The Byzantine defeat opened the path for the Abbasid sack of Amorion, one of the most damaging blows in the Arab–Byzantine wars.
Key Facts
- Date
- 22 July 838
- Location
- Dazimon (Anzen), Asia Minor
- Abbasid objective
- Sack of Amorion, one of Byzantium's largest cities
- Key turning point
- Theophilos left his post, causing panic among Byzantine troops
- Decisive factor
- Counterattack by Afshin's Turkish horse-archers
- Outcome for Theophilos
- Surrounded on a hill but escaped
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Abbasid Caliphate launched a massive retaliatory expedition with two separate armies following Byzantine Emperor Theophilos's military successes the previous year. Their strategic aim was to strike deep into Byzantine territory and sack Amorion, one of the empire's largest and most symbolically important cities.
On 22 July 838, Byzantine forces under Theophilos met the smaller Muslim army commanded by the Iranian vassal prince Afshin at Dazimon. Initially superior in numbers, the Byzantines gained the upper hand, but when Theophilos personally led a charge, his departure from his command position sparked panic among his troops. Afshin's Turkish horse-archers then launched a counterattack, routing the Byzantine army. Theophilos and his guard were encircled on a hill but managed to escape.
The Byzantine defeat at Dazimon left the road to Amorion undefended, and the Abbasids sacked the city a few weeks later. This loss was among the most severe setbacks Byzantium experienced during the centuries-long Arab–Byzantine wars, dealing a significant blow to Byzantine prestige and military strength.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Theophilos.
Side B
1 belligerent
Afshin.