Eastern Mediterranean 272: Siege of Tyana

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Political map of the Eastern Mediterranean on 30 Apr 272 (Crisis of the Third Century: Siege of Tyana), showing the following events: Dacia Aureliana; Abandonment of Dacia; Urbanus; Palmyrene Empire; Siege of Tyana.

In spring 272 Aurelian and his army crossed the Bosporus into Palmyrene-occupied Asia Minor and advanced rapidly through Bithynia and Galatia. The first resistance the Romans faced was at Tyana, which was eventually betrayed to him after a short siege.

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Main Events

271? Dacia Aureliana ▲

To cater for the migrants from Dacia, Aurelian formed a new province of Dacia south of the Danube, carved out of the exisiting provinces of Upper and Lower Moesia and from Thrace—which had all been depopulated by frequent barbarian raids. The capital of this new Dacia was Serdica (Sofia), where a mint was established in 272. A few years later, probably still during the reign of Aurelian, the province was split into two: Dacia Ripensis on the Danube and Dacia Mediterranea in the south. in wikipedia

271?–272? Abandonment of Dacia ▲

The barbarian invasions of the Balkans in the 3rd century had devastated the region, helping persuade Aurelian to strategically abandon the province of Dacia – probably in the late summer of 271, when the Dacian legions were needed for his campaign against Palmyra. The province’s troops were relocated south of the Danube, along with those civilians who chose to move. Many people remained behind and continued to trade with Rome; these Daco-Romans may have been the ancestors of today’s Romanians, although this is still debated. in wikipedia

271? Urbanus ▲

In either 271 or 272 a certain Urbanus proclaimed himself emperor in opposition to Aurelian. He was swiftly defeated. Little else is known about him, but some historians theorize that his revolt was in Dalmatia. in wikipedia

272 Palmyrene Empire ▲

By January 272 Aurelian’s march to the east had reached Byzantium, where he began preparations for the invasion of Zenobia’s holdings in Asia Minor. In response, Zenobia and her son Vaballathus proclaimed themselves Augusta and Augustus (empress and emperor) in March or April 272, finally assuming a stance of open rebellion against Aurelian. in wikipedia

272 Siege of Tyana ▲

In spring 272 Aurelian and his army crossed the Bosporus into Palmyrene-occupied Asia Minor, where Ancyra (Ankara) in Galatia submitted without a struggle. The first resistance was in Tyana in Cappadocia, which enraged Aurelian when it refused to open its gates to him. However, when the city was betrayed to him, Aurelian was merciful, although he had all the dogs killed to fulfil a vow he had made that he “would not leave even a dog alive” in the town. in wikipedia

270s 272 April April 30 Bulgaria Cappadocia Croatia Dacia Dacia Aureliana Galatia maps Moesia Palmyra Roman civil wars Roman Empire Romania Thrace

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