Time Commanders s2e5 Battle of Dara 2nd of 5

The Battle of Dara was fought between the Sassanids and the Byzantine Empire in 530. It was one of the battles of the Iberian War. The Byzantine Empire was at war with the Sassanids from 527, supposedly because Kavadh I had tried to force the Iberians to become Zoroastrians. The Iberian king fled from Kavadh, but Kavadh tried to make peace with the Byzantines, and attempted to have Justinian adopt his son Khosrau. Justinian refused and sent his generals Sittas and Belisarius into Persia, where they were initially defeated. Justinian tried to negotiate but Kavadh instead sent 40,000 men towards Dara in 529. Belisarius was sent back to the region with Hermogenes and 25,000 men in 530; Kavadh replied with another 10,000 troops under the general Firouz, who set up camp about five kilometers away at Ammodius. Despite being outnumbered, Belisarius decided to attack the poorly-armed Persians. He dug a number of ditches, with gaps between them to allow a counterattack, on the road towards Dara to block the Persian cavalry, and organized most of his infantry in a single block. On the left and right flanks were the Heruli cavalry under Pharas and Bouzes. Also on the left was 300 Hun cavalry under Sunicas and Aigan, along with 600 more Huns on the right under Simmas and Ascan. A reserve of Byzantine cavalry led by the general John was located in the rear of the right flank. Before the battle began these forces remained behind the ditches. Visit the Time Commanders website for more videos, scenarios, historical fact and information at http://www.dwwilkin.com/Time_Commanders/Synopsis.html