Books
Siege
Theodoric’s Siege of Ravenna
490–493 CE
Odoacer took refuge in Ravenna after defeats by Theodoric’s Ostrogoths. The city’s lagoons, marshes and fortified approaches made it exceptionally difficult to capture by direct assault.
The siege continued for roughly three years while both rulers sought allies and supplies. Mediation produced an agreement that allowed Theodoric to enter Ravenna in March 493.