Siege of Ariminum (538)
| Siege of Ariminum | |||||||||
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| Part of the Gothic War | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Eastern Roman Empire | Ostrogothic Kingdom | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Vitiges | |||||||||
The siege of Ariminum (Italian: Assedio di Ariminum), also known as the siege of Rimini (Assedio di Rimini), was an encounter in the Gothic War between Byzantine forces under Belisarius and John and an Ostrogothic force in 538 AD.
In March 538, John captured Ariminum (present-day Rimini) to entice the Goths to lift the siege of Rome. Fearing for their capital in Ravenna, the Goths retreated from Rome to Ariminum. After unsuccessfully attempting to use a siege ladder, Vitiges began to starve the town.
Encouraged by Narses, Belisarius sent three groups to Ariminum: Belisarius and Narses passed through the Apennines, while Ildiger and Martinus led their troops along the Adriatic coast, Ildiger by sea and Martinus on land. An encounter between Belisarius' army and the Goths led the Goths to believe that the Byzantines were approaching from the north, while Martinus' army, approaching from the south, lit campfires to exaggerate its size. After seeing Ildiger's fleet, the Goths lifted their siege on 24 July 538, and withdrew to Ravenna. The siege further ruptured unity among the Byzantine leadership.