Арабское завоевание Сицилии

Summary

The script details the Arab conquest of Sicily, beginning with an unsuccessful attack in 652. It chronicles the intensification of efforts following the capture of Carthage and the rise of the Ifriqi Emirate. Despite treaties and internal conflicts, the Arabs gradually conquered Sicily, with Palermo becoming a key stronghold. The Byzantines made several attempts to reclaim the island, but by 877, Sicily was fully under Arab control. The Normans eventually took over in 1061, marking the end of Arab rule and the beginning of Norman dominance in Sicily.

Takeaways

• 🏛️ The first Arab attack on Sicily occurred in 652 AD under the orders of the Syrian ruler Muawiya I, but was unsuccessful due to the strength of Byzantine fortifications.
• 📈 After the Umayyad Caliphate captured Carthage in 698 AD and the islands of Pantelleria in 700 AD, Arab attempts to conquer Sicily increased, especially with the establishment of the Ifriqiyan Emirate in 745 AD.
• 🔄 Despite the Ifriqiyan Emirate's strength, its attacks on Sicily were irregular and mainly raiding, with a ten-year agreement signed with Byzantium by Emir Abdallah I in 813 AD for a trade treaty.
• ⚔ In 826 AD, Byzantine commander Euphemius, who was the governor of Sicily, captured Ifriqiyan trade ships and plundered the coast of the emirate, leading to a breakdown of Arab-Byzantine peace.
• 👑 Euphemius declared himself the ruler of Sicily after seizing Syracuse and defeating the forces of the Sicilian patrician Constantine, but was later betrayed and forced to flee the island.
• 🛳 In 827 AD, a combined Byzantine-Arab fleet led by the qadi Asad ibn al-Furat landed in Sicily, and after initial successes, the siege of Syracuse lasted until 828 AD when disease struck the city.
• 🚨 The arrival of a Byzantine fleet from Constantinople in 828 AD saved Syracuse, but the Arab forces retreated to Mineo and split into two, with one group capturing Agrigento and the other led by Euphemius being killed at Enna.
• 🛡 Byzantine reinforcements under Strategos Feodot arrived in Sicily in 829 AD and by autumn had liberated most of the island, except for Palermo, which fell in September 831 AD after a long siege.
• 🛑 Palermo was renamed al-Madinah and became an important Arab stronghold and the capital of the province of Aglobid, with Abu Fih al-Muhammad ibn Abdallah appointed as its first military governor in March 832 AD.
• 🏰 After unsuccessful attempts to conquer Enna, the Muslims captured several fortresses in Sicily and expanded their control to mainland Italy, capturing Taranto, Bari, and Brindisi.
• 📉 The fall of Enna in 859 AD was a significant blow to the Byzantines, who sent a fleet of 300 ships under Constantine Kontomytes in 870 AD, which was defeated.
• 🏹 The last Byzantine stronghold in Sicily, Taormina, was captured in 965 AD, and the Fatimid Caliphate's fleet inflicted a crushing defeat on the Byzantines in the Strait of Messina in 909 AD, effectively ending Byzantine attempts to reclaim Sicily.
• 🛡️ Norman conquest of Sicily began in 1061 AD, with Roger of Hauteville, son of a minor Norman baron, capturing Messina and defeating the Arabs at Enna, eventually becoming the Duke of Sicily.

Q & A

When did the first Arab invasion of Sicily occur?

The first Arab invasion of Sicily occurred in 652 AD, under the orders of the ruler of Syria, Muawiya I.

What event in 698 AD intensified Arab attempts to conquer Sicily?

The capture of Carthage by the Umayyad Caliphate in 698 AD intensified Arab attempts to conquer Sicily.

What significant development in 745 AD affected the Arab efforts in Sicily?

The emergence of the Ifriqiyan Emirate with its center in Kairouan (now Tunisia) in 745 AD affected the Arab efforts in Sicily.

Why did the Emir Abdallah I ibn Ibrahim seek a trade agreement with Sicily in 813 AD?

Emir Abdallah I ibn Ibrahim sought a trade agreement with Sicily in 813 AD to establish peaceful relations and economic benefits.

What action by Euphemius, the Byzantine commander, in 826 AD led to the breakdown of Arab-Byzantine peace?

Euphemius captured several Ifriqiyan trading ships and raided the coast of the Emirate, which led to the breakdown of Arab-Byzantine peace in 826 AD.

Who was declared an outlaw by the Byzantine Emperor Michael II after the incident in 826 AD?

Euphemius, the Byzantine commander and fleet leader of Sicily, was declared an outlaw by Emperor Michael II.

What event led to Euphemius proclaiming himself the ruler of Sicily?

Euphemius proclaimed himself the ruler of Sicily after taking Syracuse and defeating the forces of the Sicilian patrician Constantine, taking advantage of the weakened state of the Byzantine Empire.

What was the outcome of the Arab-Byzantine naval battle in 827 AD?

The Arab-Byzantine naval battle in 827 AD resulted in the Arab forces landing near the town of Mazara and eventually advancing towards Syracuse.

What was the significance of the fall of Palermo in 831 AD to the Arab forces?

The fall of Palermo in 831 AD marked a significant victory for the Arab forces, as Palermo became an important Arab stronghold and the capital of the province of Aglobid.

How did the Byzantine Empire attempt to regain control of Sicily after the fall of Palermo?

The Byzantine Empire sent a fleet of 300 ships under the command of Constantine Contomites, the victor of the Cretan Saracens, in an attempt to regain control of Sicily.

What was the final outcome of the Byzantine attempts to regain Sicily in the 10th century?

The final outcome of the Byzantine attempts to regain Sicily in the 10th century was failure, with their last stronghold, the fortress of Rometta, falling in 965 AD.