![]() ![]() “ Through the prayer of the Immaculate Mother of God, God helped them, and so the foes were submerged into the water,” Theophanes celebrated. Again, “tubes filled with liquid fire on battleships and two oars” were used. Christians on board divulged the information to the Byzantines. The admirals of two Arab fleets decided to shelter their ships from the Greek fire in a harbor in the spring, when the supply issues had been temporarily resolved. According to Theophanes, “ several horses, camels, and other animals” were lost because Umar, his replacement, chose to keep up the blockade. A sickness presumably killed Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik as early as the end of September. This made it hard to feed the besiegers through the winter and, in the end, stopped the planned attack on Constantinople’s sea fortifications. Part of the ships were lowered to the depths of the sea, while the other was burned on the sea wall. With “ God’s help,” historian Theophanes the Confessor records, Leo immediately had his “ fire ships launched,” moored in ports within the sea fortifications and in the Golden Horn, and set fire to the Arab carriers. Then, out of the blue, a stillness settled in, making it difficult for the small Arab ships to make headway. Arab Fleet Cannot Escape Greek Fire Greek fire in the only known contemporary representation (12th c. As the blockade had only been partially successful in 678, he brought with him a large fleet of supply ships to ensure its continuation through the poor season. The caliph and his armada sailed into the Bosphorus on September 1. Maslama ibn Abd al-Malik started sealing off the land fortifications of Constantinople by surrounding them with a ditch. The noise generated by the burning also acted as a psychological weapon. The dromone was a swift and agile war galley created by the Byzantines for this reason it was a vast improvement over the Arab ships, which were often timbered from badly kept wood. This fire blazed at sea and could not be put out with water, making it a terrifying weapon that demanded extreme caution. It was sprayed onto enemy ships with the help of a pressure pump and bronze siphons or tubes. The substance was probably a mix of saltpeter and petroleum. It was the invention of a Greek architect and alchemist from Heliopolis in Syria, who secretly broke through the siege ring, that ensured Byzantium’s survival: Greek fire.Īs a state secret, the exact ingredients of this “ pyr thalassion” (sea fire) or “ pyr hygron” (liquid fire) remain unknown. Compared to the first time an Arab force tried to lay siege to the city in 678, the fortifications and weapons were in much better shape. On August 15, 717, Meslama, brother of the Caliph, arrived in front of Constantinople with 80,000 men. Bringing Greek Fire to Byzantium Use of a handsiphon, which shoots Greek fire.Įverything that was hoped for from Leo was realized. However, Theodosius cleared the field and withdrew to a monastery after hearing that the citizens and soldiers of the capital had made it obvious that they would prefer to put the defense of the city in Leo’s hands. Theodosius, however, foresaw the impending threat and had adequate facilities constructed. Sulaiman’s plan, no doubt, was to capitalize on the country’s seemingly endless internal problems. He was the sixth rebel leader in the 20 years before. Leo led a successful revolt against Theodosius III from his district in Asia Minor. These were military districts under a general (strategos) and home to stratiotes, peasant soldiers who managed their farms in peacetime but could be quickly mobilized in case of conflict. 740.ĭuring the troubled decades before, this “ theme” structure kept Byzantium alive in world history. On the military front, he’d demonstrated himself to be the “strategos” of Anatolic (Anatolic Theme). Constantinople’s warehouses had been restocked, and the city’s fortifications had been repaired. 680–741), the new ruler often called the “Isaurian”, did have two aces up his sleeve. Having already destroyed the Visigoth Kingdom in Spain with the help of his brother and predecessor al-Walid I, Caliph Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik hoped to complete the conquest of eastern Rome with this fleet. It was reported that an Arab armada numbering around 1800 ships was battling its way along the shores of Asia Minor. But there was hardly any time to celebrate. In March of 717, the new emperor finally used the Golden Gate to enter Constantinople, the capital city he had inherited. End of the Arab Dream of Constantinople. ![]()
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