Battle of Immae
Encyclopedia
The Battle
of Immae was fought in 272
between the Roman army
of Emperor Aurelian
and the armies of the Palmyrene Empire
, whose leader, Queen Zenobia
had usurped Roman control over the eastern provinces.
, Rome had lost its ability to defend its eastern provinces from Sassanid invasion. Septimius Odaenathus, a chieftain out of Palmyra
, created a rag tag army that proved highly successful in repelling the Sassanid onslaught. He was so successful that Gallienus
made him a king and protector of the eastern empire. After his death his wife Queen Zenobia
assumed direct control (through her son) of the eastern Roman Empire provinces that were under Palmyrian protection. Through shrewd diplomacy she managed to expand her holdings into Egypt and convinced much of Asia Minor to call Palmyra its capital, effectively carving out a Palmyrene Empire. Publicly she maintained the facade of a partnership with Rome by at all times placing her son in the subordinate position to Aurelian
in all official documents, letterhead, and coins that were minted.
In Aurelian's eyes her entrance into Egypt, still considered a strictly personal province of the Emperor, was nothing short of a declaration of war. Despite this Aurelian had been unable to directly contest her actions due to the constant invasion by Germanic tribes. Finally after devastating victories over the Alamanni
, fortifying the region with city walls, and abandoning Dacia
he felt Rome was safe enough to begin a campaign into the east.
.
After some skirmishes Zabdas wanted to quickly to gain the initiative and called for a cavalry charge which in turn forced Aurelian to counter with his own cavalry charge. When the two forces were close to engaging the Roman light cavalry suddenly broke ranks, routed, and left the battlefield. Zabadas, smelling blood and certain victory, ordered his much heavier cataphracts to give chase. After awhile the lengthy chase and hot sun started to wear more on the heavily armored Palmyrene horses and men but their seemingly unshakable confidence in the superiority of their cavalry forced them to ride on. At a predetermined point the Romans wheeled around and suddenly attacked the exhausted and surprised cavalry. The trap was devastating and very few of the Palmyrene cavalry made it back alive.
After hearing of the destruction of his cavalry Zabdas realized the day was lost. His infantry was no match for the battle hardened legionaries and immediately ordered a full retreat to Antioch. Understanding the inevitability of Antiochs fall, Queen Zenobia and Zabdas resupplied their forces and moved them under the cover of darkness out of Antioch to Emesa.
Battle
Generally, a battle is a conceptual component in the hierarchy of combat in warfare between two or more armed forces, or combatants. In a battle, each combatant will seek to defeat the others, with defeat determined by the conditions of a military campaign...
of Immae was fought in 272
272
Year 272 was a leap year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Postumius and Veldumnianus...
between the Roman army
Roman army
The Roman army is the generic term for the terrestrial armed forces deployed by the kingdom of Rome , the Roman Republic , the Roman Empire and its successor, the Byzantine empire...
of Emperor Aurelian
Aurelian
Aurelian , was Roman Emperor from 270 to 275. During his reign, he defeated the Alamanni after a devastating war. He also defeated the Goths, Vandals, Juthungi, Sarmatians, and Carpi. Aurelian restored the Empire's eastern provinces after his conquest of the Palmyrene Empire in 273. The following...
and the armies of the Palmyrene Empire
Palmyrene Empire
The Palmyrene Empire was a splinter empire, that broke off of the Roman Empire during the Crisis of the Third Century. It encompassed the Roman provinces of Syria Palaestina, Egypt and large parts of Asia Minor....
, whose leader, Queen Zenobia
Zenobia
Zenobia was a 3rd-century Queen of the Palmyrene Empire in Roman Syria. She led a famous revolt against the Roman Empire. The second wife of King Septimius Odaenathus, Zenobia became queen of the Palmyrene Empire following Odaenathus' death in 267...
had usurped Roman control over the eastern provinces.
Prelude to War
During the Crisis of the Third CenturyCrisis of the Third Century
The Crisis of the Third Century was a period in which the Roman Empire nearly collapsed under the combined pressures of invasion, civil war, plague, and economic depression...
, Rome had lost its ability to defend its eastern provinces from Sassanid invasion. Septimius Odaenathus, a chieftain out of Palmyra
Palmyra
Palmyra was an ancient city in Syria. In the age of antiquity, it was an important city of central Syria, located in an oasis 215 km northeast of Damascus and 180 km southwest of the Euphrates at Deir ez-Zor. It had long been a vital caravan city for travellers crossing the Syrian desert...
, created a rag tag army that proved highly successful in repelling the Sassanid onslaught. He was so successful that Gallienus
Gallienus
Gallienus was Roman Emperor with his father Valerian from 253 to 260, and alone from 260 to 268. He took control of the Empire at a time when it was undergoing great crisis...
made him a king and protector of the eastern empire. After his death his wife Queen Zenobia
Zenobia
Zenobia was a 3rd-century Queen of the Palmyrene Empire in Roman Syria. She led a famous revolt against the Roman Empire. The second wife of King Septimius Odaenathus, Zenobia became queen of the Palmyrene Empire following Odaenathus' death in 267...
assumed direct control (through her son) of the eastern Roman Empire provinces that were under Palmyrian protection. Through shrewd diplomacy she managed to expand her holdings into Egypt and convinced much of Asia Minor to call Palmyra its capital, effectively carving out a Palmyrene Empire. Publicly she maintained the facade of a partnership with Rome by at all times placing her son in the subordinate position to Aurelian
Aurelian
Aurelian , was Roman Emperor from 270 to 275. During his reign, he defeated the Alamanni after a devastating war. He also defeated the Goths, Vandals, Juthungi, Sarmatians, and Carpi. Aurelian restored the Empire's eastern provinces after his conquest of the Palmyrene Empire in 273. The following...
in all official documents, letterhead, and coins that were minted.
In Aurelian's eyes her entrance into Egypt, still considered a strictly personal province of the Emperor, was nothing short of a declaration of war. Despite this Aurelian had been unable to directly contest her actions due to the constant invasion by Germanic tribes. Finally after devastating victories over the Alamanni
Alamanni
The Alamanni, Allemanni, or Alemanni were originally an alliance of Germanic tribes located around the upper Rhine river . One of the earliest references to them is the cognomen Alamannicus assumed by Roman Emperor Caracalla, who ruled the Roman Empire from 211 to 217 and claimed thereby to be...
, fortifying the region with city walls, and abandoning Dacia
Dacia
In ancient geography, especially in Roman sources, Dacia was the land inhabited by the Dacians or Getae as they were known by the Greeks—the branch of the Thracians north of the Haemus range...
he felt Rome was safe enough to begin a campaign into the east.
Mobilization
Realizing his army was far too cumbersome to invade Egypt effectively Aurelian sent one of his generals with a fleet to see if they could drive out the Palmyrene garrison stationed there. In the mean time Aurelian restored his army to full strength and when he felt they were ready began to march toward Antioch. Realizing that the charade was over Queen Zenobia dropped all pretenses and had her son declared Augustus and mobilized an army to meet Aurelian in the field under the command of her capable general ZabdasZabdas
Zabdas was the name of the general who led the forces of Queen Zenobia during her rule of the Palmyrene Empire. He chose not to face the emperor Aurelian in Asia Minor, due to the mountainous nature of that province and its consequent negative effects on cavalry tactics, and awaited Aurelian in...
.
The Battle
Both armies took the field near Antioch at Immae in traditional battle formations with infantry in the center and cavalry on the flanks. Zabdas had two big advantages at his disposal; first was the superiority of his cataphracts and the second was the extreme heat the Romans were not adapted to. Aurelian understood the situation as well and planned to use a tactic implemented by Claudius Gothicus against the Goths and hoped to turn both disadvantages into devastating advantages.After some skirmishes Zabdas wanted to quickly to gain the initiative and called for a cavalry charge which in turn forced Aurelian to counter with his own cavalry charge. When the two forces were close to engaging the Roman light cavalry suddenly broke ranks, routed, and left the battlefield. Zabadas, smelling blood and certain victory, ordered his much heavier cataphracts to give chase. After awhile the lengthy chase and hot sun started to wear more on the heavily armored Palmyrene horses and men but their seemingly unshakable confidence in the superiority of their cavalry forced them to ride on. At a predetermined point the Romans wheeled around and suddenly attacked the exhausted and surprised cavalry. The trap was devastating and very few of the Palmyrene cavalry made it back alive.
After hearing of the destruction of his cavalry Zabdas realized the day was lost. His infantry was no match for the battle hardened legionaries and immediately ordered a full retreat to Antioch. Understanding the inevitability of Antiochs fall, Queen Zenobia and Zabdas resupplied their forces and moved them under the cover of darkness out of Antioch to Emesa.