The Fires of the Fatimid Fleet: Constantinople's Siege of 717-718

Lucas and Luna explore the second Arab siege of Constantinople, a desperate 12-month campaign that nearly brought the Byzantine Empire to its knees. They focus on the critical winter of 717-718, when the Umayyad fleet under Maslamah ibn Abd al-Malik blockaded the city while Byzantine emperor Leo III the Isaurian deployed Greek fire, a harsh winter, and Bulgarian allies to break the siege. The conversation delves into the strategic brilliance of Leo III, the role of the Bulgar khan Tervel, and the pivotal Battle of the Hebdomanon. They examine how the siege reshaped the balance of power in the eastern Mediterranean, buying Byzantium centuries of survival and halting Muslim expansion into Europe. The episode also touches on the controversial figure of Leo III, his iconoclastic policies, and the enduring legacy of this lesser-known but world-changing conflict.

#SiegeOf717718 #LeoIII #Maslamah #UmayyadCaliphate #ByzantineEmpire #GreekFire #BulgarTervel #Constantinople #BattleOfHebdomanon #Iconoclasm #MiddleEastHistory #MedievalHistory #IslamicExpansion #SecondArabSiege #Theophanes #FexingoHistory #History #MilitaryHistory

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