Post by stevie on May 24, 2021 8:41:27 GMT
Some modern historians speculate about Roman legionary survivors of the Battle of Carrhae in 53 BC
being sent east of the Parthian Empire and possibly coming into conflict with the Chinese:-
“The 10,000 Roman prisoners of war appear to have been deported to Alexandria Margiana (Merv)
near the Parthian Empire's northeastern border in 53 BC, where they reportedly married local people.
It has been hypothesized that some of them founded the Chinese city of Liqian after they had become
soldiers for the Xiongnu during the Battle of Zhizhi against the Han dynasty, but that is disputed.”
(Source en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Carrhae#Aftermath )
Well, I came across the following in the “Collin’s Encyclopedia of Military History” by Dupluy (1991):-
"234-264 AD. Decline of Shu. After the death of Chu Ko Liang, the Shu kingdom of southwestern China
steadily lost strength. It was conquered by Wei general Ssu Ma Yen. After this defeat, the remnants
of the Shu army - apparently accompanied by their families - fled westward through Turkestan to
Persia under the leadership of a Han prince, known in Persian history as Mamgo. He and his followers
offered their services to Shapur I, who welcomed them. Some years later Ssu Ma Yen - by this time
emperor of China - sent a demand to Shapur to surrender Mamgo and his adherents or else suffer a
Chinese invasion. Shapur, facing war with Rome, wished to retain good relations with China; he simply
sent Mamgo and his people to Armenia, then informed Ssu Ma Yen that they had been banished to
“certain death” at “the ends of the earth”. This apparently satisfied the Chinese emperor.
264-288 AD. Persian Occupation of Armenia. Weakened by his defeats by Odenathus (the husband of
Queen Zenobia of Palmyra), Shapur maintained only a tenuous hold over Armenia. He appointed as his
satrap there the somewhat mysterious Chinese refugee prince Mamgo, who with his army of Chinese
cavalry for several years maintained nominal Persian control over the unruly Armenia nobility (275-288 AD).
288-314 AD. Reign of Tiridates III of Armenia. Diocletian determined to reestablish Roman suzerainty over
Armenia. Tiridates, son of Chosroes, had taken refuge in the Roman Empire. Diocletian sent the Armenian
prince back to his homeland with the support of a small Roman force. At first opposed by Mamgo, Tiridates
slowly gained ground as the Armenian nobility rose against the Persians and their Chinese mercenaries.
Finding himself unsupported by the Persians, Mamgo changed sides and helped Tiridates regain control of
Armenia and expelling the remaining Persians (293 AD)."
However, it is only fair to say that several modern historians dispute this (see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mamikonian )
Nonetheless, if true, we have the situation of Chinese cavalry fighting for the Persians in Armenia,
then switching sides and fighting alongside the Romans and Armenians.
Now I’m not saying this obscure once-in-history event be added to the Army Lists…
…still, it is food for thought.
being sent east of the Parthian Empire and possibly coming into conflict with the Chinese:-
“The 10,000 Roman prisoners of war appear to have been deported to Alexandria Margiana (Merv)
near the Parthian Empire's northeastern border in 53 BC, where they reportedly married local people.
It has been hypothesized that some of them founded the Chinese city of Liqian after they had become
soldiers for the Xiongnu during the Battle of Zhizhi against the Han dynasty, but that is disputed.”
(Source en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Carrhae#Aftermath )
Well, I came across the following in the “Collin’s Encyclopedia of Military History” by Dupluy (1991):-
"234-264 AD. Decline of Shu. After the death of Chu Ko Liang, the Shu kingdom of southwestern China
steadily lost strength. It was conquered by Wei general Ssu Ma Yen. After this defeat, the remnants
of the Shu army - apparently accompanied by their families - fled westward through Turkestan to
Persia under the leadership of a Han prince, known in Persian history as Mamgo. He and his followers
offered their services to Shapur I, who welcomed them. Some years later Ssu Ma Yen - by this time
emperor of China - sent a demand to Shapur to surrender Mamgo and his adherents or else suffer a
Chinese invasion. Shapur, facing war with Rome, wished to retain good relations with China; he simply
sent Mamgo and his people to Armenia, then informed Ssu Ma Yen that they had been banished to
“certain death” at “the ends of the earth”. This apparently satisfied the Chinese emperor.
264-288 AD. Persian Occupation of Armenia. Weakened by his defeats by Odenathus (the husband of
Queen Zenobia of Palmyra), Shapur maintained only a tenuous hold over Armenia. He appointed as his
satrap there the somewhat mysterious Chinese refugee prince Mamgo, who with his army of Chinese
cavalry for several years maintained nominal Persian control over the unruly Armenia nobility (275-288 AD).
288-314 AD. Reign of Tiridates III of Armenia. Diocletian determined to reestablish Roman suzerainty over
Armenia. Tiridates, son of Chosroes, had taken refuge in the Roman Empire. Diocletian sent the Armenian
prince back to his homeland with the support of a small Roman force. At first opposed by Mamgo, Tiridates
slowly gained ground as the Armenian nobility rose against the Persians and their Chinese mercenaries.
Finding himself unsupported by the Persians, Mamgo changed sides and helped Tiridates regain control of
Armenia and expelling the remaining Persians (293 AD)."
However, it is only fair to say that several modern historians dispute this (see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mamikonian )
Nonetheless, if true, we have the situation of Chinese cavalry fighting for the Persians in Armenia,
then switching sides and fighting alongside the Romans and Armenians.
Now I’m not saying this obscure once-in-history event be added to the Army Lists…
…still, it is food for thought.
