Arabians at Constantinople

The Saviours of Europe

    During the year 717 A.D., more than 80,000 Arab soldiers marched towards the Byzantine capital of Constantinople.  When they learned about this, the Byzantines sent an envoy to ask for help from the Bulgarian Han Tervel.  He agreed to the request, realizing that if Constantinople fell, it would lead to Bulgaria being open to attacks from this dangerous enemy.  Han Tervel sent the requested army, and thus, required the Arabs besieging Constantinople to fight on two fronts - against the defenders from the city and against the Bulgarian cavalry, which incessantly raided them.  Very soon, the leader of the Arab army, Maslama (? I translated this from Bulgarian, don't know if this is right), was convinced that the Bulgarians were a dangerous foe.  He ordered a deep trench to be dug, in order to protect his soldiers from surprise attacks.  They also dug the same trench facing the the city of Constantinople.  In this way, the besieging Arab army became themselves besieged.  The winter came.  A shortage of food made some of the Arabians to eat corpses of their fellow warriors, and others ate small stones to aleviate their hunger.  In spite of their situation, the Arabs did not surrender.  
    Michael Siriiski, a Byzantine Chronicler (? I translated this from Bulgarian, don't know if this is right) wrote:
    "...The Arabians were attacked by land and by the citizens of the city, and by the Bulgarians, also through the sea by the Byzantine ships... The Bulgarians attacked the Arabians and they hew them down; the latter feared the Bulgarians more than the Byzantines.  From the behind the Arabians were vexed with a greater misfortune than from the Byzantines in the city.  The winter came, but the Arabians feared to surrender; first from their ruler, second from the sea, and third from the Bulgarians.  Then the whirlwind of death grabbed them..."
    They made it to the spring, and tried to launch a surprise attack on the Bulgarians to cut through their defensive line.  But in this deciding conflict, Han Tervel's warriors crushed the Arab army, which lost more than 20,000 men.  The survivors barely made it to their ships and sailed away in defeat.
    Han Tervel became one of the most loved rulers in Europe at that time.  Decades after his death, poets wrote ballads to glorify Han Tervel.

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Some sources:

http://www.network54.com/Forum/message?forumid=22270&mes sageid=1038497811

http://www.kutriguri.com/index.html

What do you guys think?

Edit:  Whoops, should probably be Saracens, not Arabs.


Edited by Kubrat

Well, actually, Constantinople was also besieged by the Avars in 623 AD, with about 80,000 men too, and only 12,000 Byzantines defeding the city, and they won.

I believe in that war, the arabs attacked with a navy too (I might be thinking of a different war). Byzantines used Greek fire to decimate the Arab navy. The Remainder of the navy was forced to retreat (it might have been due to the fact that a lot of the Arab navy was Christian).

Greek fire was a devilish weapon. The fire burned in contact with water (!! thus especially useful against ships) and could only be extinguished with sand!

No offense but I keep seeing Kubrat's Coat of Arms as a plate with orange-red-coloured food on it... lol

Edited by Evildoer

Edit:  Post out of order...


Edited by Kubrat

other strange part is how Kieven Rus had the choice to convert to either,

I heard they went with Christianity because of Islam's ban on alcohol.

Oh yeah, that explains it.  Russians would never let religion deny them their alcohol .

Aint that a fact!!!!!!

Some cultures have sciences to show, Russia has vodka.

Same thing in Danube Bulgaria, Knias Boris converted the entire country to Christianity.

Wasn't it the same with the Roman Empire?  The emperor made the decision and even though there were already people devoted to the Christian faith, most weren't?

There is a thread in the HeavenGames history forum about the population of Christians in the empire.