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Emperors 
Battle of Ostrovo |
year: 1043May 1043 |
| Unexpected defeat and death of the rebel General Maniakes | ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ |
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enemy: (Civil War)
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location: Near lake Vegoritis, west of Thessalonica (Ostrovo is the old name of the lake)
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accuracy:
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battle type: Pitched Battle |
war: Military Revolts |
modern country:
Greece |
| ▼ The Byzantines(emperor: Constantine IX Monomachos) | ▼ The Enemies | |
| Commander: | Stefanos Pergaminos | General George Maniakes |
| Forces: | Unknown | Unknown |
| Losses: |
| Background story: |
| In 1038, the great Byzantine general George Maniakes was sent to campaign in Sicily. By 1040 he had reconquered most of the island. His successes made him famous both in Europe and in the Arab world, but this caused the envy of the imperial court. He was recalled back to Constantinople and imprisoned. The Byzantine gains in Sicily were soon lost and Maniakes was sent back in 1042 as Catepan of Italy. Maniakes was again successful there and pushed back the Arabs and also the Normans who were the new threat in South Italy. However, Maniakes accomplishments were largely ignored by the new Emperor Constantine IX who was poisoned against him by the brother of his mistress Romanos Skleros. Skleros, like Maniakes, was one of the immensely wealthy landowners of Anatolia. Finding himself in a position of power, Skleros ransacked the Maniakes' house and even seduced his wife, using the charm his family were famed for. So Maniakes was recalled again to face accusations for conspiracy. This time, the general really revolted. His response when faced with his replacement, Pardos, demanding to take command of the forces in Apulia, was to brutally torture him to death, after sealing his eyes, ears, nose and mouth with excrement. Next, George Maniakes oficially revolted against Constantine IX and, allowing his troops to proclaim him Emperor. He crossed to Epirus, captured Dyrrhachium and marched on Constantinople |
The Battle: |
 Maniakes on a donkey in the humiliation of 1040 The head of Maniakes was paraded in triumph in Constantinople. The surviving rebels were also paraded in the Hippodrome, seated backwards on donkeys. |
Aftermath: |
| It was a great loss. The immediate result was that the Sicily campaign was over. Furthermore, if Maniakes had prevailed, he would have probably become one of the great Byzantine emperors. Constantine IX remained emperor until 1055. His reign was the beginning of the decline of the Empire. |
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