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Sack Of Damietta (853)
The Sack of Damietta was a successful raid on the port city of Damietta on the Nile Delta by the Byzantine navy on 22–24 May 853. The city, whose garrison was absent at the time, was sacked and plundered, yielding not only many captives but also large quantities of weapons and supplies intended for the Arab Emirate of Crete. The Byzantine attack, which was repeated in the subsequent years, shocked the Abbasid authorities, and urgent measures were taken to refortify the coasts and strengthen the local fleet, beginning a revival of the Egyptian navy that culminated in the Tulunid and Fatimid periods. Background During the 820s, the Byzantine Empire suffered two great losses that destroyed its naval supremacy in the Mediterranean: the beginning of the Arab Muslim conquest of Sicily and the conquest of Crete to Andalusian exiles. These losses ushered in an era where Arab pirates raided the Christian northern shores of the Mediterranean almost at will. The establishment of the Emir ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Arab–Byzantine Wars
The Arab–Byzantine wars or Muslim–Byzantine wars were a series of wars from the 7th to 11th centuries between multiple Arab dynasties and the Byzantine Empire. The Muslim Arab Caliphates conquered large parts of the Christian Byzantine empire and unsuccessfully attacked the Byzantine capital of Constantinople. The frontier between the warring states remained almost static for three centuries of frequent warfare, before the Byzantines were able to recapture some of the lost territory. The conflicts began during the early Muslim conquests under the expansionist Rashidun Caliphate, part of the initial spread of Islam. In the 630s, Rashidun forces from Arabia attacked and quickly overran Byzantium's southern provinces. Muslim conquest of the Levant, Syria was captured in 639 and Arab conquest of Egypt, Egypt was conquered in 642. The Exarchate of Africa was Muslim conquest of the Maghreb, gradually captured between 647 and 670. From the 650s onwards, Arab navies entered the Medit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Arabs
Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of years. In the 9th century BCE, the Assyrians made written references to Arabs as inhabitants of the Levant, Mesopotamia, and Arabia. Throughout the Ancient Near East, Arabs established influential civilizations starting from 3000 BCE onwards, such as Dilmun, Gerrha, and Magan, playing a vital role in trade between Mesopotamia, and the Mediterranean. Other prominent tribes include Midian, ʿĀd, and Thamud mentioned in the Bible and Quran. Later, in 900 BCE, the Qedarites enjoyed close relations with the nearby Canaanite and Aramaean states, and their territory extended from Lower Egypt to the Southern Levant. From 1200 BCE to 110 BCE, powerful kingdoms emerged such as Saba, Lihyan, Minaean, Qataban, Hadhramaut, Awsan, and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nile
The Nile (also known as the Nile River or River Nile) is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa. It has historically been considered the List of river systems by length, longest river in the world, though this has been contested by research suggesting that the Amazon River is slightly longer.Amazon Longer Than Nile River, Scientists Say Of the world's major rivers, the Nile has one of the lowest average annual flow rates. About long, its drainage basin covers eleven countries: the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Sudan, Sudan, and Egypt. In pa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Umayyad
The Umayyad Caliphate or Umayyad Empire (, ; ) was the second caliphate established after the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty. Uthman ibn Affan, the third of the Rashidun caliphs, was also a member of the clan. The family established dynastic, hereditary rule with Mu'awiya I, the long-time governor of Greater Syria, who became caliph after the end of the First Fitna in 661. After Mu'awiya's death in 680, conflicts over the succession resulted in the Second Fitna, and power eventually fell to Marwan I, from another branch of the clan. Syria remained the Umayyads' main power base thereafter, with Damascus as their capital. The Umayyads continued the Muslim conquests, conquering Ifriqiya, Transoxiana, Sind, the Maghreb and Hispania ( al-Andalus). At its greatest extent (661–750), the Umayyad Caliphate covered , making it one of the largest empires in history in terms of area. The dynasty was toppled by the Abbasids in 750. S ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Photeinos (strategos)
Photeinos () was a Byzantine commander and governor active in the 820s. He is first mentioned following the Muslim conquest of the island of Crete in the mid-820s. At the time, he was military governor (''strategos'') of the Anatolic Theme, and was entrusted by Emperor Michael II the Amorian (reigned 820–829) with recovering the island. Upon his request, he was later reinforced with troops under the ''protospatharios'' Damian. Both were defeated by the Arabs, however: Damian fell, and Photeinos was barely able to escape with his life. Despite this failure, he was soon entrusted with another important mission, being sent to Sicily as its ''strategos'' to counter the rebellion and defection of the local ''tourmarches'' Euphemius to the Aghlabids of Ifriqiya. He was probably the successor of the ''strategos'' Constantine Soudas, whom Euphemius had killed, but some scholars equate the two men. Greek historian Christos Makrypoulias on the other hand estimates that this is highly un ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Strategos
''Strategos'' (), also known by its Linguistic Latinisation, Latinized form ''strategus'', is a Greek language, Greek term to mean 'military General officer, general'. In the Hellenistic world and in the Byzantine Empire, the term was also used to describe a military governor. In the modern Hellenic Army, it is the highest officer rank. Etymology ''Strategos'' is a compound of two Greek words: ''stratos'' and ''agos''. ''Stratos'' (στρατός) means 'army', literally 'that which is spread out', coming from the proto-Indo-European root *stere-, 'to spread'. ''Agos'' (ἀγός) means 'leader', from ''agein'' (ἄγειν), 'to lead', from the pelasgic root *ag-, 'to drive, draw out or forth, move'. Classical Greece Athens In its most famous attestation, in Classical Athens, the office of ''strategos'' existed already in the 6th century BC, but it was only with the reforms of Cleisthenes in 501 BC that it assumed its most recognizable form: Cleisthenes instituted a boa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Damian (parakoimomenos)
Damian () was a senior Byzantine eunuch official during the reign of Emperor Michael III (842–867), serving as the head chamberlain (''parakoimomenos'') to the emperor. Biography Theophanes Continuatus reports that Damian was a eunuch and of Slavic origin. He held the influential post of head chamberlain (''parakoimomenos''), with the rank of ''patrikios'', under Michael III (), and perhaps, according to the later ''Patria of Constantinople'', already under Michael's father Theophilos () as well. The Byzantinist Henri Grégoire suggested that Damian might be identifiable with the Byzantine admiral, known only from Arabic sources as " Ibn Qatuna", who led the Sack of Damietta in 853, by interpreting the Arabic name as a corruption of the title ''epi tou koitonos'' ("in charge of the imperial bedchamber"). He belonged to the circle of high officials who opposed Theoktistos, the powerful minister who monopolized power during the first half of Michael's reign. He was instrumental i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Parakoimomenos
The ''parakoimōmenos'' (, literally "the one who sleeps beside [the emperor's chamber]") was a Byzantine Empire, Byzantine Byzantine aristocracy and bureaucracy, court position, usually reserved for eunuch (court official), eunuchs. The position's proximity to the List of Byzantine emperors, emperors guaranteed its holders influence and power, and many of them, especially in the 9th and 10th centuries, functioned as the Byzantine Empire's chief ministers. History and functions The title was used anachronistically by various Byzantine writers for prominent eunuch court officials of the distant past, including Euphratas under Constantine the Great (reigned 306–337), the notorious Chrysaphius under Theodosius II (), or an unnamed holder of the office under Emperor Maurice (emperor), Maurice (). The position was probably created no later than the reign of Leo IV the Khazar (), when the chronicler Theophanes the Confessor mentions a "''koubikoularios'' and ''parakoimomenos”'' ser ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Constantine Kontomytes
Constantine Kontomytes or Contomytes (, ) was a Byzantine general and nobleman. Biography As the governor (''strategos'') of the Thracesian Theme, Constantine Kontomytes inflicted a severe defeat on the Cretan Saracens in 841, when they raided the rich monastic community of Mount Latros.. Shortly before or soon after, Constantine's daughter married the ''magistros'' Bardas, who was the nephew of Empress Theodora on his mother's side and of Patriarch Photios on his father's. Bardas later assumed his father-in-law's surname.; . In 859, Emperor Michael III (r. 842–867) sent him to Sicily at the head of 300 ships, to confront the Arabs on the island. The Byzantine army suffered a major defeat by the Arabs Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of yea ... under Abbas ibn Fadhl, h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sergios Niketiates
Sergios Niketiates (, ) was a senior Byzantine official and member of the Amorian dynasty. He is celebrated as a saint by the Eastern Orthodox Church on 28 June for his role in the restoration of the veneration of icons. Biography Sergios Niketiates is an obscure and "enigmatic" (Cyril Mango) figure, known only through brief references in two hagiographic works, the ''Acts of Saints David, Symeon and George'' and the ''Synaxarium Constantinopolitanum''... According to these, Sergios was born in the village of Niketia, near Amastris in Paphlagonia, whence his surname. He was a close relative, possibly the uncle, of Empress Theodora, the wife of Emperor Theophilos (r. 829–842) and mother of Michael III (r. 842–867). Under Theophilos, he became one of the leading members of the Byzantine Senate, reaching the supreme court rank of ''magistros''. Seals attributed to him also record him having progressively advanced through the levels of ''hypatos'', ''anthypatos'', ''protospath ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Henri Grégoire (historian)
Henri Grégoire (; Huy, Belgium, 21 March 1881 – 28 September 1964, Brussels, Belgium) was an eminent scholar of the Byzantine Empire, virtually the founder of Byzantine studies in Belgium. Grégoire spent most of his teaching career at the Université libre de Bruxelles. In 1904, he contributed to the ''Report of the Commission of Enquiry'' sent to investigate atrocities in the Congo Free State In 1918, during the German occupation of Belgium during World War I, he co-founded an underground newspaper entitled ''Le Flambeau'' with Anatol Mühlstein and Oscar Grosjean which continued publishing throughout the interwar years. In 1938, he taught at the New School for Social Research and during the Second World War, joined the École libre des hautes études at the New School. He was the editor of four journals—''Byzantion'', ''Nouvelle Clio'', ''Annuaire de l'Institut de Philologie et d'Histoire Orientales et Slaves'', and ''Flambeau''—and published prolifically: by 1953 he had ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Al-Tabari
Abū Jaʿfar Muḥammad ibn Jarīr ibn Yazīd al-Ṭabarī (; 839–923 CE / 224–310 AH), commonly known as al-Ṭabarī (), was a Sunni Muslim scholar, polymath, historian, exegete, jurist, and theologian from Amol, Tabaristan, present-day Iran. Among the most prominent figures of the Islamic Golden Age, al-Tabari is widely known for his historical works and expertise in Quranic exegesis, and has been described as "an impressively prolific polymath".Lindsay Jones (ed.), ''Encyclopedia of religion'', volume 13, Macmillan Reference USA, 2005, p. 8943 He authored works on a diverse range of subjects, including world history, poetry, lexicography, grammar, ethics, mathematics, and medicine. Among his most famous and influential works are his Quranic commentary, '' Tafsir al-Tabari'', and historical chronicle, '' Tarikh al-Tabari''. Al-Tabari followed the Shafi'i school for nearly a decade before he developed his own interpretation of Islamic jurisprudence. His understand ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
