The assault on Telephis and Ollaria occurred in 553 during the

Lazic War The Lazic War, also known as the Colchidian War or in Georgian historiography as the Great War of Egrisi, was fought between the Byzantine Empire and the Sasanian Empire for control of the ancient Georgia (country), Georgian region of Lazica. The ...

between the

Sasanian Empire The Sasanian Empire (), officially Eranshahr ( , "Empire of the Iranian peoples, Iranians"), was an List of monarchs of Iran, Iranian empire that was founded and ruled by the House of Sasan from 224 to 651. Enduring for over four centuries, th ...

and the

Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived History of the Roman Empire, the events that caused the ...

. As the Byzantine position was strengthened by fresh forces, the Sasanian commander

Mihr-Mihroe Mihr-Mihroe (died 555), in Middle Persian either ''Mihr-Mihrōē'' Encyclopaedia Iranica, edited by Ehsan Yar-Shater, Routledge & Kegan Paul Volume 6, Parts 1-3, page 281a or ''Mihrmāh-rōy''; in Byzantine sources Mermeroes (), was a 6th-century ...

took the initiative and dislodged the Byzantine forces in a surprise offensive westward to the Nesos "island".

Source

The primary source of this conflict is the Byzantine historian

Agathias Agathias Scholasticus (; Martindale, Jones & Morris (1992), p. 23–25582/594) was a Greek poet and the principal historian of part of the reign of the Roman emperor Justinian I between 552 and 558. Biography Agathias was a native of Myrina ( ...

, who seems to have had access to the reports of the inquiry into the defeat.

Campaign

The Byzantines had reinforced the region with a large force under the generals

Martin Martin may refer to: Places Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Europe * Martin, Croatia, a village * Martin, Slovakia, a city * Martín del Río, Aragón, Spain * M ...

, Bessas, and Bouzes, accompanied by

Justin Justin may refer to: People and fictional characters * Justin (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Justin (historian), Latin historian who lived under the Roman Empire * Justin I (c. 450–527) ...

, son of Germanus. Martin stationed at a frontier stronghold guarding a strategic narrow pass at Telephis, while Bessas and Justin stationed nearby at Ollaria. The Sasanian general

had stationed nearby at Kutais. Knowing that he could not defeat the Byzantine force right away, he reportedly spread

disinformation Disinformation is misleading content deliberately spread to deceive people, or to secure economic or political gain and which may cause public harm. Disinformation is an orchestrated adversarial activity in which actors employ strategic dece ...

by rumoring about himself being critically ill, which caused the Byzantine forces to relax their defenses (he actually died of illness afterward; ''see below''). The following Sasanian assault caused a general retreat of the Byzantines at Telephis, and later Ollaria, westward as far as the stronghold at Nesos "island" (perhaps the Tekhuri– Abasha). Mihr-Mihroe was not able to follow up the victory due to supply problems and lack of siege equipment and retreated to Mocheresis, reinforcing his strategic garrison at Onoguris on his way, and died of illness shortly afterward.

Aftermath

The Lazic king Gubazes soon protested to Justinian about the incompetence of the Byzantine generals, who dismissed some of them. The Byzantine generals under Martin attempted to capture Onoguris but were defeated by a small relief force under Nachoragan who had just succeeded general Mihr-Mihroe.

References

Lazic War 553 550s conflicts 6th century in Georgia (country) Battles of the Byzantine–Sasanian Wars 550s in the Byzantine Empire 6th century in Iran Telephis Telephis {{battle-stub