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thyreos

Byzantine Battles

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Abydos, 989
Ad Decimum, 533
Ad Salices, 377
Adramyttium, 1205
Adrianople, 324
Adrianople, 378
Adrianople, 813
Adrianople, 1254
Adrianople, 1369
Ajnadayn, 634
Akroinos, 740
Aleppo, 637
Aleppo, 962
Aleppo, 969
Alexandretta, 971
Altava, 578
Alexandria, 641
Amida, 502-503
Amida, 359
Amida, 973
Amorium, 838
Anchialus, 708
Anchialus, 763
Anchialus, 917
Andrassus, 960
Ani, 1064
Anthidon, 634
Antioch, 540
Antioch, 611
Antioch, 969
Antioch on Meander, 1211
Anzen, 838
Apadna, 503
Apamea, 998
Apros, 1305
Apulia, 1155
Aquae Saravenae, 979
Araxes, 589
Arcadiopolis, 970
Arcadiopolis, 1194
Ariminum, 538
Arzamon, 586
Attalia, 1207
Aurasium, 540
Auximus, 539
Azaz, 1030
Babylon, Egypt, 640
Balathista, 1014
Bapheus, 1302
Bargylus, 634
Bari, 1068-1071
Bathys Ryax, 872
Berat, 1281
Veroï, 1122
Balarathos, 591
Bar, 1042
Berzitia, 774
Bitola, 1015
Ganzaka, 591
Bosporus, 1352
Boulgarophygon, 896
Bourgaon, 535
Brindisi, 1156
Brocade, 634
Bursa, 1317-1326
Busta Gallorum, 552
Calavrye, 1079
Callinicum, 531
Campus Ardiensis, 316
Cannae, 1018
Cape Bon, 468
Carthage, 468
Carthage, 698
Cephalonia, 880
Kefalonia, 880
Lipares, 880
Stelai, 880
Castrogiovanni, 859
Chariopolis, 1051
Chersonesus, 447
Chrysopolis, 324
Cibalae, 316
Cillium, 544
Constantinople, 626
Constantinople, 674-678
Constantinople, 717-718
Constantinople, 941
Constantinople, 1047
Constantinople, 1187
Constantinople, 1204
Constantinople, 1235
Constantinople, 1260
Constantinople, 1261
Constantinople, 1422
Constantinople, 1453
Cotyaeum, 492
Crasus, 804
Crete, 824
Crete, 828
Crete, 961
Ctesiphon, 363
Damascus, 634
Damietta, 853
Daras, 530
Daras, 573
Dathin, 634
Dazimon, 838
Demetrias, 1274
Demotika, 1352
Devina, 1279
Diakene, 1050
Diampoli, 1049
Didymoteichon, 1352
Dimitritsi, 1185
Dorostalon, 971
Dranginai, 1040
Dyrrachium, 1018
Dyrrachium, 1081
Caesarea, 1073
Echinades, 1427
Edessa, 1031
Ekato Vounoi, 1050
Emessa, 635-636
Faventia, 542
Fields of Cato, 548
Firaz, 634
Frigidus, 394
Gallipoli, 1354
Gallipoli, 1366
Hades, 1057
Heliopolis, 640
Hellespont, 324
Heraclea, 806
Hieromyax, 636
Hyelion - Leimocheir,1177
Iron Bridge, 637
Ieromyax, 636
Jerusalem, 614
Jerusalem, 637
Kaisareia, 1073
Kalavrye, 1079
Kapetron, 1049
Katasyrtai, 917
Kleidion, 1014
Klokotnitsa, 1230
Kopidnadon, 788
Koundouros, 1205
Krasos, 804
Lalakaon, 863
Larissa, 1084
Lemnos, 1025
Levounion, 1091
Makryplagi, 1264
Mammes, 534
Manzikert, 1071
Maogamalcha, 363
Maranga, 363
Marcellae, 756
Marcellae, 792
Marcianopolis, 377
Mardia, 316
Marj-ud-Deebaj, 634
Marta, 547
Masts, 655
Martyropolis, 588
Mavropotamos, 844
Mediolanum, 539
Melanthius, 559
Melantias, 559
Melitene, 576
Membresa, 536
Mercurii Promontorium, 468
Messina, 843
Milano, 539
Milvian Bridge, 312
Mons Seleucus, 353
Monte Siricolo, 1041
Montepeloso, 1041
Montemaggiore, 1041
Morava, 1191
Mount Lactarius, 553
Mucellium, 542
Mursa Major, 351
Mutah, 629
Myriokephalon, 1176
Naples, 536
Neopatras, 1274
Nicaea, 1077
Nicaea, 1097
Nicaea, 1328-1331
Nicomedia, 782
Nicomedia, 1337
Nikiou, 646
Nineveh, 627
Nisibis, 338
Nisibis, 350
Noviodunum, 369
Olivento, 1041
Ongal, 680
Ophlimos, 622
Orontes, 994
Osimo, 539
Ostrovo, 1043
Palakazio, 1021
Palermo, 830-831
Pancalia, 978
Pegae, 922
Pelacanon, 1329
Pelagonia, 1259
Petra, 549
Petra, 551
Petroe, 1057
Perkri, 1034
Pharsalus, 1277
Philadelphia, 1390
Philomelion, 1117
Phoenix, 655
Pirisabora, 363
Pliska, 811
Poimanenon, 1224
Poson, 863
Preslava, 1053
Prinitza, 1263
Prusa, 1326
Rhodes, 1249
Rhodes, 1309
Rhyndacus, 1211
Rimini, 538
Rishki Pass, 759
Rome, 537-538
Rome, 545 - 546
Rometta, 964
Rometta, 1038
Rousokastro, 1332
Rus Raid, 860
Rus Raid, 941
Rus Raid, 1025
Rus Raid, 1043
Samarra, 363
Sardis, 743
Satala, 530
Save, 388
Saxa Rubra, 312
Scalas Veteres, 537
Sebastia, 1070
Sebastopolis, 692
Sedica, 809
Sena Gallica, 551
Setina, 1017
Shirimni, 1021
Singara, 344
Sirmium, 441
Sirmium, 580-582
Sirmium, 1167
Siscia, 388
Skafida, 1304
Solachon, 586
Spercheios, 997
Strumica, 1014
Strymon, 1185
Sufetula, 647
Svindax, 1022
Syllaeum, 677
Syracuse, 827-828
Syracuse, 877-878
Taginae, 552
Taormina, 902
Tarsus, 965
Thacia, 545
Thannourios, 528
Thasos, 829
Thessalonica, 586
Thessalonica, 615
Thessalonica, 617
Thessalonica, 676-678
Thessalonica, 904
Thessalonica, 995
Thessalonica, 1014
Thessalonica, 1040
Thessalonica, 1185
Thessalonica, 1224
Thessalonica, 1264
Thessalonica, 1430
Thomas the Slav, 821-823
Tornikios, 1047
Trajan’s Gate, 986
Tricameron, 533
Troina, 1040
Tryavna, 1190
Utus, 447
Vasiliki Livada, 1050
Veregava, 759
Versinikia, 813
Vescera, 682
Vesuvius, 553
Vid, 447
Viminacium, 599
Volturnus, 554
Wadi al-Arabah, 634
Yarmuk, 636
Zombos, 1074
Zygos pass, 1053
   4 th   century
   5 th   century
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  12 th   century
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  14 th   century
  15 th   century

Aspis

Siege of Thessalonica (IV)

year:

676-678

Unsuccessful siege of the city by the Slavs for two years ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
enemy:
Slavs
location:
Modern Thessaloniki, Northern Greece
 accuracy: ●●●●●
battle type:
Siege
war:
Wars against Avars & Slavs
modern country:
Greece
  The Byzantines(emperor:   Constantine IV) The Enemies
Commander: Unknown Unknown
Forces:
Losses:

Background story:
Since the 580s, the Slavs began their movement in the Southern Balkans. It was an event that went down in history as the Descent of the Slavs. Thrace and Macedonia, but to a large extent the rest of Greece were deserted by the raids. One of the few cities that had resisted was Thessaloniki. The Slavs besieged it several times without success. The last time was in 617 when they besieged the city with the Avars, but failed again.
When the settlement of the Slavs was completed, and after the decline of the Avars who were their powerful allies, a relative peace was reached, but with the Slavs having consolidated their presence in many autonomous regions called Sklaveniae.
Thessaloniki in the 7th century had become a Byzantine “island in the middle of a Slavic sea”, while it remained the most important and richest city in the Balkans.
The period of peace and coexistence with the Slavs in Macedonia came to an end after an incident that changed the scene: The ruler of the Rhynchinoi Slavs Perboundos, who was in Thessaloniki, was arrested by the prefect of the city after allegations were made against him that he made plans to occupy the city. Perboundos was prisoned in Constantinople, where after two attempts to escape he was executed in 674. The execution angered the Slavic tribes of Macedonia.
The main source about these events is the 2nd Book of Stories of the miracles of Agios Dimitrios (Miracula Sancti Demetrii –anonymous work around 680), which attributes the salvation of Thessaloniki exclusively to the intervention of the patron saint of the city, Agios Dimitrios.

The Battle:
Thessalonica
Mosaic from St. Demetrius in Thessalonica,
depicting the saint with the city's bishop and the eparch
On receiving news of Perboundos' execution, the Rhynchinoi rose in revolt, soon joined by the Strymonitai and the Sagoudatai. Not all Slavic tribes joined the uprising, and some, like the Belegezitai, were on the Roman side.
In 676, the Slavic coalition blockaded Thessaloniki by land and raided its environs, with each tribe being assigned a specific area: the Strymonitai attacked from the east and north, the Rhynchinoi from the south, and the Sagoudatai from the west. Three or four raids were launched each day, both on land and at sea, for two years.
The city could not expect any assistance from the emperor, because Constantinople was also under siege by the Arabs. The situation was made worse by the city's authorities, who were very bad in managing the supplies. The anonymous author of the Miracles is highly critical of the commercial and civic elites for their corruption and incompetence, which led to the rapid onset of famine inside the city.
The situation became so bad that many Thessalonians defected to the besiegers in order to escape from the hardship inside the city. The Slavs did not sympathize, and sold them on as slaves to other Slavic tribes; and only after some of these slaves escaped, bringing word of their sufferings to Thessaloniki, did the defections cease.

Some relief was provided by the arrival of a squadron of ten ships with supplies in the summer of 677. But, the sailors took advantage of the Thessalonians, and sold them the grain in high prices, while the authorities used them as manpower to seek out any hidden caches of grain in the city. The local council decided to send the ten vessels manned by the most brave citizens, to get food from the Belegezitai, who were living at the shores of the Pagasetic Gulf in Thessaly.
Their absence was noted and the Slavs decided to exploit the opportunity. They asked the assistance of the Drougoubitai, a large tribe living northwest of Thessaloniki, who had the know-how of making siege engines. Thus reinforced, the Slavs launched their decisive attack on 25th July, 677.
According to the book of the Miracles, Saint Demetrius made some of the Slavs to turn back and thus the force of the attack weakened. Moreover, the siege engines did not help much. For three days, from 25 until 27 July, the Slavs launched attacks on the walls but were repelled by the defenders, with the aid, always, of Saint Demetrius himself, who intervened numerous times. Most notably he is recorded as appearing on foot with a cudgel defending a small gate at a place called “Arktos” —an event which some modern commentators interpret as an indication that the Slavs had penetrated into the city. On the evening of the 27th, the Slavs abandoned the assault and withdrew, taking their dead with them, but abandoning the siege engines, which were taken by the Thessalonians into the city. A few days later, the expedition sent to Thessaly returned, laden with wheat and dried vegetables.

Despite the failure of the assault and the successful replenishment of the city's food supply, the Slavs continued with their blockade and raids, but their pressure relaxed somewhat. Their attention now shifted to the sea, and launched raids against seaborne merchant traffic, using not only the customary primitive monoxyla (dugout canoes), but real ships, capable of sailing in the high seas.
This lasted until the emperor Constantine IV, free from other concerns after the end of the siege of Constantinople, ordered his army to advance against the Slavs through Thrace. The Strymonitai (who were closer to the capital being around Strymon river) prepared their defense, guarding passes and calling upon other tribes for aid. But they were decisively defeated by the imperial troops. After that all the Slavs fled; even the settlements close to the city were abandoned, as the Slavs sought refuge towards the interior.
The famished population of Thessaloniki took the opportunity of pillaging the nearby Slavic settlements for food. The emperor also sent a grain fleet under strong escort by warships, carrying 60,000 measures of wheat for the city, which was a testament of renewed ability of the Byzantine central government to intervene decisively in the Balkans after the Arab danger had passed. Following this, the Slavs requested peace negotiations.

Aftermath:
This siege was the last serious problem that the Byzantines faced with the Slavs, who retained relative autonomy in their regions, but coexistence with Byzantium was normalized.
Problems arose again during the Bulgarian wars when the Bulgarian tsars managed to take - as almost compatriots - a large part of the Slavs on their side. The result was that after the defeat of the Bulgarians, the Slavs in Greece suffered a kind of ethnic cleansing.