Eastern Mediterranean 344: Battle of Singara

In late 337 Constantius II raced back to the East to find that the Persians had already abandoned their invasion of Roman Mesopotamia. After placating the legions—who had grown restive in his absence—he moved on to Armenia, where he restored its Roman client king Khosrov III the Small without significant opposition. He also corresponded with the Arab tribes, encouraging them to raid the Persians. in wikipedia

Apr 340 Battle of Aquileia ▲

As senior Augustus, Constantine II interfered in political and religious affairs across the Roman Empire, particularly in Africa, but was met with resistance by his younger brothers, Constantius II and Constans. To assert his authority, Constantine crossed the Alps into Italy with a body of troops in early 340, only to be ambushed and killed by Constans’ forces near Aquileia. With the death of Constantine, Constans gained control of the Prefecture of Gaul, doubling the size of his domains. in wikipedia

6 Jan–? ?? 341 Dedication Council of Antioch ▲

In 341 Constantius II and ninety-seven Eastern bishops—but not the Bishop of Rome—attended the dedication of the Domus Aurea, the great church of Antioch. They then held a council which attempted to find a compromise between Arianism, which was strong in the East, and the Nicene Creed by avoiding the term homoousios (used to describe Jesus and God as being of the same essence). This attempt was derided as simple Arianism, or ‘Semi-Arianism’, by its more orthodox opponents, but gained a following due to its support by Constantius. in wikipedia

343 Council of Serdica ▲

In 343, at the request of Pope Julius I, the western Roman emperor Constans and the eastern Roman emperor Constantius II convened a synod at Serdica, which was attended by 170 bishops. The council restored the bishops Athanasius of Alexandria and Paul I of Constantinople—who had been expelled by the Arians in 340 and 341 respectively—and rejected any revision of the Nicene Creed. These efforts failed to stem the rift forming between the Nicene-dominated Western Church and the Arian-dominated Eastern Church. in wikipedia

343 Constantius II’s Adiabene Campaign ▲

In 343, or possibly 344, Constantius II crossed the Tigris into Persia and captured a small city. As a result he was awarded the title Adiabenicus. in wikipedia

344 Battle of Singara ▲

In the late spring or early summer of 344 Shapur II led a Persian army into Roman Mesopotamia to besiege Singara but was soon met by Constantius II and the Roman army. The Romans pursued Shapur as he withdrew towards the Tigris and, after defeating the Persians in battle, sacked their camp that evening. However, the discipline of the legions soon broke down as, stricken with thirst from the day’s march, they gorged themselves on the Persian water supplies. Seizing this opportunity, Persian archers fired on the massed Romans, inflicting heavy casualties and allowing Shapur and the remnants of his army to escape across the Tigris. in wikipedia