This is a list of the wars or external conflicts fought during the history of the Eastern Roman or Byzantine Empire (395–1453). For internal conflicts see the list of Byzantine revolts and civil wars.

For conflicts of the Ancient Roman Kingdom, Republic and Empire see the: List of Roman wars and battles.


5th century and earlier

6th century

The empire in 555 under Justinian the Great, at its greatest extent since the fall of the Western Roman Empire (its vassals in pink)

7th century

By 650 the Empire had lost all its southern provinces, except the Exarchate of Africa, to the Rashidun Caliphate. At the same time the Slavs invaded and settled in the Balkans. The losses continued in the next century

The Eastern Roman emperor Heraclius adopted the Greek language as official language in 610. Constantinople's territorial control shrunk to Greece and Anatolia, because of Persian, Avar and finally Arab invasions. Due to these changing circumstances, the reign of Heraclius is often regarded as the turning point from which historiography stops calling it the "Eastern Roman Empire", and starts speaking of the "Byzantine Empire".[1]

  • 602–628: Byzantine–Sasanian War of 602–628: last Roman/Byzantine–Persian/Sasanian warfare.
  • 626: Avar–Sasanian siege of Constantinople.[1]
  • 633–642: Beginning of the early Muslim conquests. The Rashidun Caliphate conquered Syria (634–638) and Egypt (639–642).
  • 645–656: Renewed war with the Caliphate, loss of Cyprus and most of Armenia. The Rashidun advance towards Constantinople halted following the outbreak of the First Fitna.
  • 647–709: Umayyad conquest of North Africa.
  • 668–678: Renewed attacks on the Byzantine Empire by Muawiyah I, leading to the First Arab Siege of Constantinople. Following its failure, a truce was agreed, providing for payment of tribute, men and horses to the Empire.
  • 676–678: Siege of Thessalonica by the local Slavic tribes.
  • 680–681: Constantine IV's campaign against 680–681: Constantine IV's campaign against the Bulgar khan Asparukh ends in defeat, forcing the Empire to recognize the establishment of the First Bulgarian Empire in Moesia.[2]
  • 686–688: Successful Byzantine offensive established Byzantine control over Armenia and Caucasian Iberia, followed by favourable peace agreement with the Umayyad Caliphate, in return for the withdrawal of the Mardaites into the Empire.
  • 688–689: Balkan campaign of Justinian II secured the coast between Thrace and Macedonia. Many Slavs were captured and resettled in imperial territory. Over 30,000 were incorporated into the Byzantine army.
  • 689: Justinian II leads his army into Syria when Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan stops the payment of tributes due to Mardaites raids. Approximately 12,000 Mardaites are deported to the Empire. Peace is re-established and tributes resumed.
  • 692–718: Almost constant war with the Arabs in various fronts. The defeat at the Battle of Sebastopolis and internal instability led to the gradual loss of Armenia and Cilicia, and despite some successes by Emperor Heraclius, the Byzantines generally maintained a defensive stance against the annual Arab raids into Anatolia. Carthage fell in 697. Recovered soon after, it was again lost in 698, marking the end of Byzantine North Africa. From 712 on, the Arab raids penetrated ever deeper into Anatolia, with the final objective of mounting an assault on Constantinople itself. The repulsion of the Second Arab Siege of Constantinople (717–718) was a major Byzantine success. Consider to be one of history's most important battles, the victory halted Muslim advance into Southeastern Europe for centuries.

8th century

  • 708: War with Bulgaria ends in defeat at Anchialus.
  • 720–740 : Annual Arab raiding expeditions (ṣawā'if) against Byzantine Anatolia resume. Stiffening Byzantine resistance leads to the victory at Akroinon at 740.
  • 741–752: Campaigns of Constantine V against the Arabs, who were embroiled in civil war, leading to the recovery of all of Armenia and Cyprus.
  • 755–767: War with the Bulgars. Constantine V defeats the Bulgar khan Telets, leading to the conclusion of a favourable peace treaty in 767.
  • 772–775: War with the Bulgars under Telerig, launched as a pre-emptive strike by Constantine V.
  • 775–783: War with the Abbasids. After the death of Constantine V in 775, Arab raids resumed. After a heavy defeat at Germanicopolis in 779/780, the Abbasids launched a series of major invasions under Harun al-Rashid, which led to the conclusion of a truce in 783.
  • 780–783: Raids by the Bulgars under Kardam, leading to an agreement of non-aggression in exchange for annual payments.
  • 783: Expedition of Staurakios against the Sclaviniae of Greece.
  • 791–792 and 796: Campaigns against the Bulgarians under Constantine VI end in defeat at the Battle of Marcellae.
  • 797–798: Large-scale invasion by Harun al-Rashid leads to the resumption of annual payments to the Caliphate in return for peace.

9th century

  • 803–809: War with the Abbasids, resulting from Nikephoros I's cessation of annual tribute payments. The Arabs under Harun al-Rashid achieved significant early successes, but the outbreak of a revolt in Khorasan facilitated a Byzantine counter-offensive in 807–809. A truce in 809 restored the territorial status quo.
  • 808–816: Wars with the Bulgars, beginning with the Bulgarian capture of Sofia. A large-scale retaliatory campaign ended in the disastrous battle of Pliska (811), following which Krum of Bulgaria raided Eastern Thrace and secured a major victory at Versinikia. Following his death in 814, Leo V the Armenian defeated the Bulgars at Mesembria and secured a 30-year peace.
  • 827–902: Muslim conquest of Sicily.
  • 830–841: War with the Abbasids, with large-scale invasions launched by caliphs al-Ma'mun and al-Mu'tasim. Despite a crushing defeat at the Battle of Dazimon and the sack of Amorium in 838, Emperor Theophilos was able to conclude a truce in 841 without territorial losses, although raids by the Muslim border emirates continued.
  • 830s: Rus' raid in Paphlagonia.
  • ca. 844–878: Wars with the Paulicians of Tephrike end with the destruction of the Paulician state and its incorporation into the Empire.
  • 851–863: War with the Abbasids and their clients. Successful Byzantine raids in Syria, Mesopotamia and Egypt are checked by a series of Muslim invasions of Anatolia in 860. Another invasion in 863 sees the complete annihilation of the Muslim army at the Battle of Lalakaon.
  • 860: Rus' raid against Constantinople.
  • 852, 855–856: Short wars with Bulgaria, ending in the recovery of several cities in northern Thrace.
  • 871–885: Campaigns led by Basil I in person against northern Mesopotamia (871–873) are followed by a series of expeditions against the Muslims in Sicily and Southern Italy. The final loss of Sicily could not be averted, but the Arabs are driven from Southern Italy and Dalmatia, laying the foundations of the Catepanate of Italy.
  • 894–896/897: War with Bulgaria under Tsar Simeon erupts over trade rights. It ends with a Bulgarian victory after the Battle of Bulgarophygon. The Byzantines agree to pay tribute and restore the market for Bulgarian goods to Constantinople.

10th century

11th century

12th century

13th century

14th century

15th century

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "zevende eeuw". Encarta Encyclopedie Winkler Prins (in Dutch). Microsoft Corporation/Het Spectrum. 2002.
  2. ↑ Ziemann, Daniel. (2019) Das erste Bulgarische Reich: Eine frühmittelalterliche Großmacht zwischen Byzanz und dem Abendland. In: Handbuch zur Geschichte Südosteuropas v. 1, p. 601-638.

Sources

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