Climax of the War

Abstract

The initiative swung back to the Persians in 626. Two Persian armies attacked, Shahrbaraz driving Heraclius from Lake Van back to the Anatolian plateau, Shahen advancing across Transcaucasia. Shahrbaraz pressed on to the Bosporus, for a planned joint attack with the Avars on Constantinople. In the event, the Persian contingent was intercepted on the Bosporus, which left siege operations entirely in Avar hands. The huge host which they had assembled assaulted the city for ten days (29 July–7 August), deploying a full array of siege engines by land and Slav naval forces on the Golden Horn, but they could not breach the defences and withdrew on 8 August. Meanwhile, the Turks had invaded the Persian north-west across the Caucasus, and Heraclius, who had veered north on reaching Anatolia, had intercepted and destroyed Shahen’s army.