Euphemius (Sicily)

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Euphemius or Euphemios (

Byzantine commander in Sicily, who rebelled against the imperial governor in 826 AD, and invited the Aghlabids to aid him, thus beginning the Muslim conquest of Sicily.[1]

Rebellion in Sicily

Gold solidus showing Emperor Michael II and his son Theophilos

Euphemius was a

Catana. When Euphemius sent his forces against Catana, Constantine tried to flee again but was captured and executed.[4][5]

The background of these events is unclear.

Romans", thus clearly indicating his imperial ambitions.[10]

Whatever the true reason for his uprising, soon after his victory over Constantine, Euphemius was deserted by a close ally, a man known through Arab sources as "Balata" (according to Vasiliev probably a corruption of his title, while Treadgold holds that he was named Plato and was possibly an Armenian). Balata was apparently entrusted with extending Euphemius' rule over western Sicily, and particularly Palermo, where his cousin Michael was governor. The two men denounced Euphemius' usurpation of the imperial title and marched against Syracuse, defeated Euphemius and took the city.[11][12]

Aghlabid alliance, return to Sicily and death

Further information: Muslim conquest of Sicily
Topographic map of Sicily

Like Elpidius in the 780s, Euphemius resolved to seek refuge among the Empire's enemies and with a few supporters sailed to Ifriqiya. There he sent a delegation to the

Khurasanis. The fleet comprised seventy or a hundred ships, to which were added Euphemius' vessels.[17][18][19]

On 14 June 827, the allied fleets sailed from the Bay of Sousse and after three days reached Mazara in south-western Sicily, where they landed. There they were met with soldiers loyal to Euphemius but the alliance soon began to fray: a Muslim detachment mistook some of Euphemius' partisans for loyalist troops and a skirmish ensued. Although Euphemius' troops were ordered to place a twig on their helmets as a distinctive mark, Asad announced his intention to wage the campaign without them.[20] It is clear that Euphemius had already lost control of the campaign to Asad and that the invasion army, which in any case was overwhelmingly Muslim, served purposes other than his own.[14] Soon after that, Balata, who seems to have taken over the functions, if not the title, of the imperial governor on the island, appeared nearby. The Muslims defeated Balata, who retreated first to Enna and from there to Calabria on the Italian mainland, where he may have hoped to gather more troops. Instead, he died there shortly after his arrival.[14][21] Michael remained in charge of Palermo but elsewhere on the island, resistance appears to have been minimal.[22] Asad turned towards Syracuse but halted the advance after an embassy from the city offered to pay tribute to the Muslims. At this time, Euphemius began to regret his alliance with the Aghlabids and opened secret contacts with the imperials, urging them to resist the Arabs.[23] Having gained time to prepare their defences, the inhabitants of Syracuse refused to pay the remainder of the tribute and the Muslims began the Siege of Syracuse. The siege lasted until spring 828, when an outbreak of disease killed Asad and the arrival of a Byzantine fleet forced the Muslims to abandon the enterprise. The Arabs even tried to sail back to Ifriqiya but were hindered by the Byzantine ships. Thwarted, the Muslim army burned its ships and retreated over land to the castle of Mineo, which they captured.[24][25]

After Mineo surrendered, the Muslim army divided, one part took Agrigento in the west, while the other, along with Euphemius, attacked Enna. The garrison of Enna began negotiations, offering to acknowledge Euphemius' authority if he would keep the Muslims away. Confident of success, Euphemius with a small escort went to meet with two brothers who were designated as emissaries and he was stabbed to death.[26][27] It is unknown what happened to Euphemius' supporters after his death, whether they dispersed or continued fighting alongside the Muslims.[28]

Portrayals

Euphemius' story inspired Silvio Pellico's tragedy Eufemio da Messina (1830), the 1833 opera Irene, ossia l'assedio di Messina, by Giovanni Pacini, and an 1853 opera by Carlo Andrea Gambini.

The character Euphemius played by

Vikings
is loosely based on Euphemius.

References

  1. ISBN 978-0-7007-1685-2
    .
  2. ^ a b Eickhoff 1966, p. 68.
  3. ^ Treadgold 1988, pp. 248–249.
  4. ^ Vasiliev 1935, pp. 68–69.
  5. ^ Treadgold 1988, pp. 249–250.
  6. ^ a b c PmbZ, Euphemios (#1701/corr.).
  7. ^ Treadgold 1988, p. 249.
  8. ^ Vasiliev 1935, pp. 66–67 (esp. note 2).
  9. ^ Vasiliev 1935, p. 71.
  10. ^ Prigent 2006b, pp. 375–380.
  11. ^ Treadgold 1988, pp. 250, 427 (note 345).
  12. ^ Vasiliev 1935, pp. 69–71.
  13. ^ Vasiliev 1935, p. 72.
  14. ^ a b c Treadgold 1988, p. 250.
  15. ^ Metcalfe 2009, pp. 9–10.
  16. ^ Abun-Nasr 1987, pp. 55–58.
  17. ^ Vasiliev 1935, pp. 72–73.
  18. ^ Eickhoff 1966, pp. 69–70.
  19. ^ Metcalfe 2009, pp. 11–12.
  20. ^ Vasiliev 1935, pp. 73–74.
  21. ^ Vasiliev 1935, pp. 74–76.
  22. ^ Treadgold 1988, p. 251.
  23. ^ Vasiliev 1935, pp. 76–78.
  24. ^ Vasiliev 1935, pp. 78–83.
  25. ^ Treadgold 1988, pp. 251–253.
  26. ^ Vasiliev 1935, pp. 83–84.
  27. ^ Treadgold 1988, pp. 253, 254.
  28. ^ Metcalfe 2009, pp. 12–13.

Sources

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