assedio di Rimini),[1] was an encounter in the Gothic War between Byzantine forces under Belisarius and John and an Ostrogothic force in 538 AD.
[1][2] In March 538,[3] John captured Ariminum (present-day Rimini) to entice the Goths to lift the siege of Rome.
[2] When the siege of Rome was in its final stages, Belisarius sent John, nephew of Vitalianus into Picenum to occupy the region.
[2] The Roman population of Ariminum (present-day Rimini) invited John to take the town;[2][5] John estimated that the position of Ariminum between Rome and the Gothic capital of Ravenna would cause Vitiges to lift Rome's siege and retreat if it were occupied.
[3] Predicting that the Goths would attempt to besiege John at Ariminum,[2] Belisarius sent Ildiger and Martinus to replace John,[2][6] dispatching them along the Via Flaminia with a thousand horsemen to arrive in Ariminum before the retreating Goths,[7] who, travelling with a larger army, required detours and avoided the Roman fortresses at Narnia, Spoletium, and Perusia.
[2] On his march, Belisarius’ encountered a force of Goths who were heavily defeated and fled back to the Gothic camp.
They claimed that the Byzantines approached with a large force from the north,[2] leading the Goths to move their camps "to that side of Ariminum that faces sunset".
[4] At night, however, they observed Martinus' many campfires,[2] which were sixty stadia (approximately 10 kilometres (6.2 mi)) away, likely near present-day Riccione.