Maniakes' Misadventure

SPECIAL Maniakes' forces land on Sicily and drive off the Arab defenders. MANIAKES' MISADVENTURE THE INVASION OF SICILY IN 1038 Maniakes descended on those districts in full force. No military stratagem was left untried, and it was clear that he would drive out the conquerors and check their inroads – if all else failed, then he would do it with his own hands. – Michael Psellos By Giovanni Amatuccio 6 Medieval Warfare VIII-2 y the summer of 1038, the Mediterranean his appearance and the barbarians, to a man, island of Sicily was in chaos. Civil war had lived in dread of him, some because they had broken out in the months and years before, seen and marvelled, others because they had although the sources are not clear on what heard frightful tales of his prowess. exactly had happened. According to Greek accounts, the Emir of Sicily, Ahmad al-Akhal, Maniakes led a multi-ethnic army composed of was challenged by his brother, and had Macedons, 500 Armenian infantrymen, an unde- reached out the Byzantine Empire for assistance. fined number of thematic regular troops and mi- BMeanwhile, the rebellious faction had gained the litias from Calabria and Puglia (konteratoi) under support of the Zirid dynasty based in North Africa. the command of Patrician Michael Sfrondeles, and The Zirids arrived first, and while besieged in 300 cavalrymen led by Katakalon Kekaumenos. the city of Palermo, Emir al-Akhal was murdered. The army included Paulician troops – the “Mani- However, the Zirids were also driven away from the chean Tagma” mentioned in successive sources. In city, and the island was left devoid of political cohe- effect, the Paulicians were a heretic Manichean sect sion. For the Byzantine forces, this crushed by imperial troops in presented an opportunity. In the There was nothing the ninth century, who later settled as a military colony ninth and tenth centuries Sicily soft or agreeable had been conquered from them in Thracia and Anatolia but by Muslim armies, and the Empire about the appearance were employed on several had a long memory. It was time of Maniakes. As a matter occasions in Southern Italy. for them “to recover this province of fact, he was more like Furthermore, under his for the Romans.” a fiery whirlwind, with a flag fought a detachment The leader of the expedition voice of thunder and hands of the Varangian Guard, was the Prôtospatharios Georgios strong enough to composed of Russians and Maniakes, appointed by the Em- make walls totter and Scandinavian Vikings, led peror Michael IV the Paphlagonian by the legendary Haraldr shake gates of brass. with the title of Strategos Autocra- “ Sigurðarson, who was tor (commander-in-chief), while known by his nickname the command of the fleet was entrusted to patrician hardrádi, meaning ‘the severe’ or ‘the stern’. Stephan, brother-in-law of Emperor Michael. Ma- This is the same Harald who would go on be- niakes was already distinguished as a skilled com- come the king of Norway and then lose his life mander, having captured the Syrian city of Edessa in at the Battle of Stamford Bridge when trying to 1031. The sources tell of a man of gigantic stature, conquer England in1066. However, in 1038 he rude character, and tyrannical attitude towards his was a still a young man, probably his early 20s, men. The Byzantine historian Michael Psellos, who looking for” opportunities for fame and money. says he saw him in person, offers this description: In addition to the Byzantine troops, in Mani- akes’ army there was a large contingent provided by He stood ten feet high and men who saw him had to look up as if at a hill or the sum- the Lombard prince of Salerno, Guaimar IV, who, mit of a mountain. There was nothing soft or solicited directly by the Emperor, had sent about agreeable about the appearance of Maniakes. 500 men led by a Lombard nobleman, Arduin. As a matter of fact, he was more like a fiery About 200 of them were Lombard troops and the whirlwind, with a voice of thunder and hands remaining 300 were Normans. The latter group had strong enough to make walls totter and shake been present in Southern Italy for the previous 20 gates of brass. He had the quick movement of years or so, serving as mercenaries for the Lombards a lion and the scowl on his face was terrible to or the Byzantines. The Normans were led by Wil- behold. Everything else about the man was in harmony with these traits and just what you would expect. Rumour exaggerated Maniakes' men chase after fleeing Arab cavalry. Medieval Warfare VIII-2 7 liam of Hauteville, called ‘Iron-Arm’, who had ar- caught small birds that nested in the city rived in the region the previous year with the two and flew to the forest in the daytime to brothers Drogo and Umfrid, part of a new Norman find food for themselves. Haraldr had wave flocking to strengthen the ranks of Rainulf pine shavings tied to the backs of the Drengot – the newly-created Count of Aversa – and birds and poured wax and sulphur on they stood at the service of the prince of Salerno. them and had them set on fire. The events of the expedition are narrated by Byzantine sources, by the Norman chroniclers of The birds flew, as soon as they were freed, all Southern Italy, and in Scandinavian sources such into the city at once to see their young and as the Heimskringla. From fragmented evidences, their homes, which they had in the thatches it is not easy to reconstruct the detailed events of houses, where they were thatched with of the military campaign, and in the sources, the reeds or straw. Then the fire from the birds hagiographic aspect of the description of the he- got into the thatches of the houses. And roes’ actions prevails. though each one was carry- We do know that, having Thanks to the non- ing a small amount of fire, it landed at Messina and con- soon grew into a large fire, chalance and in- quered that city, the Greeks when a lot of birds carried it tried to attack the nearby gar- eptitude of the com- to the thatches in many parts rison of Rometta, which was manders, those cities that of the city, and the next thing blocking the way to Palermo. had been previously subju- was that one building after Here the island’s defenders gated rose up in rebellion another caught fire until the concentrated a great number and the Greeks were forced city was in flames. Then all of men. We know very little back to Messina, and the people went out of the about the battle, but the Byz- eventually had to city and begged for mercy, the antines won with serious losses very same ones that previous- abandon Sicily again. on both sides. On the other “ ly on many a day had spoken hand, it was probably the high haughtily and scornfully of the number of losses on the Greek side that persuaded army of Greeks and their leader. Haraldr gave them not to move further westward, remaining in everyone quarter that asked for it, after that the eastern part of the island. gaining control over this city. FIERY BIRDS The Norman accounts were no less shy in of- The Byzantine chroniclers then offer a few vague fering haughty exploits of their leaders. Geof- lines about Maniakes conquering thirteen un- frey Malaterra,” an eleventh-century Benedictine named cities, but our Scandinavian and Norman monk and historian, recounts how the Byzantine sources fill in these details with sensational and army marched to the city of Syracuse: probably dubious accounts of what they did to They then set off to invade and conquer the gain victories. In Heimskringla Haraldr Sigurðar- more distant parts of Sicily and came to Syra- son is shown using various stratagems to defeat cuse. Its citizens made a sortie and gave bat- the Sicilians. For example: tle to Maniakes’ men. Archadius [the Caid] Haraldr […] made his way there with his men to who ruled over that city gave our men a tre- a certain large and populous city. He surround- mendous fight and killed a number of them. ed the city, as there were strong walls there, so William son of Tancred, who was known as that he thought it was uncertain that they could “the Iron Arm”, became exceedingly angry, be broken down. The citizens had plenty of charged forward, rushed bravely upon him, food and other supplies that they needed and with a mighty blow cut him down dead. for defence. Then Haraldr tried This deed was much praised and admired by this expedient, that his fowlers both Greeks and Sicilians. Maniakes was furious at Stephen, his admiral, for allowing the defeated Carthaginian commander to escape by ship. He became so incensed, that he beat him over the head. Medieval Warfare VIII-2 8 In retribution for the abuse he had suffered, Ste- phen used his influence at court to have Maniakes recalled to Constantinople and arrested for treason. Meanwhile, the Sicilians and their Zirid allies had assembled new troops and moved westward to Syracuse to attack the Byzantines. Maniakes moved to meet him and intercept- ed the Muslim army in the interior mountain- ous area, near the town of Troina. Here, ac- known to Stephen’s guardsmen) and got away cording to Malaterra, the Normans were the first to to his homeland. Maniakes was furious when charge the Sicilians, crushing them before the rest of he learnt of this.

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