37:
840:
A party of Arabs whom the governor, Abbas bin al-Fadhl, had sent to ravage the outskirts of Enna. They managed to capture a Greek prisoner. Abbas ordered him to be executed. The prisoner begged for mercy in exchange for helping them capture Enna, and Abbas agreed to this offer. The
Byzantine garrison
844:
Abbas, with a cavalry force of 2,000, headed towards
Castrogiovanni. Taking advantage of the darkness, Abbas dispatched a contingent under his uncle, Rabah, to a secret passage the prisoner had told them about. An aqueduct leads to the center of Castrogiovanni. The Arabs entered the aqueduct, then
836:
Following the fall of
Palermo in 831, the key to Byzantine defense became the fortified city of Castrogiovanni (modern-day Enna), governed by Theodotus. The city is on a high mountain, dominating all neighboring heights. Aiming to capture the city, as it was the seat of the Byzantine government of
160:
860:
The capture of
Castrogiovanni destroyed the Byzantine power in Sicily and forced them to relocate their seat to Syracuse. Due to this defeat, the Byzantine emperor,
153:
1069:
1064:
146:
848:
The city fell on
January 24. The Arabs captured immense wealth and many prisoners, and part of them were sent to the Abbasid caliph,
1084:
1048:
1032:
Tony Jaques (2006), Dictionary of
Battles and Sieges, A Guide to 8,500 Battles from Antiquity Through the Twenty-first Century .
1094:
417:
402:
459:
444:
1033:
1079:
776:
500:
286:
680:
608:
542:
507:
1038:
1043:
756:
357:
241:
794:
751:
660:
650:
209:
345:
1047:
J. B. Bury (2023), The
History of the Byzantine Empire, From the Fall of Irene to the Accession of Basil I.
690:
192:
557:
852:. Abbas ordered the construction of a mosque to celebrate this victory in the palace of the Patricians.
675:
512:
216:
1074:
630:
496:
335:
330:
301:
28:
379:
364:
318:
256:
246:
1089:
1042:
F. Elie de La
Primaudaie, Les Arabes En Sicile Et En Italie: Les Normands En Sicile Et En Italie.
685:
635:
588:
572:
567:
532:
281:
251:
170:
865:
771:
716:
645:
474:
407:
221:
808:
789:
598:
547:
537:
489:
479:
422:
296:
266:
746:
736:
665:
577:
449:
325:
306:
276:
8:
726:
620:
311:
187:
625:
484:
427:
231:
1037:
Alexander A. Vasiliev, Byzance et les Arabes. Tome I, La dynastie d'Amorium (820–867).
384:
369:
799:
766:
741:
670:
655:
640:
593:
583:
562:
522:
517:
454:
439:
340:
236:
202:
87:
36:
721:
603:
469:
464:
374:
291:
226:
197:
864:, dispatched a navy of 300 ships to rescue Castrogiovanni under the command of
703:
553:
412:
395:
271:
261:
1058:
868:. The Byzantine Navy suffered a crushing defeat and lost 100 of their ships.
849:
711:
845:
proceeded to kill the defenders of the city and open the gates for Abbas.
861:
837:
Sicily. Castrogiovanni was accessible by two tortuous and narrow gorges.
350:
824:
was launched by the
Aghlabids against the important Byzantine city of
138:
92:
784:
391:
16:
859 siege by the
Aghlabids against the Byzantine city of Enna
825:
62:
828:
in 859. The Aghlabid forces managed to capture the city.
841:
did not expect any attack and minimized their defenses.
1056:
154:
161:
147:
168:
1057:
1065:Sieges involving the Byzantine Empire
142:
13:
911:F. Elie de La Primaudaie, p. 19-20
14:
1106:
1070:Sieges of the Arab–Byzantine wars
35:
1085:Battles involving the Aghlabids
1013:
1004:
1001:F. Elie de La Primaudaie, p. 21
995:
992:F. Elie de La Primaudaie, p. 20
986:
977:
974:Alexander A. Vasiliev, p. 220-1
968:
965:F. Elie de La Primaudaie, p. 20
959:
938:F. Elie de La Primaudaie, p. 20
902:F. Elie de La Primaudaie, p. 19
893:F. Elie de La Primaudaie, p. 19
822:siege of Enna or Castrogiovanni
950:
941:
932:
923:
914:
905:
896:
887:
878:
1:
1010:Alexander A. Vasiliev, p. 221
947:Alexander A. Vasiliev, p. 220
920:Alexander A. Vasiliev, p. 220
871:
1095:850s in the Byzantine Empire
855:
7:
558:Nikephoros Phokas the Elder
10:
1111:
1026:
1080:Muslim conquest of Sicily
604:George Maniakes in Sicily
180:
124:
111:
98:
81:
45:
34:
29:Muslim conquest of Sicily
26:
21:
831:
866:Constantine Kontomytes
99:Commanders and leaders
125:Casualties and losses
697:Byzantine reconquest
884:Tony Jaques, p. 212
172:Arab–Byzantine wars
599:Straits of Messina
418:2nd Constantinople
403:1st Constantinople
107:Al-Abbas bin Fadhl
817:
816:
137:
136:
77:
76:
1102:
1075:Byzantine Sicily
1020:
1017:
1011:
1008:
1002:
999:
993:
990:
984:
981:
975:
972:
966:
963:
957:
954:
948:
945:
939:
936:
930:
927:
921:
918:
912:
909:
903:
900:
894:
891:
885:
882:
584:Marianos Argyros
460:Asia Minor (806)
445:Asia Minor (782)
434:Border conflicts
331:Babylon Fortress
175:
173:
163:
156:
149:
140:
139:
88:Byzantine Empire
73:Aghlabid victory
47:
46:
39:
19:
18:
1110:
1109:
1105:
1104:
1103:
1101:
1100:
1099:
1055:
1054:
1029:
1024:
1023:
1018:
1014:
1009:
1005:
1000:
996:
991:
987:
982:
978:
973:
969:
964:
960:
955:
951:
946:
942:
937:
933:
928:
924:
919:
915:
910:
906:
901:
897:
892:
888:
883:
879:
874:
858:
834:
818:
813:
661:Gulf of Corinth
183:Early conflicts
176:
171:
169:
167:
65:
40:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1108:
1098:
1097:
1092:
1090:850s conflicts
1087:
1082:
1077:
1072:
1067:
1051:
1050:
1045:
1040:
1035:
1028:
1025:
1022:
1021:
1012:
1003:
994:
985:
976:
967:
958:
949:
940:
931:
922:
913:
904:
895:
886:
876:
875:
873:
870:
857:
854:
833:
830:
815:
814:
812:
811:
805:
804:
803:
802:
797:
792:
781:
780:
779:
774:
762:
761:
760:
759:
754:
749:
744:
732:
731:
730:
729:
724:
719:
707:
706:
704:John Kourkouas
694:
693:
688:
683:
678:
673:
668:
663:
658:
653:
648:
643:
638:
633:
628:
623:
612:
611:
606:
601:
596:
591:
586:
580:
575:
570:
565:
560:
554:Leo Apostyppes
550:
545:
540:
535:
530:
525:
520:
515:
510:
501:Southern Italy
493:
492:
487:
482:
477:
472:
467:
462:
457:
452:
447:
442:
431:
430:
425:
420:
415:
410:
405:
396:Constantinople
388:
387:
382:
377:
372:
367:
354:
353:
348:
343:
338:
333:
328:
315:
314:
309:
304:
299:
294:
289:
284:
279:
274:
269:
264:
259:
257:Maraj-al-Debaj
254:
249:
247:Sanita-al-Uqab
244:
242:Marj al-Saffar
239:
234:
229:
224:
219:
206:
205:
200:
195:
190:
181:
178:
177:
166:
165:
158:
151:
143:
135:
134:
131:
127:
126:
122:
121:
118:
114:
113:
109:
108:
105:
101:
100:
96:
95:
90:
84:
83:
79:
78:
75:
74:
71:
67:
66:
61:
59:
55:
54:
53:24 January 859
51:
43:
42:
41:Castle of Enna
32:
31:
24:
23:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1107:
1096:
1093:
1091:
1088:
1086:
1083:
1081:
1078:
1076:
1073:
1071:
1068:
1066:
1063:
1062:
1060:
1053:
1049:
1046:
1044:
1041:
1039:
1036:
1034:
1031:
1030:
1016:
1007:
998:
989:
980:
971:
962:
953:
944:
935:
926:
917:
908:
899:
890:
881:
877:
869:
867:
863:
853:
851:
850:al-Mutawakkil
846:
842:
838:
829:
827:
823:
810:
807:
806:
801:
798:
796:
793:
791:
788:
787:
786:
783:Campaigns of
782:
778:
775:
773:
770:
769:
768:
765:Campaigns of
764:
763:
758:
755:
753:
750:
748:
745:
743:
740:
739:
738:
737:Nikephoros II
735:Campaigns of
734:
733:
728:
725:
723:
720:
718:
715:
714:
713:
712:Sayf al-Dawla
710:Campaigns of
709:
708:
705:
702:Campaigns of
701:
700:
699:
698:
692:
689:
687:
684:
682:
679:
677:
674:
672:
669:
667:
664:
662:
659:
657:
654:
652:
649:
647:
644:
642:
639:
637:
634:
632:
629:
627:
624:
622:
619:
618:
617:
616:
615:Naval warfare
610:
607:
605:
602:
600:
597:
595:
592:
590:
587:
585:
582:Campaigns of
581:
579:
576:
574:
571:
569:
566:
564:
561:
559:
555:
552:Campaigns of
551:
549:
546:
544:
541:
539:
536:
534:
531:
529:
526:
524:
521:
519:
516:
514:
511:
509:
506:
505:
504:
503:
502:
498:
491:
488:
486:
483:
481:
478:
476:
473:
471:
468:
466:
463:
461:
458:
456:
453:
451:
448:
446:
443:
441:
438:
437:
436:
435:
429:
426:
424:
421:
419:
416:
414:
411:
409:
406:
404:
401:
400:
399:
398:
397:
393:
386:
383:
381:
378:
376:
373:
371:
368:
366:
363:
362:
361:
360:
359:
352:
349:
347:
344:
342:
339:
337:
334:
332:
329:
327:
324:
323:
322:
321:
320:
313:
310:
308:
305:
303:
300:
298:
295:
293:
290:
288:
285:
283:
280:
278:
275:
273:
270:
268:
265:
263:
260:
258:
255:
253:
250:
248:
245:
243:
240:
238:
235:
233:
230:
228:
225:
223:
220:
218:
215:
214:
213:
212:
211:
204:
201:
199:
196:
194:
191:
189:
186:
185:
184:
179:
174:
164:
159:
157:
152:
150:
145:
144:
141:
132:
129:
128:
123:
120:2,000 cavalry
119:
116:
115:
110:
106:
103:
102:
97:
94:
91:
89:
86:
85:
80:
72:
69:
68:
64:
60:
57:
56:
52:
49:
48:
44:
38:
33:
30:
25:
22:Siege of Enna
20:
1052:
1015:
1006:
997:
988:
979:
970:
961:
952:
943:
934:
925:
916:
907:
898:
889:
880:
859:
847:
843:
839:
835:
821:
819:
772:Alexandretta
696:
695:
676:Thessalonica
614:
613:
589:2nd Taormina
573:1st Taormina
543:3rd Syracuse
533:2nd Syracuse
527:
508:1st Syracuse
495:
494:
475:Mauropotamos
433:
432:
408:Sebastopolis
390:
389:
358:North Africa
356:
355:
317:
316:
222:al-Qaryatayn
208:
207:
182:
82:Belligerents
27:Part of the
862:Michael III
568:2nd Milazzo
563:1st Milazzo
548:Caltavuturo
490:Bathys Ryax
302:Iron Bridge
267:Marj ar-Rum
1059:Categories
1019:J. B. Bury
983:J. B. Bury
956:J. B. Bury
929:J. B. Bury
872:References
795:2nd Aleppo
666:Cephalonia
578:Garigliano
480:Faruriyyah
450:Kopidnadon
336:Alexandria
326:Heliopolis
312:Germanicia
297:1st Aleppo
217:Marj Rahit
210:The Levant
856:Aftermath
742:5th Crete
727:Andrassos
686:4th Crete
681:3rd Crete
636:2nd Crete
631:1st Crete
609:2nd Malta
538:1st Malta
346:Darishkur
307:2nd Emesa
287:Jerusalem
104:Theodotus
93:Aghlabids
785:Basil II
646:Damietta
626:Keramaia
485:Lalakaon
428:Akroinon
392:Anatolia
380:Carthage
365:Sufetula
282:Laodicea
252:Damascus
232:Ajnadayn
112:Strength
58:Location
1027:Sources
790:Orontes
757:Antioch
752:Cilicia
671:Euripos
621:Phoenix
594:Rometta
523:Lentini
513:Messina
470:Amorium
440:Kamacha
385:Tabarka
370:Vescera
351:Bahnasa
277:Yarmouk
133:Unknown
130:Unknown
117:Unknown
800:Apamea
767:John I
747:Aleppo
717:Marash
656:Kardia
651:Ragusa
641:Thasos
556:&
518:Butera
497:Sicily
455:Krasos
423:Nicaea
394:&
341:Nikiou
237:Yaqusa
203:Dathin
188:Mu'tah
70:Result
832:Siege
777:Syria
722:Raban
465:Anzen
413:Tyana
375:Mamma
319:Egypt
292:Hazir
272:Emesa
227:Bosra
198:Firaz
193:Balqa
826:Enna
820:The
809:Azaz
691:Tyre
528:Enna
499:and
262:Fahl
63:Enna
50:Date
1061::
162:e
155:t
148:v
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