Siege of Naples (542–543)

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Siege of Naples

Date	November 542 – March/April 543 AD
Location	Naples, Italy
Result	Ostrogothic victory

Belligerents

Eastern Roman Empire

Ostrogoths

Commanders and leaders

Conon

Totila

Strength

1,000 men

Unknown

v t e Wars of Justinian I
Iberian War Thannuris Mindouos Dara Satala Callinicum Martyropolis Vandalic War and Moorish Wars Ad Decimum Tricamarum Mammes Bourgaon Carthage Membresa Babosis and Zerboule Cillium Sufetula Marta Fields of Cato Gothic War Panormus Scardon 1st Naples 1st Rome Ariminum Urbinus Urviventus Auximus Ravenna Treviso Verona Faventia Mucellium 2nd Naples Otranto 2nd Rome 3rd Rome Sena Gallica Taginae Mons Lactarius Volturnus Sasanian war of 540–562 Nisibis Sisauranon Anglon Edessa Lazic War 1st Petra 2nd Petra 3rd Petra 1st Archaeopolis Cotais Telephis–Ollaria 2nd Archaeopolis Onoguris (3rd Archaeopolis) Phasis Tzacher Other Conquest of Spania Anastasian Wall Melantias

Wars of Justinian I

Iberian War

Vandalic War and Moorish Wars

Gothic War

Sasanian war of 540–562

Lazic War

Other

The siege of Naples was a successful siege of Naples by the Ostrogothic leader Totila in 542–543 AD. After crushing the Byzantine armies at Faventia and Mucellium, Totila marched south towards Naples, held by the general Conon with 1,000 men. A large-scale relief effort by the newly appointed magister militum Demetrius from Sicily was intercepted and almost entirely destroyed by Gothic warships. A second effort, again under Demetrius, likewise failed when strong winds forced the fleet's vessels to beach, where they were attacked and overrun by the Gothic army. Knowing the dire situation of the city's defenders, Totila promised the garrison safe passage if they surrendered. Pressed by famine and demoralized by the failure of the relief efforts, Conon accepted, and in late March or early April 543, Naples surrendered. The defenders were well treated by Totila, and the Byzantine garrison was allowed safe departure, but the city walls were partly razed.

Sources

Bury, John Bagnell (1958). History of the Later Roman Empire: From the Death of Theodosius I to the Death of Justinian, Volume 2. Mineola, New York: Dover Publications, Inc. pp. 231–233. ISBN 0-486-20399-9.

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