Battle of Caesarea
Part of the Byzantine-Seljuk wars
Date 1064 Location Armenia, Syria and Anatolia in Asia minor Result Caesarea lost, then recaptured by Byzantines
Combatants
Byzantine Empire	Seljuk Turks
Commanders
Byzantine emperor	Leader of the Seljuk Turks & Sultanate of Rum
Strength
Capable of raising 100,000 troops with theme system	30,000-40,000 of horsemen
Casualties
Unknown	Unknown

The Battle of Caesarea occurred in 1064 when the Seljuk Turks under Alp Arslan attacked Caesarea as part of the wave conquests implemented by him to expand west of Central Asia. Combatants Byzantine Empire Seljuk Turks The Byzantine-Seljuk wars were a series of decisive battles that shifted the balance of power in Asia Minor from the Byzantine Empire to the Seljuk Turks. ... Events Sunset Crater Volcano first erupts. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Anatolia (Greek: ανατολη anatole, rising of the sun or East; compare Orient and Levant, by popular etymology Turkish Anadolu to ana mother and dolu filled), also called by the Latin name of Asia Minor, is a region of Southwest Asia which corresponds today to... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Byzantine Empire at its greatest extent c. ... Image File history File links Buyuk_selcuklu_devleti. ... The Seljuk coat of arms was a double headed eagle The Seljuk Turks (also Seldjuk, Seldjuq, Seljuq; in modern Turkish Selçuklular; in Persian سلجوقيان SaljÅ«qiyān; in Arabic سلجوق SaljÅ«q, or السلاجقة al-Salājiqa) were a major branch of the Oghuz Turks and a dynasty that ruled parts of... This is a list of Byzantine Emperors. ... The Seljuk coat of arms was a double headed eagle The Seljuk Turks (also Seldjuk, Seldjuq, Seljuq; in modern Turkish Selçuklular; in Persian سلجوقيان SaljÅ«qiyān; in Arabic سلجوق SaljÅ«q, or السلاجقة al-Salājiqa) were a major branch of the Oghuz Turks and a dynasty that ruled parts of... The Sultanate of Rûm was a Seljuk sultanate in Anatolia from 1077 to 1307. ... Muhammed ben Daud (1029 – December 15, 1072), the second sultan of the dynasty of Seljuk Turks, in Persia, and great-grandson of Seljuk, the founder of the dynasty. ...

Seljuk advance

Main article in Seljuk dynasty The Seljuqs (also Seldjuk, Seldjuq, Seljuk, sometimes also Seljuq Turks; in modern Turkish Selçuklular; in Persian سلجوقيان Saljūqiyān; in Arabic سلجوق Saljūq, or السلاجقة al-Salājiqa) were a Muslim dynasty of Oghuz Turkic descent[1][2][3][4] that ruled parts of Central Asia and the Middle East...

Ever since the mid 11th century, the Seljuk Turks had from their lands in central asia (the exact where abouts is still debated) advanced into the Middle East, where they met limited opposition, due to the continuing decline of the unity of the Arab factions in the region, and the declining power of the Abbasid caliphate. By the mid 11th century, the Seljuk Turks had deposed the current Abbasid caliphate, with the leader of the Seljuk Turks taking the title for himself. Their expansion into the middle east brought them to the borders of Antioch and Armenia which were under the control of the Byzantine empire. Abbasid (Arabic: العبّاسيّون, Abbāsīyūn) is the dynastic name generally given to the caliph of Baghdad, the second of the two great Sunni dynasties of the Arab Empire, that overthrew the Umayyad caliphs from all but Spain. ... Antioch on the Orontes (Greek: Αντιόχεια η επί Δάφνη, Αντιόχεια η επί Ορόντου or Αντιόχεια η Μεγάλη; Latin: Antiochia ad Orontem, also Antiochia dei Siri), the Great Antioch or Syrian Antioch was an ancient city located on the eastern side (left bank) of the Orontes River about 30 km from the sea and its port, Seleucia Pieria. ... Byzantine Empire at its greatest extent c. ...

Battle

The Byzantine empire had steadily increased in power, with a large army capable of being assembled from their successful theme system. Despite this, the Byzantine empire seemed not to have prepared for this danger, since Seljuk raids had been occurring across Armenia and Caesarea was stormed by the Seljuks in 1064. A Byzantine counter-attack was launched from Antioch. The Byzantine Emperor Romanos IV in 1071 had sent army to Manzikert near Armenia to recapture Manzikert after it had fallen to Alp Arslan. Since the Seljuk Turks had abandoned Manzikert prior to the Battle of Manzikert, it is likely that Caesarea was abandoned too, else the Seljuk would have found themselves out-flankled, something that a steppe peoples such as the Seljuk Turks are known to skillfully avoid. Combatants Byzantine Empire Seljuk Turks Commanders Romanus IV #, Nikephoros Bryennios, Theodore Alyates, Andronikos Doukas Alp Arslan Strength ~ 40,000 [1] ~ 15,000 [2] Casualties ~ 8,000 [3] Unknown The Battle of Manzikert, or The Battle of Malazgirt, was fought between the Byzantine Empire and Seljuk Turkish forces led by Alp...

Legacy

The battle woke the Byzantine empire to the threat of the Seljuk Turks. Though Caesarea was most likely re-captured, no doubt the Seljuk Turks had developed a taste for the lands of the Byzantine empire.

Following Caesarea, the Seljuk Turks made another attempt invading Anatolia, with an assault on Iconium in 1069. The Byzantines laucnhed another counter-attack and the city was not taken by the Seljuks until after the Battle of Manzikert. Tomb of Mevlana Rumi is a popular attraction of Konya. ...