Battle of Anzen

Coordinates: 40°23′24″N 36°05′24″E / 40.39000°N 36.09000°E / 40.39000; 36.09000
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Battle of Anzen
Part of the Arab–Byzantine wars

Map of the Byzantine and Arab campaigns in the years 837–838
Date22 July 838 (838-07-22)
Location
near Dazman
(modern-day Turhal, Tokat, Turkey)
Result
Abbasid
victory
Belligerents
Byzantine Empire Abbasid Caliphate
Commanders and leaders
Emperor Theophilos
Theophobos
Manuel the Armenian (DOW)?
Omar al-Aqta
Strength
25,000[1]–40,000[2] 20,000[3]–30,000[2]

The Battle of Anzen or Dazimon was fought on 22 July 838 at Anzen or

Amorion, one of Byzantium's largest cities. Theophilos with his army confronted the smaller Muslim army, under the Iranian vassal prince Afshin
, at Dazimon.

The numerically superior

Arab–Byzantine Wars
.

Background

As the young Theophilos (r. 829–842) ascended the Byzantine throne in 829, the

Melitene to pay tribute and deliver hostages in return for being spared.[3][6][7]

In response, al-Mu'tasim decided to launch a major punitive expedition against Byzantium, aiming to capture the two major Byzantine cities of central

horse-archers.[2][3][6]

On the Byzantine side, Theophilos became soon aware of the Caliph's intentions and set out from Constantinople in early June. His army included the men from the Anatolian and possibly also the European

Dorylaion, the Emperor divided his forces: a strong corps was sent to reinforce the garrison of Amorion, while he himself set out with the remainder (circa 25,000 according to Haldon and 40,000 according to Treadgold) to interpose himself between the Cilician Gates and Ancyra.[1][2]

Battle

The Byzantine army and Theophilos retreat towards a mountain, miniature from the Madrid Skylitzes.

In mid-June, Afshin crossed the

Amaseia and Tokat, a strategically important location which served as a concentration point (aplekton) for the Byzantines. A few days later, on 19 June, the vanguard of the main Abbasid army also invaded Byzantine territory, followed two days after by the Caliph with the main body.[3][6] Theophilos was informed of these movements in mid-July. Afshin's force was smaller, but also threatened to cut off his supply lines. Consequently, the Emperor left a small covering force against the Caliph's army and marched east to confront Afshin. On 21 July, the imperial army came into view of the Arab force, and encamped on a hill in the plain of Dazimonitis south of the fort of Dazimon, named Anzen (Greek: Ἀνζῆν).[3][10]

Although Theophilos's principal commanders, Theophobos and the Domestic of the Schools Manuel, both advised for a surprise night attack, the Emperor sided with the opinion of the other officers and resolved to wait and launch his attack on the next day. The Byzantine army attacked at dawn, and initially made progress: they drove back one wing of the opposite army, inflicting 3,000 casualties on the Arabs. Near noon, Theophilos resolved to reinforce the other wing and detached 2,000 Byzantines and the Kurdish contingent to do so, abandoning his post and passing behind his own army's lines.[3][10] At this point, however, Afshin launched his Turkish horse-archers in a counter-attack which halted the Byzantine advance and allowed the Arab forces to regroup. The Byzantine troops then noticed the emperor's absence, and, thinking he had been killed, began to waver. This soon turned into a disorderly retreat; some men fled as far as Constantinople, bringing with them the rumour that the Emperor had been killed. Some units, however, were apparently able to retreat in good order and assemble at a place called Chiliokomon.[3][10]

Theophilos found himself isolated with his tagmata and the Kurds on the hill of Anzen. The Arabs proceeded to surround the hill, but the Byzantines were saved by a sudden rain, which loosened the strings of the Turkish bows, rendering them useless. Afshin then sent for catapults to be brought up to batter the Byzantine position.[11] At the same time, Theophilos's officers, afraid of treachery by the Kurdish troops, persuaded him to withdraw. Breaking through the Arab lines and suffering many wounds in the process (the sources variously credit Manuel, who was severely wounded and possibly died soon after, and Theophobos for saving the Emperor), Theophilos and his small escort managed to reach safety at Chiliokomon, where he gradually re-assembled the remnants of his army.[2][10][12]

Aftermath

The Emperor Theophilos and his court, miniature from the Madrid Skylitzes chronicle.

In the aftermath of this defeat, and with rumours circulating in Constantinople of his death, Theophilos's position was precarious. He abandoned the campaign and withdrew to

Dorylaion, whence he soon departed for the imperial capital. Ancyra itself was left abandoned, and plundered by the Arab army on 27 July.[12] Then the united Abbasid army marched unopposed to Amorion, which fell after a siege of two weeks. Out of its entire population of some 70,000, only about half survived the sack, to be sold as slaves. The fall of the city was one of the heaviest blows Byzantium suffered in the entire 9th century, both in material and symbolic terms. However, news of a rebellion in the Caliphate forced al-Mu'tasim to withdraw soon after.[2][12]

At the same time, Theophilos had to deal with a revolt by Theophobos and his Kurds. When rumours of Theophilos's death reached the capital, the name of Theophobos, who was related to the Emperor by marriage and apparently an

Sinope, where he was proclaimed emperor.[2][13] In the event, however, Theophobos was persuaded to surrender peacefully in the next year, while the "Persian" corps was disbanded and its men dispersed throughout the themes.[14][13]

Though initially appearing decisive, the defeat at Anzen and the subsequent sack of Amorion were militarily of no long-term importance to the Byzantine Empire, since the Abbasids failed to follow up on their success. They did, however, play a crucial role in discrediting iconoclasm, which had always relied on military success to maintain its validity. Shortly after Theophilos's sudden death in 842, the veneration of icons was restored as part of the

Seljuq Turks, would emerge as Byzantium's major antagonists from the mid-11th century on.[16][17]

Notes

^ a: The claim that Sozopetra or Arsamosata was Mu'tasim's native city is found only in Byzantine sources. This claim is dismissed by most scholars as a later invention, i.e. as a parallel to Amorium, the likely birthplace of Theophilos. It was probably deliberately added to balance and lessen the effect of the blow that the latter's fall represented.[18][19][20]

40°23′24″N 36°05′24″E / 40.39000°N 36.09000°E / 40.39000; 36.09000

References

  1. ^ a b c Haldon 2001, p. 78.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Treadgold 1997, p. 441.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Haldon 2001, p. 80.
  4. ^ Whittow 1996, pp. 152–153
  5. ^ Treadgold 1997, pp. 437–440.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Kiapidou 2003, Chapter 1.
  7. ^ Treadgold 1997, pp. 440–441.
  8. ^ Haldon 2001, pp. 78, 80.
  9. ^ Treadgold 1997, pp. 439, 441.
  10. ^ a b c d Kiapidou 2003, Chapter 2.
  11. ^ Haldon 2001, pp. 80, 82.
  12. ^ a b c Haldon 2001, p. 82.
  13. ^ a b Hollingsworth & Cutler 1991, pp. 2067–2068.
  14. ^ Treadgold 1997, pp. 442–443.
  15. ^ Whittow 1996, pp. 153–154.
  16. ^ Kiapidou 2003, Chapter 3 Archived 20 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine.
  17. ^ Haldon 2001, pp. 82–83.
  18. ^ Treadgold 1988, p. 440 (note 401).
  19. ^ Vasiliev 1935, p. 141.
  20. ^ Kiapidou 2003, Note 1.

Sources

  • Haldon, John (2001). The Byzantine Wars: Battles and Campaigns of the Byzantine Era. Stroud, Gloucestershire: Tempus.
    ISBN 0-7524-1795-9
    .
  • Hollingsworth, P. A.; Cutler, A. (1991). "Theophobos". In
    ISBN 0-19-504652-8
    .
  • Kiapidou, Irini-Sofia (17 January 2003). "Battle of Dazimon, 838". Encyclopedia of the Hellenic World, Asia Minor. Athens: Foundation of the Hellenic World. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011.
  • ISBN 978-0-8047-1462-4
    .
  • ISBN 0-8047-2630-2
    .
  • OCLC 181731396
    .
  • ISBN 978-0-520-20496-6
    .
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