Siege of Antioch (1084)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Siege of Antioch
Part of the Byzantine-Seljuk wars
Date 1084 Location Antioch Result Seljuk capture Antioch
Combatants
Byzantine Empire	Seljuk Turks
Commanders
Byzantine emperor	Leader of the Seljuk Turks & Sultanate of Rum
Strength
unknown	unknown
Casualties
unknown	unknown

In 1071 the Seljuk Turks, originating from central Asia, had dealt a crushing blow to the Byzantine Empire and in 1078, Nicaea was captured by the Turks. The Seljuk Turks had also been conquering land in the Levant and Syria, starting wars with the Arab factions that ruled there, namely the Fatimid faction in Egypt.

[edit] Antioch

Antioch had been part of the Byzantine Empire ever since it was captured in the late 10th century AD. It had been in the frontline between the Arabs and Byzantines in their wars and, though the Byzantines may have repaired the city, was in a state of decline under Arab rule for more than 200 years. Despite this, whilst Nicaea had fallen in 1077, Antioch was not taken until 1084.

[edit] Legacy

The city was important to the Christian world and was the Byzantine Empire's strong point in Syria, from which more conquests could have been implemented. The city was not handed back to the Byzantines by the Crusaders at first until Manuel Comnenus as a protectorate forced the city to submit in the late 12th century.