The siege of Claudiopolis was a

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

victory over a Seljuq Turk army in February–March 1179.

Background

After the

annihilation of a Seljuq Turkish army at the

Battle of Hyelion and Leimocheir The Battle of Hyelion and Leimocheir saw the almost complete destruction by the Byzantines of a large Seljuq Turk army. The Seljuq army had been raiding Byzantine territory in the Maeander Valley in Anatolia, and had sacked a number of cities. ...

in 1177, the Byzantines laid waste to Turkish lands along the Meander river. Emperor

Manuel I Komnenos Manuel I Komnenos ( el, Μανουήλ Κομνηνός, translit=Manouíl Komnenos, translit-std=ISO; 28 November 1118 – 24 September 1180), Romanization of Greek, Latinized Comnenus, also called Porphyrogennetos (; "born in the purple"), w ...

drove out Turkish forces encamped near Lakerion and Panasion. A Byzantine attempt to capture the town of Charax failed when the Byzantine commander,

Andronikos Doukas Angelos Andronikos Doukas Angelos ( el, Ἀνδρόνικος Δούκας Ἄγγελος, – before 1185) was a Byzantine aristocrat related to the ruling Komnenos dynasty. During the reign of his cousin, Manuel I Komnenos, he served without ...

, panicked after facing a few Turks in the night and led his entire force in a rout.

Siege

In February 1179, the Turks laid siege to the town of Claudiopolis in northern

Bithynia Bithynia (; Koine Greek: , ''Bithynía'') was an ancient region, kingdom and Roman province in the northwest of Asia Minor (present-day Turkey), adjoining the Sea of Marmara, the Bosporus, and the Black Sea. It bordered Mysia to the southwest, Pa ...

. The Byzantine garrison was prevented from sallying out. The defending forces threatened the emperor with a capitulation unless prompt help arrived, claiming to not have the strength to withstand a siege attack or starvation blockade. Manuel set out for Claudiopolis with an army a day after receiving the message. He proceeded via

Nicomedia Nicomedia (; el, Νικομήδεια, ''Nikomedeia''; modern İzmit) was an ancient Greek city located in what is now Turkey. In 286, Nicomedia became the eastern and most senior capital city of the Roman Empire (chosen by the emperor Diocletia ...

, with only his horse and armor, unburdened by imperial luxuries. The emperor slept little and rested on the ground, earning him the admiration of his men. Upon catching sight of the approaching Byzantine banners and glittering armaments, the surprised Turks turned tail and fled. Manuel did not let up, pursuing them back to their lands.

Aftermath

The Byzantine success demonstrated that the frontier in Anatolia remained intact. Manuel concluded an advantageous peace with the Seljuqs by the end of 1179.

Citations

References

Primary

Secondary

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Claudiopolis Sieges of the Byzantine–Seljuk wars Conflicts in 1179 Sieges involving the Byzantine Empire Sieges involving the Sultanate of Rum 1179 in Asia 1170s in the Byzantine Empire Manuel I Komnenos Byzantine Bithynia