🟡 PRISONER OF THE SASSANIDS
The Battle of Edessa, a pivotal clash between the Roman Empire and the Sassanid Persian Empire, unfolded in 260 CE near the city of Edessa (modern-day Urfa, Turkey). Emperor Valerian, at the helm of the Roman forces, confronted the Sassanid king, Shapur I.
The battle proved to be a resounding victory for the Persians. The Roman army, despite its numerical superiority, was routed. The consequences were catastrophic: the entire Roman army was either slain or captured, and for the first time in history, a reigning Roman emperor, Valerian himself, fell into enemy hands. Shapur I, in a display of his triumph, paraded Valerian through the streets of Ctesiphon, the Sassanid capital, as a humiliating spectacle.
