Battle of Garigliano
The Battle of Garigliano was 915 between an army of Christian League and the Saracens instead. Pope John X led the Christian forces personally.
Prehistory
In the second half of the 9th century there was a series of raids by the Saracens on the Lazio region. Near the old town on the river Garigliano Minturno the Saracens built a base and formed an alliance with the rulers of the city of Gaeta.
Pope John X, however, managed to unite the feuding principalities in itself for an alliance with the aim to expel the Saracens from their base -threatening. The alliance consisted of several southern Italian principalities. Among them were Guaimar II of Salerno, John I of Gaeta and his son Docibilis II of Gaeta, Gregory IV of Naples and his son John II of Naples and Landulf I of Benevento. The King of Italy, Berengar I, sent reinforcements from Spoleto and brands, led by Alberic I.. Byzantine Empire sent its troops from Calabria and Apulia, under the leadership of the strategos of Bari, Nicholas Picingli. John X led the militia of Lazio, Tuscany and Rome itself.
The Battle
The first fighting took place in the north of Lazio, where marauding gangs were surprised and destroyed by the Saracens. Then the Christians won two more fights at Campo Baccano, on the Via Cassia, and in the area of Tivoli and Vicovaro. After these defeats the Saracens attracted from the cities of Narni and Ciculi back to their main base by the river Garigliano. Here they had a fortified complex: Kairouan. The exact location is not known until today. In June 915 the Christian army laid siege to the Base. Once it was the Christians managed to push the Saracens out of the camp, these withdrew to a nearby hill, from where they could fend off several guided by Alberich and Landulf attacks. After they ran out of stocks over time and the situation was getting desperate, trying the remaining Saracens in August an outbreak towards the coast to escape to Sicily. According to the chroniclers, but were caught and executed.
Follow
Berengar was rewarded by the Pope with the crown of the Empire. Alberich gained great influence in the city of Rome and John I of Gaeta was able to extend its sphere of influence to the Garigliano and received the title of Byzantium patricius. Then he gave himself the title of " Prince ".