edhaje's video: Saracen Invasion of Southern Italy Aghlabid Byzantine Lombards Franks

839 CE - Lombards of Benevento under Sicard waged war against Duchy under Eastern Roman Empire (Napoli, Sorrento, Amalfi) remnants of Justinian re-conquest of the peninsula. Duke of Napoli (Naples) Andrew II seek military aid of saracen mercenary from Emirate of Sicily to counter Lombard expansion. Constantinople was busy battling southern Slav in the Balkans and unable to provide military support. During the war, PSicard was deposed and Lombard Benevento was fractured between Radelchis and Siconulf. 840 CE - Corsairs allying with lombards defeated Venetian fleet allying with Eastern Romans. Corsairs captured Taranto (Tarentum) from Eastern Roman Empire. 841 CE - Saracen mercenary proved to be an effective combat unit. Lombard prince Radelchis also hiring saracen Mercenary. These mercenary took part in successful capture of Capua, controlled by rivaling Lombard faction. Frankish Empire was partitioned between the grandson of Charlemagne in 843 CE following years of civil war. Decentralize the control of Germanic Holy Roman Empire. 845 CE - Corsair fleet landed in Porto and Ostia near Rome and defeated local Italian militia nominally under Frankish Holy Roman Empire lightly garrisoned in the area. 846 CE - Saracen corsairs raided outskirts of Rome and plundered the Basilica, but unable to penetrate the fortified city. after the fall of Western Roman Empire, Rome loses its political importance and previously sacked by Visigoth. Vandals and Ostrogoth. During the return, corsair fleet was hit by storm, much of the ships was sunk. 847 CE - Khalfun led Saracen mercenary formerly employed by Lombards to capture Port-city of Bari and establish the Emirate of Bari. 849 CE - Corsair fleet from Sardinia wwas defeated by joint fleet of Duchy under Eastern Roman Empire (Napoli, Amalfi and Gaeta) near Ostia. 850 CE - Emir of Bari, Mufarrag ibn Sallam incorporate Bari into vast trading networks of Southern Mediterranea and seek legitimacy from Abbasid governor in Egypt. 866 CE - Frankish roman co-Emperor Louis II subduing rivaling Lombards in Benevento. Northern Lombards have been subdued by Charlemagne in 773 CE. The Franks now control much of Italian peninsula. 871 CE - Bari was besiege and captured by Imperial Army in Italy under Louis II, emperor of Frankish Holy Roman Empire. Emir Sawadan was sentenced to death and ending the Emirate of Bari. 967 CE - Eastern Roman fleet re-capture Taranto from the Saracen under Sabir the Slav. 977 CE - Corsair fleet sacked Taranto. 982 CE - Holy Roman Emperor Otto II with its Imperial army battling Emirate of Sicily forces under Emir Abu'l Qasim in Southern italy near Crotone (Battle of Stilo). Imperial army manage to kill the Emir, but morale of the emirate army was not shaken. The emirate forces managed to turn the tide and defeated the Imperial forces. Emperor Otto II survived the battle by swimming to the nearby Greek merchant ship passing the area. Saracen forces was eliminated, but trading activity and war still continues with Italian coastal states. Notably Genoa with Andalusian and Venice with Egyptian and Levantines. Music : Jeff van Dyck - Solenka (Soundtrack Medieval II: Total War) Richard Beddow - Ride Of The Demigryphs (Soundtrack Total War: Warhammer) Richard Beddow - Chaos Undivided (Soundtrack Total War: Warhammer) Richard Beddow - Glory To Asaph (Soundtrack Total War: Warhammer II) Adam Skorupa - Death Is Nigh (Soundtrack Ancestors Legacy) Mateo Pascual - Through Tears to Victory: The Calm (Soundtrack Praetorians)