Important Battles

Lombard Invasion of Italy

The Lombard Invasion of Italy in 568 CE was an invasion by the Germanic Lombards and their ruler King Alboin. They migrated from Pannonia (modern-day Hungary and Austria) into Italy. They went through the alps just like Hammurabi did during the second Punic wars. Taking such a dangerous avenue led to the Lombards advantage over the weakened Byzantine Empire. At the time the Byzantines were struggling after war and plague which meant that they could not mount a strong defense. The Lombards conquered much of northern and central Italy, establishing the Kingdom of the Lombards, while the Byzantines retained control over important southern cities such as Naples, Ravenna, and Rome. The devastating loss of territory shattered the Byzantines power and influence in Italy. The empire was never able to gain back the territory they loss.

The Image to the left is a vignette of King Alboin.

Siege of Constantinople

The attempted siege of Constantinople took place in 626 CE. The invaders Avars, Slavs, and Persians formed an alliance with each other to attempt to capture the great city. The attempted siege was a response to Byzantine conquest in the Balkans and Persia. The Byzantine emperor at the time was Heraclius. The invaders were led by the Avar khan and Persian King Khosrow II. Emperor Heraclius and the Byzantines were successful in defending Constantinople from the invaders. A major reason to the failure of the invaders was because of internal division and natural disaster. Emperor Heraclius, the Byzantines, and Constantinople lived to fight another day.\

The image to the right is a solidus coin of Emperor Heraclius.

Battle of Yarmouk

The Battle of Yarmouk took place in 636 CE. It was an important battle between Emperor Heraclius and the Byzantine Empire, and the Rashidun Caliphate. The battle took place near the Yarmouk River in modern-day Syria. The cause of the battle was Arab Muslim conquest into Byzantine territories. The recent death of the Prophet Muhammad led to the rise of the Rashidun Caliphate, which sought to spread Islam. The Byzantine military, led by Emperor Heraclius' generals fought with the Arab army commanded by Khalid ibn al-Walid. The battle resulted to victory for the Rashidun Caliphate and the Arabs. Failure to win the battle led to vast loss of Byzantine territories for the empire including Syria, Palestine, and parts of Egypt, marking the beginning of the end for major Byzantine control in the Arab region. This defeat weakened the Byzantine Empire.

The image to the left is a mosque in Syria named after the great general Khalid ibn al-Walid.

Battle of Kleidion

The battle of Kleidion took place in 1014 CE and was an important conflict between the Byzantine Empire, led by Emperor Basil II, and the Bulgarian Empire, commanded by Tsar Samuel. The battle occurred near the Kleidion Pass in modern-day Bulgaria. The cause of the battle was Basil II’s efforts to conquer the Bulgarian Empire, a rival empire to the Byzantines. The Byzantines defeated the Tsar and the Bulgarian army. The battle ended when Basil II captured Tsar Samuel’s army, forcing him to retreat. One of the most gruesome things you'll ever hear occurred after the battle had finished. Emperor Basil II decided to blind 15,000 Bulgarian soldiers, leaving only 150 to lead the blinded men back to Samuel. The victory ended any resistance from the Bulgarians and led to the eventual collapse of the Bulgarian Empire. The result of the battle led to a more strengthened Byzantine Empire, securing its dominance in the Balkans for centuries until its eventual fall.

The image to the right is a depiction of Emperor Basil II.

Battle of Manzikert

The Battle of Manzikert took place near the town of Manzikert (modern-day Malazgirt in Turkey) in 1071 CE. The battle was fought between the Byzantine Empire, led by Emperor Romanos IV Diogenes, and the Seljuk Turks, commanded by Sultan Alp Arslan. The battle was caused by border disputes between the Byzantines and the Seljuk Turks. The Seljuk Turks were expanding into Anatolia which at the time was a Byzantine territory. Even though the Byzantines had the numbers, they were out witted by the Seljuk Turks. The Byzantine Empire had lost the battle and Anatolia. This lost was absolutely devastating to the empire. The empire was unable pursue against the Turks which led to loss of Byzantine dominance and influence in Asia Minor (Turkey). This travesty was a contributor to the empires eventual fall.

The image to the left is a depiction of Sultan Alp Arslan.

The First Capture of Constantinople

The capture of Constantinople occurred in 1204 CE, French and Venetian invaders attacked Constantinople abruptly. Originally, these invaders/crusaders were on a mission to recapture Jerusalem from the Arab Muslims. Instead, the decided to abort the mission and lay their eyes on Constantinople. When the abrupt attack began, the city fell into shambles. After days of destruction towards the great city, The Latin Empire of Constantinople was established, with Emperor Baldwin I, becoming the first Latin Empire emperor. The capture absolutely wrecked the Byzantine Empire. It was so terrible that the empire had to divide into smaller empires. The most notable one being the Nicaea Empire which would eventually regain control of Constantinople. This event is one of the most devastating ones in Byzantine history and it was a contributor towards the empires' eventual demise.

The image on the right is a depiction of Emperor Baldwin I.

The Byzantine acquire back Constantinople

The re-capture of Constantinople by the Nicaea Empire occurred in 1261 CE. When the city was re-captured, it began the restoration of the Byzantine Empire after 57 years of Latin rule. Following the Fourth Crusade and the establishment of the Latin Empire in 1204 CE, the Nicaea Empire, one of the smaller Byzantine states was founded by Theodore I Laskaris. Along with the help of other Byzantine states, the Nicaea Empire became the leading force in reclaiming Constantinople. The Nicaean emperor at the time, Michael VIII Palaiologos, took advantage of internal instability within the Latin Empire and launched a conquest to seize the city. The Latin Empire was weakened by political issues and failed military expeditions, allowing Michael VIII's forces to enter Constantinople swiftly in 1261 CE. At that very moment is when the Byzantine Empire was restored, but the empire wasn't as strong or dominant as prior. The Byzantine Empire was at last revived. Unfortunately, this was the mark for the beginning of the end for the Empire. Other Empires took note that Constantinople is in fact not untouchable and soon the Byzantine will learn that the hard way from the Ottomans.

The image to the left is a portrait of Byzantine Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos.

Battle of Nicopolis

The Battle of Nicopolis was fought on September 25, 1396, CE. There was major conflict between the Ottoman Empire, led by Sultan Bayezid I, and a European crusader army composed of forces from Hungary, France, the Holy Roman Empire, Venice, and other Christian states. The battle was caused by Ottoman rapid expansion into the Balkans, threatening Christian territories. In response, King Sigismund of Hungary called upon all Christians to organize a Crusade to cease Ottoman expansion. However, due to terrible military strategy the Ottomans defeated the Christian army. Although the Byzantines were not directly involved, the defeat of the Christians had consequences towards them. The Ottomans victory left the Byzantine Empire more vulnerable to Ottoman control, as the Christians of Europe weren't unable to mount another significant military conquest for decades, which meant the Ottomans can turn their focus on Constantinople next. The battle authorized Ottoman dominance, leading to the eventual fall of Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire.

The image to the right is a depiction of Sultan Bayezid I.

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse