Battle of Andrassos

Battle of Andrassos Part of the Arab–Byzantine Wars Depiction of the battle in the Madrid Skylitzes Date 8 November 960 Location Andrassos Result Decisive Byzantine victory Belligerents Byzantine Empire Hamdanid Emirate of Aleppo Commanders and leaders Leo Phokas the Younger Constantine Maleinos Sayf al-Dawla

The Battle of Andrassos or Adrassos was an engagement fought in autumn 960 in an unidentified mountain pass on the Taurus Mountains, between the Byzantines, led by Leo Phokas the Younger, and the forces of the Hamdanid Emirate of Aleppo under the emir Sayf al-Dawla. Taking advantage of the absence of much of the Byzantine army on campaign against the Emirate of Crete, the Hamdanid prince invaded Asia Minor and raided widely. On his return, however, his army was ambushed by Leo Phokas at the pass of Andrassos. Sayf al-Dawla himself barely escaped, but his army was annihilated. Coming after a series of costly defeats in the previous years, this battle broke the power of the Hamdanid emirate for good.

Sources

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