Siege_of_Antioch

Siege of Antioch (1084)

It is proposed that this article be deleted because of the following concern:

The siege never happened. The article has been unreferenced for months because there are no reliable sources for this event.

If you can address this concern by improving, copyediting, sourcing, renaming or merging the page, please edit this page and do so. You may remove this message if you improve the article or otherwise object to its deletion for any reason. To avoid confusion, it helps to explain why you object to the deletion, either in the edit summary or on the talk page. If this template is removed, it should not be replaced.

The article may be deleted if this message remains in place for five days. This template was added 2008-11-29 15:48; five days from then is 2008-12-04 15:48.

If you created the article, please don't take offense. Instead, consider improving the article so that it is acceptable according to the deletion policy.

Author(s) notification template: {{subst:prodwarning|Siege of Antioch (1084)|concern = The siege never happened. The article has been unreferenced for months because there are no reliable sources for this event.}} ~~~~

The factual accuracy of this article is disputed.
Please see the relevant discussion on the talk page. (April 2008)

This article does not cite any references or sources.
Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. (April 2008)

Siege of Antioch

Part of the Byzantine-Seljuk wars

Date	1084
Location	Antioch
Result	Seljuks capture Antioch

Belligerents

Byzantine Empire

Great Seljuk Sultanate

Commanders

Byzantine garrison Commander

Malik Shah I

Strength

unknown

Casualties and losses

unknown

v • d • e Byzantine-Seljuk wars

Kapetrou – 1st Manzikert – Caesarea – Iconium – 2nd Manzikert – 1st Nicaea – Antioch – Seljuk Campaigns in the Aegean – 2nd Nicaea – 3rd Nicaea – Philomelion – Campaigns of John I Komnenos – Myriokephalon – Hyelion and Leimocheir – Cotyaeum – Trebizond – Antalya – Battle of Antioch on the Meander

In 1071 the Seljuk Turks, originating from central Asia, had dealt a crushing defeat to the Byzantine Empire at Manzikert. Following the battle, the Turks invaded Asia Minor capturing Nicaea in 1078 as well as the Byzantine lands in Syria. This led to conflicts with the Arab faction that also had interests in Syria, namely the Fatimid dynasty of Egypt.

Antioch

Antioch had been part of the Byzantine Empire ever since it was captured in 969 by the Emperor Nicephorus II Phocas. It had been in the frontline between the Arabs and Byzantines in their wars and, though the Byzantines may have repaired the city, was in a state of decline under Arab rule for more than 200 years. Despite this, whilst Jerusalem had fallen in 1071 and Nicaea in 1078, Antioch was not taken until 1084.

Legacy

The city was important to the Christian world, being the see of one of the 5 Christian Patriarchates (the others being Rome, Constantinople, Jerusalem and Alexandria) and was the Byzantine Empire's strong point in Syria, from which more conquests could have been implemented.

However, the Seljuk Turks held Antioch and Western Syria for only fourteen years before the Crusaders arrived. They took the city after a nine months siege during the First Crusade. Antioch remained the capital of the Latin Principality of Antioch for nearly two centuries and during the reign of the Byzantine Emperor Manuel Comnenus the principality was a Byzantine vassal.