battle battle greek fought armies byzantine_empire northern failed byzantine attempt recover previous year launched raid asia minor byzantine regent headed army went meet invasion heavily defeated officers defected arabs internal unrest prevented exploiting victory truce prisoner exchange consequently agreed followed year cessation hostilities powers focused attention background following restoration icons march byzantine_empire government headed empress regent embarked sustained assault byzantines main political ideological foe aggressive stance hand facilitated internal stability end controversy brought encouraged desire new policy military victories muslims campaign attempted led person initial gains ultimately ended disaster scoring victory arabs crete learned intended new emperor possibly brother constantinople discovered false absence byzantine army crete routed arabs battle according byzantine sources learned arab invasion led certain probably semi autonomous arab sources explicit mention campaign russian scholar identified expedition recorded poems led general took place regency participation likely aided raids byzantines according arab accounts troops led comprised men border arab forces united possibly border fort raiding byzantine themes troops sacked reached shore led byzantine army invaders heavily defeated location river simple disputed likely tributary byzantines suffer heavy casualties senior byzantine officials defected arabs returned constantinople blamed recent defeats exiled capital aftermath unable exploit success internal instability likewise byzantines preferred focus strength ongoing conquest sicily byzantine embassy sent baghdad warmly received embassy constantinople states agreed truce prisoner exchange held river september winter raid arab governor shortly failed arab byzantine frontier remained quiet years
Battle of Mauropotamos