Siege of Tortosa (808–809)
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The siege of Tortosa was a military campaign by King
Louis the Pious Louis the Pious (german: Ludwig der Fromme; french: Louis le Pieux; 16 April 778 – 20 June 840), also called the Fair, and the Debonaire, was King of the Franks and co-emperor with his father, Charlemagne, from 813. He was also King of Aqui ...
of
Aquitaine Aquitaine ( , , ; oc, Aquitània ; eu, Akitania; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Aguiéne''), archaic Guyenne or Guienne ( oc, Guiana), is a historical region of southwestern France and a former administrative region of the country. Since 1 January ...
in 808–809. It was part of a decade of intense activity by Louis against the
Umayyad Emirate The Umayyad Caliphate (661–750 CE; , ; ar, ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة, al-Khilāfah al-ʾUmawīyah) was the second of the four major caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. The caliphate was ruled by the ...
in the region of the lower
Ebro , name_etymology = , image = Zaragoza shel.JPG , image_size = , image_caption = The Ebro River in Zaragoza , map = SpainEbroBasin.png , map_size = , map_caption = The Ebro ...
. The chronology of his campaigns, which must be worked out from both
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
and
Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
sources, is subject to different interpretations. The siege was begun in 808 by Ingobert, Louis arriving the following year with a larger army and siege train. The earliest reference to
trebuchet A trebuchet (french: trébuchet) is a type of catapult that uses a long arm to throw a projectile. It was a common powerful siege engine until the advent of gunpowder. The design of a trebuchet allows it to launch projectiles of greater weigh ...
s in western Europe is made in connection with this siege. Louis failed to take Tortosa or force its surrender, but he may have received a formal submission before retiring to his own kingdom. The Arabic sources present him as defeated by a relieving force, while at least one Latin source suggests that the walls were in fact breached.


Background and first siege

The siege of Tortosa was part of a decade of intense activity by Louis against the Umayyads in the region of
Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy. Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the north ...
. Following Louis's capture of Barcelona in 801, the southern boundary of Carolingian dominion was the river
Llobregat The Llobregat () is the second longest river in Catalonia, Spain, after the Ter. It flows into the Mediterranean south of the city of Barcelona. Its name could have originated in an ancient Latin word meaning 'dark', 'sorrowful' or 'muddy', or ...
, while the northern boundary of the Umayyads was the Ebro. The land between became a violent and depopulated frontier zone. Tortosa was the most important Umayyad fortification on this frontier and effectively the furthest Umayyad outpost in Catalonia.Viguera, "Ṭurṭūsha", in . The chronology of Louis's campaigns is confusing and has led to different reconstructions. The ''
Vita Hludovici ''Vita Hludovici'' or ''Vita Hludovici Imperatoris'' (The Life of Louis or the Life of the Emperor Louis) is an anonymous biography of Louis the Pious, Holy Roman Emperor and King of the Franks from AD 814 to 840. Author The work was written ...
'', a
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
biography of Louis, describes three campaigns against Tortosa. The Muslim
Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
chroniclers
Ibn ʿIdhārī Abū al-ʽAbbās Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn ʽIḏārī al-Marrākushī ( ar, أبو العباس أحمد ابن عذاري المراكشي) was a Moroccan historian of the late-13th/early-14th century, and author of the famous '' Al-Bayan al- ...
and
al-Maqqarī Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad al-Maqqarī al-Tilmisānī (or al-Maḳḳarī) (), (1577-1632) was an Algerian scholar, biographer and historian who is best known for his , a compendium of the history of Al-Andalus which provided a basis for the scholar ...
note two Carolingian attacks on Tortosa in the period AH 192–193 (807–809). The campaigns are also mentioned in
Ibn Khaldūn Ibn Khaldun (; ar, أبو زيد عبد الرحمن بن محمد بن خلدون الحضرمي, ; 27 May 1332 – 17 March 1406, 732-808 AH) was an Arab The Historical Muhammad', Irving M. Zeitlin, (Polity Press, 2007), p. 21; "It is, of ...
's ''al-ʿIbar'' and Ibn Saʿīd's ''al-Mughrib''. Louis first laid siege to Tortosa sometime between 802 and 807. This attack is not mentioned in the Muslim sources. During the campaign, Louis sent a detachment under Adhemar,
Isembard Isembard, also spelled Isembart, Isembert or Isambard, may refer to: *Isembard (vassal of Charlemagne), a leader of the ''Reconquista'' campaign of 805 *Isembard, Count of Autun (floruit 850–59), Burgundian nobleman and count of Autun *Isembart d ...
,
Bera Bera may refer to: Acronyms * Bioelectric recognition assay, a method in electrophysiology * Botswana Energy Regulatory Authority, an energy regulatory body in Botswana * Brainstem evoked response audiometry, a screening test to monitor for heari ...
and
Borrell Borrell () is a common surname in modern Catalan language, and was also a given name in the past. It can refer to: * Alfons Borrell i Palazón (born 1931), Catalan painter * Andrea Borrell (born 1963), Cuban basketball player * Borrell of Ausona ( ...
to raid across the Ebro and
Cinca Neonatal-onset multisystem inflammatory disease is a rare genetic periodic fever syndrome which causes uncontrolled inflammation in multiple parts of the body starting in the newborn period. Symptoms include skin rashes, severe arthritis, and chr ...
. Over the course of twenty days, they sacked Villa Rubea, ravaged the countryside and defeated a Muslim army before rejoining the main army, whereupon Louis lifted his siege and returned to Aquitaine. He does not appear to have seriously invested the city. There is no record of the use of siege engines.
Tarragona Tarragona (, ; Phoenician: ''Tarqon''; la, Tarraco) is a port city located in northeast Spain on the Costa Daurada by the Mediterranean Sea. Founded before the fifth century BC, it is the capital of the Province of Tarragona, and part of Tar ...
was attacked and possibly even captured on this campaign.


Campaign of 808–809

A second attack was launched against Tortosa in 808. Louis did not lead it personally. The Emperor
Charles Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*k ...
sent his own ''
vassus A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerain. W ...
'' and '' missus'', Ingobert, to begin the siege, while Adhemar and Bera again launched raids across the Ebro. The raiders' presence was detected by horse dung floating down the Ebro from their position upriver. They nonetheless managed to sack an Umayyad camp and defeated an army sent by ʿAbdūn, the ''
wālī ''Wāli'', ''Wā'lī'' or ''vali'' (from ar, والي ''Wālī'') is an administrative title that was used in the Muslim World (including the Caliphate and Ottoman Empire) to designate governors of administrative divisions. It is still in us ...
'' (governor) of Tortosa, before going home with substantial loot. Ingobert, however, continued the siege through the winter. Louis led a third campaign against Tortosa in 809. He brought Aquitanian reinforcements and equipment to Ingobert's ongoing siege. Further reinforcements under the command of Heribert were sent by Charles from
Francia Francia, also called the Kingdom of the Franks ( la, Regnum Francorum), Frankish Kingdom, Frankland or Frankish Empire ( la, Imperium Francorum), was the largest post-Roman barbarian kingdom in Western Europe. It was ruled by the Franks dur ...
proper. Isembard and Count Liutard of Fezensac were also present.''V.Hlud.'', §16, in . Liutard may have brought with him a contingent of
Basques The Basques ( or ; eu, euskaldunak ; es, vascos ; french: basques ) are a Southwestern European ethnic group, characterised by the Basque language, a common culture and shared genetic ancestry to the ancient Vascones and Aquitanians. Bas ...
. The main accounts of the siege operations and outcome, in the ''Vita Hludovici'' and the ''
Annales regni Francorum The ''Royal Frankish Annals'' (Latin: ''Annales regni Francorum''), also called the ''Annales Laurissenses maiores'' ('Greater Lorsch Annals'), are a series of annals composed in Latin in the Carolingian Francia, recording year-by-year the state ...
'', do not exactly match: The "covered sheds" in the ''Vita'''s description of Louis siege works refers to mobile shelters used to protect soldiers from projectiles. The reference to
mangonel The mangonel, also called the traction trebuchet, was a type of trebuchet used in Ancient China starting from the Warring States period, and later across Eurasia by the 6th century AD. Unlike the later counterweight trebuchet, the mangonel opera ...
s is the first in Western Europe. The stone-throwing machine in question, long known in the
Byzantine Empire 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 ...
, was the
traction trebuchet The mangonel, also called the traction trebuchet, was a type of trebuchet used in Ancient China starting from the Warring States period, and later across Eurasia by the 6th century AD. Unlike the later counterweight trebuchet, the mangonel operat ...
. Louis's siege, his personal presence before Tortosa, lasted forty days. Although some historians read the ''Vita'' as saying that Louis succeeded in breaching the walls, most agree that he simply accepted a formal act of submission and retired. Some later Muslims sources report a different outcome. The caliph's son and heir, the future
ʿAbd al-Raḥmān II Abd ar-Rahman II () (792–852) was the fourth ''Umayyad'' Emir of Córdoba in al-Andalus from 822 until his death. A vigorous and effective frontier warrior, he was also well known as a patron of the arts. Abd ar-Rahman was born in Toledo, the ...
, along with the commander of the Upper March, ʿAmrūs ibn Yūsuf, is said to have led a relief force that rescued the city. According to
Ibn Ḥayyān Abū Marwān Ḥayyān ibn Khalaf ibn Ḥusayn ibn Ḥayyān al-Qurṭubī () (987–1075), usually known as Ibn Hayyan, was a Muslim historian from Al-Andalus. Born at Córdoba, his father was an important official at the court of the Andalusi ...
, "the polytheists ererouted and many Franks annihilated." Al-Maqqarī also reports a Frankish defeat.


Aftermath

Following the failure to take Tortosa by force, there was an attack on
Huesca Huesca (; an, Uesca) is a city in north-eastern Spain, within the autonomous community of Aragon. It is also the capital of the Spanish province of the same name and of the comarca of Hoya de Huesca. In 2009 it had a population of 52,059, almo ...
in 810. Both failed. The siege of the latter was undertaken by Heribert on Charles's behalf, but he appears to have had insufficient troops. After the failure at Huesca, a treaty was negotiated with the Umayyads in 811. The frontier north of the Ebro became stable for several centuries.; : "the frontier of 801 remained essentially unchanged in this area for the next 300 years"; : "thus ending the enterprise of establishing the frontier at the Ebro".


Notes


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * *Viguera, M. J. (2000)
"Ṭarrakūna"
(pp. 303–304) an
"Ṭurṭūsha"
(pp. 738–739). In * {{DEFAULTSORT:Siege of Tortosa (808-809) 809
Tortosa Tortosa (; ) is the capital of the ''Catalonia/Comarques, comarca'' of Baix Ebre, in Catalonia, Spain. Tortosa is located at above sea level, by the Ebro river, protected on its northern side by the mountains of the Cardó Massif, of which Buin ...
Tortosa Tortosa (; ) is the capital of the ''Catalonia/Comarques, comarca'' of Baix Ebre, in Catalonia, Spain. Tortosa is located at above sea level, by the Ebro river, protected on its northern side by the mountains of the Cardó Massif, of which Buin ...
Tortosa Tortosa (; ) is the capital of the ''Catalonia/Comarques, comarca'' of Baix Ebre, in Catalonia, Spain. Tortosa is located at above sea level, by the Ebro river, protected on its northern side by the mountains of the Cardó Massif, of which Buin ...