Sasanian conquest of Caesarea Maritima in 614 CE gave the Persian Empire access to the Mediterranean and dealt a major blow to Byzantine control of the Near East.
Key Facts
- Year of siege
- 614 CE
- Besieging power
- Sasanian Empire
- Defending power
- Byzantine Empire
- Sasanian commander
- Shahrbaraz
- Province
- Palaestina Prima
- Strategic gain
- Access to Mediterranean Sea via outer harbor
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Shah Khosrow II commissioned his general Shahrbaraz to conquer Byzantine-held territories in the Near East. Following an earlier victory at Antioch, Sasanian forces moved southward, targeting Caesarea Maritima, the administrative capital of Palaestina Prima and a strategically valuable port city on the Mediterranean coast.
In 614 CE, Shahrbaraz besieged and captured Caesarea Maritima. Although the grand inner harbor had silted up and was no longer functional, Emperor Anastasius had previously rebuilt the outer harbor, making the city a valuable maritime prize. The Sasanian conquest caused limited physical destruction but significant socioeconomic disruption.
The Sasanian occupation of Caesarea Maritima provided the Persian Empire with a Mediterranean maritime outlet and weakened Byzantine authority in the Levant. The city never fully recovered; a subsequent Arab conquest further devastated Caesarea, leading to a prolonged period of urban decline.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Shahrbaraz, Khosrow II (Shah, directing campaign).
Side B
1 belligerent