Event #173: Siege of Amida, at least 85,000 killed

Text #224

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So the Persians made their way through the passage inside the fortifications, a few at a time, and, mounting the tower, they found the monks still sleeping and slew them to a man. When Cabades learned this, he brought his ladders up to the wall close by this tower. It was already day. And those of the townsmen who were keeping guard on the adjoining tower became aware of the disaster, and ran thither with all speed to give assistance. Then for a long time both sides struggled to crowd back the other, and already the townsmen were gaining the advantage, killing many of those who had mounted the wall, and throwing back the men on the ladders, and they came very near to averting the danger. But Cabades drew his sword and, terrifying the Persians constantly with it, rushed in person to the ladders and would not let them draw back, and death was the punishment for those who dared turn to leave. As a result of this the Persians by their numbers gained the upper hand and overcame their antagonists in the fight. So the city was captured by storm on the eightieth day after the beginning of the siege. There followed a great massacre of the townspeople […]

Text #225

The year 814 (A.D. 502/3): Kavad¹ conquered Amid and Theodosiopolis, killing and taking into captivity their inhabitants. In Amid 85,000 corpses were carried out through the Northern Gate, not to mention those carried through other gates.

1. The chronicler thus reports the beginning of the Persian-Roman War (502-506). Kavad invaded Roman territory after Anastasius’ refusal to pay him contributions towards the cost of defending the Caspian passes, which had been stipulated in the Persian-Roman treaty of 442.[…][OF] ↩