Battle of Stilo

The Battle of Cape Colonna or Battle of Crotone July 13, 982 was a battle between the Ottonian and the Saracens in Italy for control of southern Italy. The battle ended with the defeat of Otto II against the Saracens under the Sicilian Emir Abu al -Qasim.

Prehistory

With the death of the Byzantine Emperor John the Eastern Roman Empire Tzimiskes 976 had been plunged into a deep political crisis that the raids of the Saracens surrendering the Greek possessions in southern Italy defenseless. Abu al -Qasim, a nominal vassal of the ruling in Cairo Fatimids, came from Sicily to the mainland before, but could for a time of Pandulf " iron head ", the Lombard prince of Capua, Benevento and Spoleto, and then also of Salerno, in be held chess.

Pandulfs death in March 981 and the weakness of his sons and successors brought Otto now to intervene in the dispute. Whether this was also under the influence of the Empress Theophano, or whether this has allowed the company rather dissuaded, is at least debatable. Otto called 2100 Ironshirt from Germany, tried the succession turmoil among the Lombards to get to grips with, and accepted based on the actual results of the internal struggles in order not to jeopardize its ultimate objective.

Battle Record

Although the Saracens had advanced Calabria, Otto II had to deal with the city of Taranto ( he operated at nominally Byzantine territory ), he attacked with strong forces, but despite the military expenditure could not conquer. The troops of the Byzantine Emperor Basil II (976-1025) repulsed the attack and inflicted a heavy defeat the Imperialists to which should complete the short subsequent defeat by the Arabs only. Although alleged German chronicler, Otto would Taranto taken after a siege, this thesis is, however, supported or confirmed sources by any other (foreign), seems relatively implausible in view of the carried out after the Sarazenenschlacht 982 rapid withdrawal of troops Otto and is almost certainly an expression to view political wishful thinking. This is also indicated by the fact that Otto Despite the clear success of the Miss Roman " imperial title " rose - but without any real meaning. The Battle of Cape Colonna and the flight of the imperial army train back north and in the later decades again failed attempts of German kings (including Henry ) to take in lower italy foot and attack Byzantine territory, sealed the hapless train of the Ottoman army and the futile efforts of the German emperor in Italy to a permanent expansion to the south.

On July 13, met the army which moved along the east coast, at Cape Colonna south of Crotone on the Saracens. The following battle was for the first Christians out victorious. Abu al -Qasim fell, and the advance was continued - but neglecting the observation of the apparently defeated opponent. The following attack by the Muslim reserve in battle met the Christians off guard, and they were almost completely destroyed. The emperor himself was able to escape into the water with difficulty on a strange horse. He was picked up by the crew of a Byzantine ship and probably only released on a high ransom.

Losses

Among the dead in the imperial army were:

• Henry I, Bishop of Augsburg
• Burkhard and Dedi, possibly brothers of Dietrich, the progenitor of the House of Wettin
• Otto I, Duke of Swabia and Bavaria ( Liudolfinger ) survived the battle, but died on the way back on October 31 in Lucca
• Werinher, Abbot of Fulda, died as Duke Otto on the way back to Germany in Lucca.

Follow

• Both sides had suffered such heavy losses that the campaign was over, and in fact the Saracens retreated to Sicily.
• This first major defeat of the German emperor caught in the kingdom of immense sensation and had effects in Germany, which should have put the consequences in southern Italy in the shade. The Reichstag in Verona on May 27, 983 - requested by the Saxon nobility - resulting in a weakening of the authority of the Emperor: The vacated by the death of the nephew of the Emperor duchies of Swabia and Bavaria were no longer occupied by members of the imperial family. After all, chose the Great Otto's three year old son Otto as co-regent, and brought him to Aachen for the coronation and education.
• On June 29, 983 of the tribal federation of Wilzen used ( the so-called Lutizenbund ) the weakening of imperial authority for Slavs uprising that brought the German expansion to the east for 150 years to a halt.