page_title: Julian's Persian War
hierarchical_section_title: Julian's Persian War
caption_attribution_description: English: Julian Campaign in 363
context_page_description: Julian's Persian War, or the Perso-Roman War of 363, was the last undertaking of the Roman emperor Julian, begun in March 363. It was an aggressive war against the Sasanian Empire ruled by Shapur II.
  Aiming for the Sasanian capital Ctesiphon, Julian assembled a large army. In order to mislead the opponent and carry out a pincer attack, he sent a detachment to join with his ally Arshak II of Arsacid Armenia and to take the Tigris route from the north. Meanwhile, with his main army and a large fleet he advanced rapidly down the Euphrates relatively unopposed, destroyed several fortified cities, and reached the walls of the Sasanian capital, where a large force was assembled to defend it.
  The Romans won a victory outside Ctesiphon, but the northern army failed to arrive and the fortified capital seemed impregnable. Thus, Julian did not attempt to besiege the city and instead, burned the Roman fleet of supplies and marched into Persia's interior. Shapur II's army, however, still avoided a full-scale battle and used scorched earth tactics; as a result, Julian's army soon faced supply problems and had to retreat to the north.
context_section_description: Julian's Persian War, or the Perso-Roman War of 363, was the last undertaking of the Roman emperor Julian, begun in March 363. It was an aggressive war against the Sasanian Empire ruled by Shapur II.
  Aiming for the Sasanian capital Ctesiphon, Julian assembled a large army. In order to mislead the opponent and carry out a pincer attack, he sent a detachment to join with his ally Arshak II of Arsacid Armenia and to take the Tigris route from the north. Meanwhile, with his main army and a large fleet he advanced rapidly down the Euphrates relatively unopposed, destroyed several fortified cities, and reached the walls of the Sasanian capital, where a large force was assembled to defend it.
  The Romans won a victory outside Ctesiphon, but the northern army failed to arrive and the fortified capital seemed impregnable. Thus, Julian did not attempt to besiege the city and instead, burned the Roman fleet of supplies and marched into Persia's interior. Shapur II's army, however, still avoided a full-scale battle and used scorched earth tactics; as a result, Julian's army soon faced supply problems and had to retreat to the north. Shapur II's army appeared at this point and began to ceaselessly harass the Romans' flight by skirmishing. Julian died of wounds from one of these skirmishes and his successor, Jovian, agreed on humiliating terms in order to save the remnants of his demoralized and exhausted army from complete annihilation.
  The treaty of 363 transferred to Persian rule multiple regions and frontier fortresses including Nisibis and Singara, and renounced the Roman alliance with Armenia, giving Shapur de facto authority to invade and annex it.
caption: Map of Julian's unsuccessful campaign in 363
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