The Emperor Theophilos and the East, 829–842 by Signes Codoñer Juan

Author:Signes Codoñer, Juan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Taylor & Francis (CAM)
Published: 2014-07-14T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

The Second Triumph of Theophilos in 837

16.1 Michael the Syrian on the Campaign of 837

Michael the Syrian preserves the fullest account of Theophilos’ campaign of 837.1 The chronicler gives as ultimate cause for the campaign the arrival of most of the Khurramite rebels, Naṣr included, at Byzantium, where they became Christians. With their help Theophilos felt confident enough to undertake a major campaign against the Arabs. He first sent messengers to the Great Armenia to exact a tribute, threatening invasion and destruction in case of a refusal. As the Armenians did not have troops at their disposal, they complied and paid. As a consequence, Theophilos thought that everything would happen according to his wishes.

It is difficult to assess whether this short account is a faint echo of the campaigns led by Theophilos and the Khurramites in Armenia in the years before 837 that we considered in previous chapters. However, it appears that Theophilos first tried his hand at the Armenians and only afterwards ventured on a large-scale invasion of Arab territory. This comes next in the account of Michael the Syrian. I translate the passage from the French version by Chabot:

In the summer of 1148 [of the Seleucid era, i.e. 837] Theophilos marched anew against Zubara. When the barbarians took it, they slaughtered without mercy the Christians and the Jews. Their ferocity went so far that they raped and disembowelled the women.

After they had sacked and burnt down the city, they went to the region of Melitene, to which they set fire and where they also took prisoners. They sent absolutely all of the prisoners to the Land of the Romans.

They went over to Hanazi and to the region of Arsamosata. They laid siege to this city. The aiyayê [i.e., the Arabs] who were inside, and as they had heard about the slaughter in Zubara, were seized by fright and compelled either to pay tribute to the Romans or to leave the city and take flight, for no rescue was sent to them as the Persians were busy with the war against Bābak and were angry with Abū Isāq, who had levied taxes upon them.

The hatred of the aiyayê against us the other Christians increased because of the expedition of the Romans and they would have killed us had they not been told that the Christians of Zubara had been sacked by the Romans.

In particular the Christians of Edessa were suffering because of a bold man of the same Edessa, called Shamuna, who went to serve the Romans and encouraged them to make the aiyayê perish.

While the Romans laid siege to Arsamosata, one group of the Arabs Rabī‘ayē [an Arab tribe]2 and the people of Melitene gathered to fight them. The aiyayē were defeated and four thousand died among them.

The Romans took and burnt down Arsamosata and went over to the region of Armenia, taking prisoners and setting fire. They left soon and pitched their camp near Melitene. Theophilos ordered its inhabitants: “If you do not open the gates

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