Siege of Ragusa (866–868)
| Siege of Ragusa | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Arab–Byzantine wars | |||||||||
Political map of the Balkans and southern Italy in the late 9th century | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
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Ragusa Byzantine Empire | Aghlabid Emirate of Bari | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Niketas Ooryphas |
Sawdan of Bari Saba of Taranto Kalfun the Berber | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
|
Unknown (Ragusa) 100 ships (Byzantines) | 36 ships | ||||||||
The siege of Ragusa (modern Dubrovnik in Croatia) by the Aghlabids of Ifriqiya lasted for fifteen months, beginning in 866 until the lifting of the siege at the approach of a Byzantine fleet in 868. The failure of the siege and the re-appearance of the Byzantines in the region of Dalmatia signalled the beginning of new aggressive western policy by the new Byzantine emperor, Basil I. Its immediate effects were the re-establishment of Byzantine authority there in the form of the Theme of Dalmatia, and the beginning of the Christianization of the Slavs of the western Balkans, but within a few years it led to renewed Byzantine involvement and presence in southern Italy as well.