[36] Among the spoils taken were the massive iron doors of the city, which al-Mu'tasim initially transported to Samarra, where they were installed at the entrance of his palace. Amorium is an archaeological site in ancient Phrygia, part of central western Anatolia.It is located at the modern Turkish village of Hisarköy, near Emirdağ, Afyonkarahisar. Even during the phase of continuous Byzantine military expansion in the late 10th century, Byzantine military manuals mention armies of 25,000 as exceptionally large and fit to be led by the emperor in person. [19][20], With the rest of his army, Theophilos then marched to interpose himself between the Cilician Gates and Ancyra, camping on the north bank of the river Halys, close to one of the major river crossings. Sack of Amorium‎ (5 F) Media in category "Amorium" The following 6 files are in this category, out of 6 total. آموریونون یاغمالانماسی (اینگیلیسجه: Sack of Amorium) عباسی خلافتی و بیزانس ایمپیراتورلوغو قوشونو آراسیندا باش وئرن دؤیوش.بیزانس - عرب ساواش‌لارینین بیر قیسمی‌دیر. March 6th, 2016 Headsman. Amorium is the latinized pronunciation of its original Greek name Amorion (Greek: Ἀμόριον). Amorium was strongly fortified and garrisoned, but a traitor revealed a weak spot in the wall, where the Abbasids concentrated their attack, effecting a breach. Ashinas crossed the Cilician Gates on 19 June, and the caliph himself with his main army set out on the march two days later. "Mise au point sur Théophobe et l'alliance de Babek avec Théophile (833/834-839/840)" (in French). Later the Abbasid Caliphate responded by sending their troops into Anatolia again, sacking and marauding until they were eventually annihilated by the Byzantines in 863. A History of Medicine: In the s Abbasid Caliphate started military excursions culminating with a victory in the Sack of Amorium. As Iconoclasm relied heavily on military success for its legitimization, the fall of Amorium contributed decisively to its abandonment shortly after Theophilos's death in 842. [37], Immediately after the sack, rumours reached the caliph that Theophilos was advancing to attack him. Brussels. Sack of Amorium – Abbasids under Caliph al-Mu'tasim besiege and sack the city of Amorium 844 – Battle of Mauropotamos – Abbasid army defeats the Byzantines under Theoktistos 853 – Sack of Damietta – Byzantine fleet raids and captures the port of Damietta in Egypt Media in category "Sack of Amorium" The following 5 files are in this category, out of 5 total. At the time, Amorium was one of the largest cities in the Byzantine Empire, ranking in importance immediately after Constantinople. Its strategic location in central Asia Minor made the city a vital stronghold against the armies of the Arab Caliphate following the Muslim conquest of the Levant. Sack of Amorium آموران (به یونانی : Ἀμόριον ‎ آموریون ؛ در منابع اسلامی عموریه ) شهری فریگی در آسیای صغیر است که در دوران هلنی برپا شد و پس از حمله معتصم عباسی در سال Û¸Û³Û¸ ویران گشت. Later Byzantine historians attribute his death before the age of thirty to his sorrow over the impact of the city's loss, although this is most likely a legend. Theophilos himself was soon forced to return to Constantinople, where rumours of his death at Anzen had led to plots to declare a new emperor. Sack of Amorium year In Alberta landscapes , Buddhist philosophical concepts , Colour photography , Fotografia , FujiX100s , Landscape , Photography , Words of music on 2019/12/29 at 04:00 According to Buddha [49] Arabs on the other hand celebrated the capture of Amorium, which became the subject of Abu Tammam's famous Ode on the Conquest of Amorium. pp. March 6 is the feast date of the 42 Martyrs of Amorium, the day in the year 845 when they submitted to the caliphate’s executioners in preference to conversion.. [55], ^ a: The reported armies for both Theophilos' 837 expedition and Mu'tasim's retaliatory campaign are of unusual size. When the young emperor, Theophilus (r. 829–842), heard about the sack of Amorium—his hometown, chosen by the caliph for that very reason, to make the sting hurt all the more—he fell ill and died three years later, aged 28, reportedly from sorrow. According to Byzantine sources, the caliph had the city's name written on the shields and banners of his soldiers. Babak fled to Armenia, but was betrayed to the Abbasids and died of torture. The great city of Amorium in particular was the intended prize. Anxious to avoid an ambush and learn the emperor's whereabouts, Mu'tasim forbade Ashinas to advance too deeply into Cappadocia. Sack of Amorium: August 838 Amorium: 30,000–70,000: Abbasid Caliphate Byzantines Battle of Levounion: 29 April 1091 Enez: tens of thousands: Byzantine Empire & Cumans Pechenegs The Pechenegs consisting of 80,000 warriors and their families invaded the Byzantine Empire. Byzantine Empire – Wikipedia Faced with intrigues at Constantinople and the rebellion of the large Khurramite contingent of his army, Theophilos was unable to aid the city. Krateros found the city completely deserted, and was ordered to reinforce the garrison of Amorium instead. They are commemorated … Luckily for the Empire, Theophobos maintained a passive stance and made no move to confront Theophilos or join Mu'tasim. At this time, Arab attacks resumed both in the east, where after almost twenty years of peace due to the Abbasid civil war Caliph al-Ma'mun (r. 813–833) launched several large-scale raids, and in the west, where the gradual Muslim conquest of Sicily was under way since 827. Amorium was a city in Phrygia, Asia Minor which was founded in the Hellenistic period, flourished under the Byzantine Empire, and declined after the Arab sack of 838. The Sack of Amorium by the Abbasid Caliphate in mid-August 838 was one of the major events in the long history of the Arab–Byzantine Wars.The Abbasid campaign was led personally by the Caliph al-Mu'tasim (r. 833–842), in retaliation to a virtually unopposed expedition launched by the Byzantine emperor Theophilos (r. 829–842) into the Caliphate's borderlands the previous year. Mu'tasim targeted Amorium, a Byzantine city in western Asia Minor (modern Anatolia), because it was the birthplace of the ruling Byzantine dynasty and, at the time, one of Byzantium's largest and most important cities. [43] After years of captivity and no hope of ransom, the rest were urged to convert to Islam. The Byzantines, some of whom were soldiers who had fled from Anzen, informed the Arabs of Afshin's victory, after which Malik allowed all of them to go free. The caliphal court was outraged by the brutality and brazenness of the raids: not only had the Byzantines acted in open collusion with the Khurramite rebels, but during the sack of Sozopetra—which some sources claim as Mu'tasim's own birthplaceb[›]—all male prisoners were executed and the rest sold into slavery, and some captive women were raped by Theophilos's Khurramites. The Sack of Amorium by the Abbasid Caliphate in mid-August 838 was one of the major events in the long history of the Arab–Byzantine Wars.The Abbasid campaign was led personally by the Caliph al-Mu'tasim (reigned 833–842), in retaliation to a virtually unopposed expedition launched by the Byzantine emperor Theophilos (r. 829–842) into the Caliphate's borderlands the previous year. [57][58], Coordinates: 39°01′14″N 31°17′21″E / 39.020439°N 31.289145°E / 39.020439; 31.289145, Opening stages of the campaign: Anzen and Ancyra. Please try again. Some captives were so exhausted that they could not move and were executed, whereupon others found the opportunity to escape. [38][39], Among the captured Byzantine magnates of Amorium, the strategos Aetios was executed soon after his capture, perhaps, as the historian Warren Treadgold suggests, in retaliation to Theophilos's second letter to the caliph. [50][51], In reality, the military impact on Byzantium was limited: outside the garrison and population of Amorium itself, the Byzantine field army at Anzen seems to have suffered few casualties, and the revolt of the Khurramite corps was suppressed without bloodshed the next year and its soldiers reintegrated into the Byzantine army. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. He sought to bolster his regime and support his religious policies by military success against the Abbasid Caliphate, the Empire's major antagonist. When they refused, they were executed at Samarra on 6 March 845, and are celebrated in the Eastern Orthodox Church as the 42 Martyrs of Amorium. Work also continued in the Lower City Church. He went to the Abbasid camp, leaving orders for his men in the breach to stand down until his return. [15] The capital of the powerful Anatolic Theme, the city was strategically located at the western edge of the Anatolian plateau and controlled the main southern route followed by the Arab invasions. It was situated on the Byzantine military road from Constantinople to Cilicia. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. The city was fortified by the emperor Zeno in the 5th century, but did not rise to prominence until the 7th century. Please try again. [23][24] The caliph's vanguard under Ashinas reached Ancyra on 26 July. Excavations began in 1988 under the direction of Professor R. Martin Harrison from the University of Oxford with the intention of investigating the size and nature of the Byzantine city (sixth–eleventh century). [9] While Theophilos returned home to celebrate a triumph and be acclaimed in the Hippodrome of Constantinople as the "incomparable champion", the refugees from Sozopetra began arriving at Mu'tasim's capital, Samarra. The 42 Martyrs of Amorium (Greek: οἰ ἅγιοι μβ′ μάρτυρες τοῦ Ἀμορίου) were a group of Eastern Roman senior officials taken prisoner by the Abbasid Caliphate in the Sack of Amorium in 838 and executed in 845, after refusing to convert to Islam. 101–103.^ b: The claim that Sozopetra or Arsamosata was Mu'tasim's native city is found only in Byzantine sources. The Abbasid troops then converged upon Ancyra, which they found abandoned. It is the eye and foundation of Christendom; among the Byzantines, it is more famous than Constantinople". Amorium: A Byzantine City in Anatolia - An Archaeological Guide (Homer Archaeological Guides) Chris Lightfoot, Mucahide Lightfoot. Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. [12], With the Khurramite threat over, the caliph began marshalling his forces for a reprisal campaign against Byzantium. In retaliation, Mu'tasim, after separating the most prominent among them, executed the rest, some 6,000 in number. ", The sack of Amorium was one of the most devastating events in the long history of Arab raids into Anatolia. [16] Due to its strategic importance, the city had been a frequent target of Arab attacks in the 7th and 8th centuries, and Mu'tasim's predecessor Ma'mun was said to be planning to attack the city when he died in 833. The Arab chronicles record that Mu'tasim asked his advisors to name the "most inaccessible and strongest" Byzantine fortress, and they named Amorium, "where no Muslim has gone since the appearance of Islam. [47][52] According to the assessment of Warren Treadgold, the imperial army's defeats at Anzen and Amorium were to a large degree the result of circumstance rather than actual incapability or inadequacy. When the young emperor, Theophilus (r. 829–842), heard about the sack of Amorium -- his hometown, chosen by the caliph for that very reason, to make the sting hurt all the more -- he fell ill and died three years later, aged 28, reportedly from sorrow. [32] The Byzantine defenders were gradually worn down by the constant assaults, and after about two weeks of siege (the date is variously interpreted as 12, 13 or 15 August by modern writers[33]) Aetios sent an embassy under the city's bishop, offering to surrender Amorium in exchange for safe passage of the inhabitants and garrison, but Mu'tasim refused. The 42 Martyrs of Amorium (Greek: οἰ ἅγιοι μβ′ μάρτυρες τοῦ Ἀμορίου) were a group of Byzantine senior officials taken prisoner by the Abbasid Caliphate in the Sack of Amorium in 838 and executed in 845, after refusing to convert to Islam.They are commemorated by the Eastern Orthodox Church on March 6. [22][23] Theophilos quickly began regrouping his forces and sent the general Theodore Krateros to Ancyra. He assembled a very large army,a[›] some 70,000 fighting men and 100,000 in total according to al-Tabari, and invaded Arab territory around the upper Euphrates almost unopposed. At the same time, the Khurramites, gathered around Sinope, revolted and declared their reluctant commander Theophobos emperor. Then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. The named reference Karlin-Heyer 24 was invoked but never defined see the help page. Please try again. After sacking the city, they turned south to Amorium, where they arrived on 1 August. The city was first attacked by Muʿāwiy… The conquest of Amorium was not only a major military disaster and a heavy personal blow for Theophilos, but also a traumatic event for the Byzantines, its impact resonating in later literature. [17], The caliph divided his force in two: a detachment of 10,000 Turks under Afshin was sent to join forces with the Emir Omar al-Aqta and Armenian troops from Vaspurakan and invade the Armeniac Theme from the Pass of Hadath, while the main army under the caliph himself would invade Cappadocia through the Cilician Gates. Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free. Amorium - Wikipedia Nevertheless, in the same year, the execution of the surviving Byzantine prisoners from the Arab Sack of Amorium in 842 took place in the Abbasid capital, Samarra. Mu'tasim was forced to cut short his campaign and return quickly to his realm, leaving intact the fortresses around Amorium as well as Theophilos and his army in Dorylaion. The Sack of Amorium by the Abbasid Caliphate in mid-August 838 was one of the major events in the long history of the Arab–Byzantine Wars. This claim is dismissed by most scholars as a later invention, i.e. By 829, when the young emperor Theophilos ascended the Byzantine throne, the Byzantines and Arabs had been fighting sporadically for almost two centuries. Mu'tasim learned of Theophilos's departure from captives and tried to warn Afshin, but the emperor was faster and met Afshin's army in the Battle of Anzen on the plain of Dazimon on 22 July. There's a problem loading this menu right now. The other Arab two forces arrived at Ancyra over the next days, and after plundering the deserted city, the united Arab army turned south towards Amorium. For a detailed survey, see Whittow 1996, pp. [23][25][26], The Arab army marched in three separate corps, with Ashinas once again in front, the caliph in the middle, and Afshin bringing up the rear. Mu'tasim set out with his army a day's march along the road in the direction of Dorylaion, but encountered no sign of a Byzantine attack. Unable to break through the besieging army, the commander of the breached section privately attempted to negotiate with the Caliph. This article appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page as Today's featured article on August 20, 2013. Rekaya, M. (1977). قایناق‌لار Troparion - Tone 4 Your forty-two holy martyrs, O Lord, 43–67. When the young emperor, Theophilus (r. 829-842), heard about the sack of Amorium--his hometown, chosen by the caliph for that very reason, to make the sting hurt all the more--he fell ill and died three years later, aged 28, reportedly from sorrow. Amorium was a city in Phrygia, Asia Minor which was founded in the Hellenistic period, flourished under the Byzantine Empire, and declined after the Arab sack of 838. [18][19] On the Byzantine side, Theophilos was soon made aware of the caliph's intentions, and set out from Constantinople in early June. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Siege and Sack of Amorium The political situation of the Empire was often unsettled in the best of times. Shop Amorium for handmade jewelry with trendy styles and timeless designs for everyday women. After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. Ashinas sent out many scouting detachments to take captives, and from them finally learned of Theophilos's presence at the Halys, where he awaited the Arab approach to give battle. In the 830s Abbasid Caliphate started military excursions culminating with a victory in the Sack of Amorium. [44] Several tales also sprung up around Boiditzes and his betrayal. Amorion, ausgegrabene Gebäude in der Unterstadt.jpg 5,472 × 2,968; 4.78 MB. According to al-Tabari, Mu'tasim now pondered extending his campaign to attack Constantinople, when news reached him of a rebellion headed by his nephew, al-Abbas ibn al-Ma'mun. sack of amorium - Free download as Text File (.txt), PDF File (.pdf) or read online for free. Sack of Amorium-Wikipedia The other Muslim states were not idle, however: in March, the Byzantines were hit by three successive raids in Anatolia, organized by the Abbasid commander Mu'nis al-Muzaffar, while in August, a large raid led by Thamal of Tarsus penetrated as far as Ancyra and Amorium and returned with prisoners worth 136,000 gold dinars. The Arab advance was slow and cautious. The advance guard of the latter was led by Ashinas, with Itakh commanding the right, Ja'far ibn Dinar al-Khayyat the left and 'Ujayf ibn 'Anbasa the centre. al-Mu'tasim was born in 794 to Harun al-Rashid. As Warren Treadgold writes, "the outcome did not exactly prove that Iconoclasm was wrong ... but it did rob the iconoclasts for all time of their most persuasive argument to the undecided, that Iconoclasm won battles". After the defeat at Anzen the Emperor had to immediately leave the battle against the Muslims in order to secure his throne. There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. He left his post which allowed the Arabs to take advantage, enter the city and capture it. The inhabitants, who had sought refuge in some mines nearby, were discovered and taken captive after a brief struggle by an Arab detachment under Malik ibn Kaydar al-Safadi. This had the added benefit of confirming the presence of a widespread and consistent destruction layer that should probably be associated with a major historical event, namely the siege and sack of Amorium in 838. [13] A huge Arab army gathered at Tarsus; according to the most reliable account, that of Michael the Syrian, it numbered some 80,000 men with 30,000 servants and camp followers and 70,000 pack animals. From there they were taken, probably towards the end of the century, and installed at al-Raqqah, where they remained until 964, when the Hamdanid ruler Sayf al-Dawla had them removed and incorporated in the Bab al-Qinnasrin gate in his capital Aleppo. The sack did not ultimately alter the balance of power, which was slowly shifting in Byzantium's favour, but it thoroughly discredited the theological doctrine of Iconoclasm, ardently supported by Theophilos. Some scholars, like Bury and Treadgold, accept the figures of Tabari and Michael the Syrian as more or less accurate,[56] but other modern researchers are sceptical of such numbers, as medieval field armies were rarely more than 10,000 men strong, and both Byzantine and Arab military treatises and accounts suggest that armies usually numbered around 4,000–5,000. The Byzantines expected the Arab army to advance north to Ancyra after passing through the Cilician Gates and then to turn south toward Amorium, but it was also possible that the Arabs would march directly over the Cappadocian plain to Amorium. Iconoclasm was supposed to bring divine favour and assure military victory, but neither the army's weaknesses nor the reported treachery of Boiditzes could detract from the fact that this was "a humiliating disaster to match the worst defeats of any iconophile emperor" (Whittow), comparable in recent memory only to the crushing defeat suffered by Nikephoros I (r. 802–811) at Pliska. [35], The city was thoroughly sacked and plundered; according to the Arab accounts, the sale of the spoils went on for five days. There was a problem loading your book clubs. 181–193 and Haldon 1999, pp. Ancyra was quickly rebuilt and reoccupied, as was Amorium itself, although it never recovered its former glory and the seat of the Anatolic theme was for a time transferred to Polybotus. Sack of Amorium is a featured article; it (or a previous version of it) has been identified as one of the best articles produced by the Wikipedia community.Even so, if you can update or improve it, please do so. The city itself never recovered from the sack, but retained an active bishopric until definitively conquered by the Seljuks following the Battle of Manzikert in 1071. [45], Excerpt from Abu Tammam's Ode on the Conquest of Amorium. [34] Taken by surprise, the Byzantines' resistance was sporadic: some soldiers barricaded themselves in a monastery and were burned to death, while Aetios with his officers sought refuge in a tower before being forced to surrender. Although less well known than some Anatolian sites, it is Amorium's significance as a major settlement after the Roman period that makes it so important. [28], The Arabs now launched repeated attacks on the breach, but the defenders held firm. The two forces would link up at Ancyra, before marching jointly on Amorium. A detailed plan, color-coded for clarity, was drawn up and scrupulously checked on site. Other writers give far larger numbers, ranging from 200,000 to 500,000 according to al-Mas'udi.a[›][14] Unlike earlier campaigns, which did not go far beyond attacking the forts of the frontier zone, this expedition was intended to penetrate deep into Asia Minor and exact vengeance. It was also the birthplace of Theophilos's father, Michael II the Amorian (r. 820–829), and perhaps of Theophilos himself. Although his generals advised evacuation of the city, with the intention of rendering the Arabs' campaign objective void and keeping the Byzantine army undivided, Theophilos decided to reinforce the city's garrison, with Aetios the strategos of the Anatolics, and men from the tagmata of the Excubitors and the Vigla. [54], The most long-term result of the fall of Amorium, however, was in the religious rather than in the military sphere. [53] Nevertheless, the defeat prompted Theophilos to undertake a major reorganization of his army, which included the establishment of new frontier commands and the dispersing of the Khurramite troops among the themes. According to the legend of the 42 Martyrs, he converted to Islam, but was nevertheless executed by the caliph alongside the other captives; unlike the others, however, whose bodies "miraculously" floated in the water of the river Tigris, his sank to the bottom. It also analyzes reviews to verify trustworthiness. The next day Afshin with his troops attacked the breach, and Itakh on the day after. [10][11] Theophilos's campaign was unable, however, to save Babak and his followers, who in late 837 were forced from their mountain strongholds by the general Afshin. Taking the direct route from Amorium to the Cilician Gates, both the caliph's army and its prisoners suffered in the march through the arid countryside of central Anatolia. While Boiditzes parleyed with the caliph, the Arabs came closer to the breach, and at a signal charged and broke into the city. Most of the survivors were released after a truce in 841, but prominent officials were taken to the caliph's capital of Samarra and executed years later after refusing to convert to Islam, becoming known as the 42 Martyrs of Amorium. To get the free app, enter your mobile phone number. The caliph gathered an exceptionally large army, which he divided in two parts. Hymns. The caliph, however, not only refused to parley, but detained the envoys in his camp, so that they could observe the siege. The Byzantines then counter-attacked and sacked Damietta in Egypt.