حصار القسطنطينية (717-718): الفرق بين النسختين

[[File:Greekfire-madridskylitzes1.jpg|250px|thumb|right|alt=medieval miniature showing a siphon-equipped sailing ship discharging flames on another vessel|Depiction of the use of [[Greek fire]], miniature from the ''[[Madrid Skylitzes]]'']]

 

 

Constantinople could now be easily resupplied by sea and the city's fishermen went back to sea, as the Arab fleet did not sail again. Still suffering from hunger and pestilence, the Arabs lost a major battle against the Bulgars, who killed, according to Theophanes, 22,000. It is unclear, however, whether the Bulgars attacked the Arab encampment because of their treaty with Leo or whether the Arabs strayed into Bulgar territory seeking provisions, as reported by the Syriac ''[[Chronicle of 846]]''. Michael the Syrian mentions that the Bulgars participated in the siege from the beginning, with attacks against the Arabs as they marched through Thrace and subsequently on their encampment, but this is not corroborated elsewhere.<ref>{{harvnb|Canard|1926|pp=90–91}}; {{harvnb|Guilland|1959|pp=122, 123}}; {{harvnb|Mango|Scott|1997|p=546}}; {{harvnb|Lilie|1976|p=131}}.</ref> The siege had clearly failed, and Caliph Umar sent orders to Maslama to retreat. After thirteen months of siege, on 15 August 718, the Arabs departed. The date coincided with the feast of the [[Dormition of the Theotokos]] (Assumption of Mary), and it was to her that the Byzantines ascribed their victory. The retreating Arabs were not hindered or attacked on their return, but their fleet lost more ships in a storm in the Marmara Sea while other ships were set afire by ashes from the volcano of [[Santorini]], and some of the survivors were captured by the Byzantines, so that Theophanes claims that only five vessels made it back to Syria.<ref>{{harvnb|Mango|Scott|1997|p=550}}; {{harvnb|Treadgold|1997|p=349}}.</ref> Arab sources claim that altogether 150,000 Muslims perished during the campaign, a figure which, according to the Byzantinist [[John Haldon]], "while certainly inflated, is nevertheless indicative of the enormity of the disaster in medieval eyes".<ref>{{harvnb|Haldon|1990|p=83}}.</ref>