Byzantine Battles: Sack of Thessalonica

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15 th century

Sack of Thessalonica	year: 1185 24 August 1185
The Normans sacked Thessalonica and massacred the population	★ ★ ★ ★ ★

enemy: Normans (of Sicily)	location: Modern Thessaloniki, Northern Greece	accuracy: ●●●●●
battle type: City Capture	war: Sicilian Wars	modern country: Greece

	▼ The Byzantines(emperor: Andronicos I Komnenos)	▼ The Enemies
Commander:	David Komnenos	Baldwin d’ Hautevillw& Tagred de Lecce
Forces:	Unknown	80,000 (incl. 5000 knights)+200 ships
Losses:	at least 7,000	3,000

Background story:

After the death of the emperor Manuel I Komnenos in 1180, the Byzantine Empire began to decline fast.
In 1185, during the reign of the terrible Andronikos I Komnenos, the Normans invaded Greece with the ambitious target to take Constantinople. King William II -the Good- of Sicily sent a fleet of 200 ships and 80,000 men (including 5000 knights!) under the command of counts Baldwin and Richard of Acerra. The huge Norman force, landed in Epirus and after capturing Dyrrhachium, marched through Albania and Macedonia to Thessalonica, the second city of the Byzantine Empire.
The Norman fleet after taking Corfu, Cephalonia and Zakynthos arrived in Thessaloniki on 15th August and the Normans laid siege to the city both from land and sea.

The Battle:

Norman knight c.1180

The city's incompetent governor, David Komnenos, had neglected to make sufficient preparations for the siege, and even forbade sallies by the defenders to disrupt the Norman siege works. The Byzantine relief armies failed to coordinate their efforts, and only two units, under Theodore Choumnos and John Maurozomes, actually came to the city's aid. Within a few days the Normans undermined the city's eastern wall, opening a breach through which they entered the city. After a fierce battle in which the Normans lost 3,000 men Thessalonica fell, on 24th August 1185. The Normans pillaged ruthlessly the city. More than 7,000 Greeks died in the massacre.

Noteworthy:

The siege and the massacre is extensively chronicled by the city's bishop, Eustathius of Thessalonica.

Aftermath:

The disaster shocked the Byzantines and led to the dethronement of Emperor Andronicos. The massacre deepened the rift between the Orthodox Greeks and the Catholic Latins. The Normans evacuated the city in December, after their defeat in Dimitritsi.