Battle of Myriokephalon
Part of the Byzantine-Seljuk wars
Date September 17, 1176 Location Near Denizli, Turkey Result Seljuk victory
Combatants
Byzantine Empire	Sultanate of Rüm
Commanders
Manuel I Comnenus Baldwin of Antioch † John Cantacuzenus Andronicus Vatatzes †	Kilij Arslan II
Strength
About 25,000 (possibly 50,000?)	70,000
Casualties
Unknown	Unknown

The Battle of Myriokephalon, also known as the Myriocephalum, or Miryakefalon Savaşı in Turkish, was a battle between the Byzantine Empire and the Seljuk Turks in Phrygia on September 17, 1176. 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. ... September 17 is the 260th day of the year (261st in leap years). ... Events May 22 - Murder attempt by the Hashshashin on Saladin near Aleppo Raynald of Chatillon released from prison in Aleppo May 29 - Frederick Barbarossa is defeated in the Battle of Legnano by the Lombard League leading to the pactum Anagninum (the Agreement of Anagni) September 17 - Seljuk Turks defeat Manuel... Denizli is a city in southwestern Turkey. ... 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 Sultanate of Rûm was a Seljuk sultanate in Anatolia from 1077 to 1307. ... Manuel I Comnenus (Greek: Μανουήλ Α ο Κομνηνός; November 28, 1118 – September 24, 1180), was a Byzantine Emperor of the 12th century who reigned over a crucial turning point in the history of Byzantium and the Mediterranean. ... The Principality of Antioch (in red) within the frame of the Crusader states. ... Izz ad-Din Kılıj Arslan II (also Qïlïch Arslan; died in 1192) was a Seljuk sultan of Rüm. ... Byzantine Empire at its greatest extent c. ... 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... Location of Phrygia - traditional region (yellow) - expanded kingdom (orange line) In antiquity, Phrygia (Greek: ) was a kingdom in the west central part of the Anatolian Highland, part of modern Turkey. ... September 17 is the 260th day of the year (261st in leap years). ... Events May 22 - Murder attempt by the Hashshashin on Saladin near Aleppo Raynald of Chatillon released from prison in Aleppo May 29 - Frederick Barbarossa is defeated in the Battle of Legnano by the Lombard League leading to the pactum Anagninum (the Agreement of Anagni) September 17 - Seljuk Turks defeat Manuel...

Background

Manuel I Comnenus had been at peace with Kilij Arslan II, the Seljuk Sultan of Rüm, during the 1170s. It was a fragile peace, however, as the Seljuks wanted to push westwards, further into Asia Minor, while the Byzantines wanted to push eastwards to recover territory they had lost since the Battle of Manzikert one hundred years earlier. Manuel was able to recover Cilicia and impose his authority over the Crusader Principality of Antioch, and was also aided by the fact that the emir of Aleppo, Nur ad-Din, died in 1174; his successor Saladin was concerned more with Egypt than the territory bordering the Empire, so the Seljuks were left without a strong ally. In 1175 the peace fell apart when Kilij Arslan refused to return territory he had conquered from their common enemy the Danishmends. Manuel I Comnenus (Greek: Μανουήλ Α ο Κομνηνός; November 28, 1118 – September 24, 1180), was a Byzantine Emperor of the 12th century who reigned over a crucial turning point in the history of Byzantium and the Mediterranean. ... Izz ad-Din Kılıj Arslan II (also Qïlïch Arslan; died in 1192) was a Seljuk sultan of Rüm. ... Sultan (Arabic: سلطان) is an Islamic title, with several historical meanings. ... The Sultanate of Rûm was a Seljuk sultanate in Anatolia from 1077 to 1307. ... Centuries: 11th century - 12th century - 13th century Decades: 1120s 1130s 1140s 1150s 1160s - 1170s - 1180s 1190s 1200s 1210s 1220s Years: 1170 1171 1172 1173 1174 1175 1176 1177 1178 1179 Events and Trends 1170 - Thomas à Becket assassinated 1171 - Saladin abolishes the Fatimid caliphate, restoring Sunni rule in Egypt. ... 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... 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... Cilicia as Roman province, 120 AD In Antiquity, Cilicia (Κιλικία) was the name of a region, now known as Çukurova, and often a political unit, on the southeastern coast of Asia Minor (modern Turkey), north of Cyprus. ... This article is about the medieval crusades. ... The Principality of Antioch (in red) within the frame of the Crusader states. ... Aleppo (or Halab Arabic: , ) is a city in northern Syria, capital of the Aleppo Governorate. ... al-Malik al-Adil Nur ad-Din Abu al-Qasim Mahmud Ibn Imad ad-Din Zangi (1118 – May 15, 1174), also known as Nur ed-Din, Nur al-Din, etc. ... Events Vietnam is given the official name of Annam by China. ... Artistic representation of Saladin. ... Events Ruaidri Ua Conchobair (Rory OConner), last High King of Ireland, submits to Henry II as vassal of Ireland with the Treaty of Windsor Ly Cao Ton becomes ruler of Vietnam William of Tyre becomes archbishop of Tyre Massacre of Abergavenny ends with several noblemen dead at the hands... The Danishmend dynasty was a Turcoman dynasty ruling in eastern Anatolia in the 11th and 12th centuries. ...

The march

Manuel gathered an army, supposedly so large that it spread across ten miles, and marched towards the border with the Seljuks. Arslan tried to negotiate but Manuel was convinced of his superiority and rejected a new peace. He sent part of the army under Andronicus Vatatzes towards Amasia while his larger force marched towards the Seljuk capital at Iconium. Both routes lay on a heavily wooded route, where the Turks could easily hide and set up ambushes; the army moving towards Amasia was destroyed in one such ambush, and Turkish envoys brought Andronicus's head. Konya (also Koniah, Konieh, Konia, and Qunia; historically known as Iconium) is a city in Turkey, on the central plateau of Anatolia. ...

The Turks also destroyed crops and poisoned water supplies to make Manuel's march more difficult. Arslan harassed the Byzantine army in order to force it into the Meander valley, and specifically the mountain pass near the fortress of Myriokephalon. There, Manuel decided to attack, despite the danger from further ambushes, and also despite the fact that he could have attempted to bring the Turks out of their positions to fight them on the nearby plain of Philomelion- the site of an earlier victory won by his grandfather Alexios. The Maeander River is the classical Latin name for the Büyük Menderes River in southwestern Turkey. ...

The battle

At this point Manuel had about 25,000 men, although he may have had as many as 50,000. This included a force from the Principality of Antioch. The troops were divided into a vanguard of infantry, and cavalry, archers, and other infantry following behind them; the right wing led by Baldwin of Antioch and the Byzantine left wing was led by John Cantacuzenus. The rear was commanded by Andronicus Vatatzes. Arslan may have had about the same number of troops, but the exact number is unknown. The Byzantine vanguard was the first to encounter Arslan's troops, and made it through the pass with few casualties, as the Turks were apparently not finished setting up their positions. By the time the vanguard reached the end of the pass the rear was just about to enter; this allowed the Turks to almost completely trap them. The Turks attacked the right wing first, inflicting heavy casualties, including Baldwin. Infantry of the Royal Irish Rifles during the Battle of the Somme in World War I. Infantry are soldiers who fight primarily on foot with small arms in organized military units, though they may be transported to the battlefield by horses, ships, automobiles, skis, or other means. ... Soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback in combat are commonly known as cavalry (from French cavalerie). ...

Manuel felt he could do little but watch the slaughter from his position, but eventually gathered his troops and headed back into the pass to drive off the Seljuks. This he accomplished, and the rearguard was able to finish their march with fewer casualties than the right and left wings had suffered. As night fell, Manuel fortified his position and defended it from Turkish archery attacks, which lasted for some time until the Turks withdrew.

Outcome

Both sides suffered moderate casualties, and Manuel's siege equipment had been captured and destroyed. The Byzantines, without any means of attacking Iconium, were now no longer in a position to continue the campaign. However, Seljuk Sultan Kilij Arslan II was keen for peace to be restored as soon as possible. Therefore Manuel and his army were allowed to leave on condition that Manuel should remove his forts and armies on the frontier at Dorylaeum and Siblia. However since the Sultan had already failed to keep his side of an earlier treaty, signed following a Byzantine victory in 1162, Manuel had no intention of keeping to the terms of this new arrangement. Dorylaeum was an ancient city in Anatolia. ... Events June 3 - Thomas Becket consecrated as Archbishop of Canterbury. ...

Manuel himself compared the defeat to Manzikert, and like Manzikert, it seems to have become a legendary disaster; in reality, although a defeat, it did not significantly ruin the Byzantine army, which was fighting in Asia Minor the next year. The army was quickly repaired, and a new campaign recaptured some territory in 1177. Manuel continued to meet the Seljuks in smaller battles with some success, until he died in 1180. Manzikert (in Turkish Malazgirt) is a town in MuÅŸ in eastern Turkey, with a population of 23 697 (year 2000) (??of 68 990). ... 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... Events November 25 - Baldwin IV of Jerusalem and Raynald of Chatillon defeat Saladin at the Battle of Montgisard. ... Events April 13 - Frederick Barbarossa issues the Gelnhausen Charter November 18 - France Emperor Antoku succeds Emperor Takakura as emperor of Japan Afonso I of Portugal is taken prisoner by Ferdinand II of Leon Artois is annexed by France Prince Mochihito amasses a large army and instigates the Genpei War between...

However, like Manzikert, the balance between the two powers began to gradually shift - Manuel never again attacked the Turks and, after his death, they began to move further and further west, deeper into Byzantine territory.

Myriokephalon had more of a psychological impact than a military impact, as it proved that the Empire still could not defeat the Seljuks despite the advances made during Manuel's reign. Essentially, the problem was that Manuel had allowed himself to be distracted by a series of adventures in Italy and Egypt, instead of dealing with the more pressing issue of the Turks. This had given the Sultan many years in which to eliminate his rivals, enabling him to build up a force capable of facing the Byzantine army in the field. Without the years required to build up this Seljuk force, the battle could never have even taken place. Furthermore, during the campaign Manuel made several serious tactical errors, such as failing to properly scout out the route ahead and failing to take the advice of his senior officers. These failings caused him to lead his forces straight into a classic ambush.

After Manuel's death the empire drifted into anarchy, and it was never again in a position to mount a major offensive in the east. Thus, ultimately the defeat marked the end of Byzantine attempts to recover the Anatolian plateau, which was now lost to the empire forever.

References

• John Haldon, The Byzantine Wars
• Warren Treadgold, A History of the Byzantine State and Society