Battle of Ankara

Battle of Ankara
1436 artist · Public domain · source
Conflict	Umayyad–Byzantine frontier conflicts
Date	20 July 716
Place	near Ankara, Anatolia
Result	Byzantine victory
Combatant1	Umayyad Caliphate
Combatant2	Byzantine Empire
Commander1	Maslama ibn Abd al-Malik
Commander2	Anastasius II
Strength1	contemporary Arabic and Greek sources vary
Strength2	contemporary Arabic and Greek sources vary
Casualties1	heavy
Casualties2	light

Battle of Ankara The Battle of Ankara (20 July 716) was a major engagement between forces of the Umayyad Caliphate led by Maslama ibn Abd al-Malik and the armies of the Byzantine Empire commanded by Emperor Anastasius II near Ankara in central Anatolia. The clash formed part of a renewed Umayyad offensive during the reign of Caliph Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik and occurred against a backdrop of simultaneous campaigns across the Levant, Cilicia, and the Aegean Sea. The outcome was a notable Byzantine field victory that interrupted Umayyad strategic momentum and influenced subsequent diplomatic initiatives involving the First Bulgarian Empire, Khazar Khaganate, and various Armenian principalities.

Background

In the early 8th century the Umayyad Caliphate pursued expansion into Byzantine territories, continuing the frontier warfare seen since the era of Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab and Caliph Uthman ibn Affan. The appointment of Maslama ibn Abd al-Malik—a member of the Umayyad family and veteran of campaigns in Armenia and Caucasus—reflected Caliph Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik’s intent to press a decisive campaign into Anatolia and potentially threaten Constantinople. The Byzantine state, recovering from internal crises including the consequences of the Plague of Justinian in earlier centuries and the military reorganization associated with the Theme system, faced pressure from both the Umayyads and northern actors such as the Bulgar Khaganate and Avar Khaganate. Imperial policy under Anastasius II sought to reinforce the Anatolic Theme, secure the interior, and coordinate with regional allies like the Armenian nakharars and the Khazars.

Opposing forces

Umayyad forces were drawn from veteran Syrian regiments tied to garrison cities such as Homs, Damascus, and Aleppo, augmented by units from Egypt and contingents raised in Upper Mesopotamia and the Levant. Maslama’s command leveraged the logistics of Umayyad supply lines radiating from Diyar Mudar and staging points in Cilicia. The Byzantine army was composed of thematic troops from the Anatolic Theme, Opsikion Theme, and allied forces including Armenian and Frankish mercenaries, supplemented by elite tagmata units traditionally stationed near Constantinople. Command structures involved senior strategoi drawn from provincial administrations and the imperial household.

Prelude

Maslama advanced into central Anatolia after securing bases in Cilicia and receiving reinforcements from Syria. Byzantine intelligence, reliant on provincial governors and frontier patrols, detected the incursion and mobilized thematic levies under imperial direction. Diplomatic maneuvering in the months prior saw emissaries exchanged with the Bulgar Khaganate and clandestine contacts between Constantinople and the Khazar Khaganate, aimed at preventing a coordinated Umayyad breakthrough. The converging lines of march brought Maslama’s army toward the plains around Ankara, where Byzantine forces had taken up prepared positions and arranged their tactical deployment.

Battle

Sources describe a pitched engagement on 20 July, with Maslama attempting to use shock cavalry and coordinated infantry columns to break the Byzantine centre. The Byzantines, employing disciplined thematic infantry, the professional tagmata, and well-timed counterattacks, exploited local terrain and supply constraints afflicting the Umayyad army. Commands from the imperial staff coordinated flanking actions and reserve commitments, while Umayyad cohesion suffered from extended supply lines and attrition. The battle culminated in the withdrawal and rout of large portions of Maslama’s force, with chroniclers noting heavy Umayyad casualties and the capture of materiel.

Aftermath and consequences

The immediate consequence was the stabilization of central Anatolia and a halt to the Umayyad offensive for the campaigning season. Maslama retreated to fortified bases in Cilicia and Syria, and the Umayyad Caliphate reassessed frontier priorities. Byzantine prestige rose among neighboring polities; regional governors used the victory to strengthen garrisons in Galatia, Phrygia, and surrounding themes. The outcome also influenced military administration, prompting renewed emphasis on logistics and strategic depth within the thematic system, and affecting recruitment patterns in provincial forces.

Political and diplomatic impact

Politically, the Byzantine victory improved Emperor Anastasius II’s standing at court and with provincial elites, while complicating Umayyad calculations under Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik and his successors. Diplomacy intensified: Byzantium sought alliances with the First Bulgarian Empire, negotiated truces and prisoner exchanges with Umayyad officials, and deepened ties with the Khazars and Armenian princes. The setback contributed to Umayyad strategic shifts that prioritized operations elsewhere, including campaigns across the Straits of Gibraltar and renewed focus on the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa.

Legacy and historiography

Medieval Arabic and Greek chroniclers treated the battle as a significant frontier episode; later historians assessed it variously as a tactical Byzantine success and a strategic check on Umayyad expansion. Modern scholarship situates the engagement within wider 8th-century dynamics involving the 主题 (theme) transformations, the evolution of tagmata, and frontier diplomacy with steppe polities like the Khazars and the Pechenegs. Archaeological surveys around Ankara and comparative study of Byzantine and Umayyad narrative sources continue to refine chronology and force estimates. The battle remains a touchstone in studies of early medieval Anatolia and the long contest between the Byzantine Empire and the Islamic Caliphates.

Category:8th-century battles Category:Byzantine–Arab wars