Siege of Salona (537)
| Siege of Salona | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Gothic War (535–554) | |||||||||
First phase of the Gothic War campaigns | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Byzantine Empire | Ostrogothic Kingdom | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Constantinianus | |||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
| Unknown | Unknown | ||||||||
The siege of Salona took place in February 537 AD during the Gothic War (535–554), where Ostrogoths (Goths) attempted to seize the city controlled by the Byzantine Empire.
In 535 AD, Salona was captured by Byzantine forces for its strategic position for supply lines across the Adriatic Sea to the war campaign on the Italian peninsula. The Goths attempted to recapture the city with a large army, but it ended as a Pyrrhic victory for the Byzantines, with heavy losses for both sides. Another Byzantine army under the command of the general Constantinianus secured the region in March 536. Early in the following year, the Goths gathered a second army, accompanied by a navy, and attacked the city in an attempt to regain control of the region. The Byzantines defeated the Gothic navy, securing the city's sea supply lines during the siege. Moreover, the city's fortifications and determined defenders prevented a Gothic breakthrough by land. The Goths were unable to maintain the siege and withdrew. The failure to capture Salona ensured continued Byzantine control of Dalmatia and supported further imperial campaigns in the Italian peninsula.