Siege of Syracuse (1086)
| Siege of Syracuse (1086) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Norman conquest of southern Italy | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| County of Sicily | Emirate of Syracuse | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Roger I of Sicily | Benavert † | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
In 1086, following a naval battle, the Islamo-Sicilian city of Syracuse was blockaded by sea and besieged by land from May to October by the forces of the Norman county of Sicily. Following the death and flight of its leaders, the city surrendered.
The main source for the siege, the Norman historian Geoffrey Malaterra, dates it to 1085, but modern historians believes this to be a mistake for 1086.
The campaign had a religious character, being conceived in response to outrages perpetrated against churches and nuns and pitting Christians against Muslims.