Early Byzantine and Arab Naval Strategies and Organizations, 645-718 C.E. (Undergrad Thesis) (original) (raw)

The Mediterranean Muslim Navy and the Expeditions Dispatched against Constantinople

The aim of this paper is to present an account of the information we find in various Arabic sources of the early period of Arabic historiography on the preparation of a military naval force and the expeditions launched against Constantinople during the period of the early expansion of the Muslim Arabs. Arabic sources give various pieces of information on shipyards, ports as well the recruitment of local men both in Syria and Egypt in the preparation of a military fleet by the Arab Muslim leaders. The Byzantine naval military bases in Syria and Egypt were taken by the Arabs in the early 7th century, and local men who served the Byzantines before, then joined the Arabs. These Arab naval forces were not only engaged in a maritime conflict with the Byzantine fleet in the East Mediterranean but also took part both in the expeditions launched against Byzantine territories and especially in the early sieges of Constantinople, the ultimate aim of all preparations. For the Arabs, the significance of Constantinople was based not only n its political and cultural prestige but also n its material affluence. For this reason, four times it was the aim of Arab Muslim forces sent by Arab leaders in Damascus of Syria. Indeed, the Arab navy played an important role in the East Mediterranean conflict and the expeditions against Constantinople, which are celebrated both in Muslim history and legend, have found their way into the Muslim eschatological literature as well.

The Byzantine Contribution to Maritime Warfare

The article elaborates on the development of East Roman warships. It traces the formation of naval tactics and technological breakthroughs responsible for constructing formidable fleets. Keywords: dromon, full deck, skeleton-first, lateen sail

The City and the Sea: Byzantine Naval and Mercantile Policy, 1261-1354

Constantinople is a city largely surrounded by the sea, and ideally positioned to control movement to and from the Black Sea. Yet during the Palaiologan period, the city's rulers never managed to exploit this favourable position, and the history of the Byzantine navy appears to come to an end with its disbandment in 1285. This paper examines why the Byzantines apparently failed to realise Constantinople's potential to command Black Sea trade and whether they did in fact seek to reverse the disastrous decision of 1285. This paper was presented at Leeds IMC 2016 as part of the SPBS sponsored session 'Crossing Cultural and Religious Boundaries, I: Exchange and Conflict in the Black Sea and Asia'.

The Muslim Conquest of Roman Syria, Part Two: The Systemic Failure of the Byzantine Military

In Part One we examined several of the factors which had severely weakened the Byzantines in the century prior to the Arab invasion of Roman Syria. These factors included a series of devastating plagues, severe economic stress and a war-weary military. The Muslim Invasion of Syria (April, 634 CE) The grand military strategy of the Byzantine Empire was designed to be primarily defensive.[1] This defensive plan relied upon the establishment and maintenance of border garrisons along the frontiers of the empire. These border forts were designed to defend strategic strong points and provide vital information regarding enemy troop movements. In theory, as well as previous practice, an enemy that overwhelmed or bypassed one or more of these garrisons would have given the Byzantine military the time necessary to mobilize field forces stationed in the imperial provinces.[2] The prevailing military mindset of the empire prior to this period was that any attack which penetrated into the interior of the empire would eventually be repulsed. Thus, any territories lost to an enemy would be temporary, regionally limited and eventually restored to imperial control.

Byzantine Battleships and Military Transport Vessels along the Hostile Shores

2021

The establishment of the Bulgarian Khanate along the Lower Danube River and the Northern Black Sea coast changed the geo-political situation in the early medieval Southeastern Europe. It is beyond doubt that the Bulgarians did not develop navy or commercial fleets at that time. However, one cannot reveal substantial reserves about the statement that Khan Asparukh' descendants were not completely disadvantaged by their Black Sea coastline that they managed to keep under control due to political and military reasons. This becomes clear if the prolonged series of clashes between Byzantium and Bulgaria in 750s-770s are taken into consideration. Despite an obvious usefulness of the cooperation between land armies and navy squadrons in those endeavors, as well as the nonchallenged Byzantine maritime supremacy along the Black Sea shores, the Imperial navy met substantial difficulties or did not completely accomplish its tasks on many occasions.

«Ex Mari Lux: The development of naval siege warfare in the crusading Levant», Settlement and Crusade in the Thirteenth Century: Multidisciplinary Studies of the Latin East, ed. Gil Fishof, Judith Bronstein and Vardit R. Shotten-Hallel, Abingdon & New York, 2021, chapter 4 pp. 60-68.

Cypriot support. 1 These facts intrigued me to engage with the enhanced naval siege warfare that occurred under Frankish rule, despite the mainly terrestrial dimension of the First Crusade. The logical effects of such warfare cannot be ignored, to the extent that the resistance of Jaffa in 1102 was strengthened by the appearance of the royal banner of Jerusalem on a ship. 2 I refer here to these testimonies as a background to my examination of the strategies adopted to conquer the Levantine harbours at the beginning of the twelfth century. Certain archaeological evidence too offers a fresh perspective on the counter-strategies that the Latins conceived in order to protect the cities of Ṭarṭūs, Acre, and Tyre during the Third Crusade and the War of Saint Sabas. Finally, I shall analyse the maritime rescue operations supervised by the crusaders between the Fatimid siege of Jaffa in 1102 and the fall of Ruad in 1302. The assistance of privateers and Italian fleets explains the promptness of these rescue responses, as well as the success of several operations that benefited from the good weather conditions.

"Had the Arabs Military Skills or Tactics during their Early Conquests of Bilād al-Shām?," East and West: Essays on Byzantine and the Arab Worlds in the Middle Ages, Supplement G of Graeco-Arabica, ed. by J. P. Monferrer- Sala, V. Christides, and Th. Papadopoullos (New Jersey 2009), 71-84.

East and West: Essays on Byzantine and the Arab Worlds in the Middle Ages, Supplement G of Graeco-Arabica, ed. by J. P. Monferrer- Sala, V. Christides, and Th. Papadopoullos (New Jersey 2009), 83-96., 2009

The purpose of this article is not to study the Muslim military organizations or their strategy during their battles against the Byzantines, which were studied by many scholars, but the main aim here is to answer the question: Had the Arabs military skills or tactics during their early conquests of Syria and Palestine, i.e. Bilād al-Shām, which are unclear in the primary sources? This will lead to another questionable point: Were their wars against the Byzantines primitive in their style? And if they were so how did they overcome the armies of Heraclius in Bilād al-Shām?