Siege of Iconium (1069)
| Siege of Konya (Iconium) | |
|---|---|
| Part of the Iconium (now Konya , Turkey) | |
| Result | Byzantine victory |
The siege of Iconium (Greek: Μάχη του Ικονίου, Turkish: Konya Muharebesi) was an unsuccessful attempt by the Turkish Seljuk Empire to capture the Byzantine city of Iconium, modern day Konya. After sacking Ani and Caesarea in 1063 and 1067, respectively (some sources suggest as early as 1064), the Byzantine army in the East was in too poor a shape to resist the advance of the Turks. Had it not been for the efforts of the emperor Romanos IV Diogenes the Byzantine Empire would have suffered her "Manzikert" disaster sooner. From Syria, a successful counter-attack drove the Turks back. After the attack on Iconium was repelled, Romanos IV launched his second campaign.[1] Further campaigning was met with some success by Romanos, despite the ill nature of his army which had been poorly led since the death of Basil II in 1025.
The victory offered only a short respite - sometime after Manzikert, in the midst of civil conflict, Iconium fell to the Turks. The city saw a brief return to
References
Sources
- Lock, Peter (2006). The Routledge Companion to the Crusades. Routledge. ISBN 978-1135131371.