SARUS RIVER -v1.0
mid-April 626

by Chris Jackson
symbol set required: master 1

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

In November 602, the emperor Maurice was deposed in a mutiny by troops fighting
the Avars in the Balkans. The centurion Phocas was elevated as the new emperor,
and he had Maurice and his children executed in a first indication of his 
bloodthirsty character. The next eight years would be some of the most disastrous
in all Byzantine history. 

By 605 the Persians had begun yet another war, and unlike previous campaigns 
characterized by skirmishes and raids, the Persians were serious about taking
territory, especially that lost by the 591 treaty. The Byzantine Empire, beset
by economic decay, high taxes, class strife, religious dissent and barbarian 
invasions, was on the verge of collapsing much like the Western Roman Empire in
476. Phocas alienated many of his subjects by reversing the policy of religious 
tolerance that had worked for his predecessors, trying to crush dissent with many
arrests and executions, and being frequently drunk. In 608 a revolt broke out in
Africa, led by the governor there, Heraclius. Due to his old age Heraclius could
not lead the insurrection personally, and his son, also named Heraclius (b. c575)
was put in charge of the fleet. By October 5, 610 this revolt reached Consantinople,
where the people overthrew and beheaded the hated Phocas. Heraclius was elevated to 
the Byzantine crown, but the situation looked very dark.

The army of Justinian's, indeed Maurice's, day no longer existed. Heraclius was
unable to fight war on two fronts with an army so small. Morale was very low and
there was no money in the treasury to encourage enlistment. In 611 the Persians
captured Antioch, and in May 614 completed the conquest of Syria by taking and 
looting Jerusalem. By 620 they had taken Egypt. It was rumored that Heraclius was
considering moving the capital to Carthage. 

The Balkans fared no better, almost completely overrun by the Avars. In 617 they
reached the outskirts of Constantinople. In 619 Heraclius took a loan out from the
Church to pay them off to remove the threat from the west. After two years of 
melting down Church treasures to mint coins and organizing a new military system,
Heraclius had enough money and men to wage a campaign against the Persians 
in 622. Heraclius raised morale in the army by bearing a banner of Christ, turning
the campaign into a Holy War, a religious crusade against the fire-worshipping 
Persians. 

The year 622 marks the turning point of Byzantine fortunes, but the sources for
this time are very confusing and contradictory. It is estimated that both armies
were about equal in number. Heraclius did not have the time or means to try to 
march on Syria or Egypt - he would strike right at the heart of Persia and hope 
to take enough territory to trade back for the old Byzantine possessions.

Both sides seemed reluctant to meet in a full scale battle, instead making swift 
marches to occupy key passes in the foothills to try to cut each other off. 
Heraclius displayed his skill in this strategy at the Issus River when he escaped
the prospect of a battle with the sun to his army's eyes by luring the Persian army
forward with a small main body and then moving his main body through the eastern 
pass to sneak around the Persian army.

The Persian general Shar Baraz tried to track down the Byzantine army to ambush
them, but was always eluded. In February 623 Heraclius won another victory by 
discovering the Persian position from a deserter and luring them out into a trap.
With the Persian army thus defeated, Heraclius had bought time to suspend the 
campaign for a year while he went back to the Balkans to put down a small Avar
revolt before it became a big one.

In March 624 Shahr Baraz was back on the offensive, invading Asia Minor. Heraclius
invaded Persian Armenia and penetrated so far and fast that a terrified Chosroes II
recalled Shahr Baraz and took the army under his own command, then retreated to
regroup. Under his new plan the Persian army was split into three, led by Shahr 
Baraz, Sahin and Sarablangas respectively. Heraclius failed to hit them while they
were weak because his temporarily enlisted allies refused to follow him that far.
He was able to draw out Sahin's small Persian army and destroy it, however, which
allowed him to avoid getting flanked in a pincer. Without those allies he was still 
badly outnumbered and he decided not to risk any more fighting without getting 
more allies, especially as the Avars were making an alliance with Persia. Heraclius
decided to return westward after the winter of 625-26.

By April Heraclius had moved through Amida and Samasota, with the Persians in 
pursuit but strangely not eager to force a battle. Somewhere between April 8 and 12 he
reached the Sarus River between Caesarea and Germaniceia and occupied the bridge and
its towers. The Persians caught up with them here and made camp on the eastern bank,
but for a day or two did not engage. The Byzantines, hoping for loot, raided the 
Persian camp in disordered strikes, against Heraclius' orders.

Shahr Baraz decided to take advantage of this and pretend to abandon the camp, 
luring the Byzantines into an ambush. From here he had his men press on and try to
take the bridge. Heraclius and his remaining troops hastened to defend it and a
fierce struggle took place. Heraclius took many small wounds but was able to repel
the Persians and rescue his soldiers. From here he moved to Sebastea where he could
direct the upcoming defense of Constantinople from a siege.


SOURCES

Stratos, A.N. "Byzantium in the Seventh Century" Volume I: 602-634. Amsterdam:
     Adolf M. Hakkert, 1968.


BATTLE NOTES

You'll notice the composition of the Persians has drastically changed since the
last time. This information on their weapons and composition is from the so-called
"Maurice Strategicon" that actually dates from the time of Heraclius. The cavalry
now has cataphract-like capabilities with bows, but the infantry of peasant conscripts
is weakly armoured. I wonder how long THAT's been going on.
The battle begins right in the thick of things, and the first couple of Persian
infantry units are doomed to be killed by arrows alone on the first turn. From there
it's an exciting (I hope) battle with lots of archery fighting for the bridge. The
computer will probably let you pick off their leader with arrows too, so move yours
back.



- Chris Jackson
April 18, 2000
chrisbjackson@hotmail.com 