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Battle of Azaz |
year: 103010 August 1030 |
| A Byzantine defeat by the Arabs in a poorly designed expedition | ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ |
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enemy: Arabs (Mirdasids)
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location: Near Azaz in NW Syria, 32km from modern Aleppo
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accuracy:
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battle type: Repulsion |
war: Later Byzantine-Muslim Wars |
modern country:
Syria |
| ▼ The Byzantines(emperor: Romanos III Argyros) | ▼ The Enemies | |
| Commander: | Emperor Romanos III Argyros | Emir Al-Dawla Nasr |
| Forces: | 20,000 | max 2,000 |
| Losses: | 10,000 (?) |
| Background story: |
| In 1030, Emperor Romanos III Argyros decided to retaliate upon the incursions of the Muslims on the eastern frontier by leading a large army in person to secure Antioch, then marched east against Aleppo. The Emir of Aleppo sued for peace but Romanos refused to negotiate. |
The Battle: |
 The battle of Azazio (Skylitzes manuscript) Romanos himself barely escaped, but he managed eventually to flee to Antioch and later to Constantinople. |
Noteworthy: |
| The Arabs took great booty, including the imperial army's entire baggage train. Among the spoils was the luxurius imperial tent with its treasures, which allegedly had to be carried off on 70 camels! Moreover 300 mules were captured carrying gold coins! |
Aftermath: |
| The popularity of Romanos II never recovered after this defeat, although he immediately sent general Theoktistos who beat the Arabs of Aleppo and extracted a tribute. The Byzantine prestige was fully restored after the capture of Edessa next year. |
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