siege damascus siege damascus lasted august september city fell damascus major city byzantine roman empire fall muslim conquest syria roman persian wars ended concluded successful campaign time united arabs banner islam death succeeded suppressing internal revolts sought expand empire confines april invaded byzantine_empire levant decisively defeated byzantine army muslim armies marched north laid siege damascus city taken bishop informed muslim commander chief possible breach city walls attacking position lightly defended night entered city assault eastern gate thomas commander byzantine garrison negotiated peaceful surrender gate second command surrender city commanders disputed terms peace agreement commanders finally agreed peace terms given met peace terms included assurance pursuit undertaken muslims departing roman convoy days having peace terms days surrender city set refugees defeated battle days later near present day background byzantine war emperor byzantine_empire focused attention internal affairs empire conquered overran syria entered occupy expelled launched counter offensive syria decisively defeated decade conquered palestine egypt rebuilt army preparing new offensive launched achieved substantial victories allies armenia launched daring winter offensive persia won decisive victory battle victory threatened persian capital city series disasters killed coup led son sued peace agreeing withdraw occupied territories byzantine empire restored jerusalem elaborate ceremony united single religious political authority died june elected newly formed office political religious successor arabic tribes revolted wars arabic wars revolt firmly united central authority initiated war conquest neighboring byzantine successful conquest persian province iraq confidence grew april armies invaded byzantine levant different routes armies proved small task necessitating reinforcements iraq led capable general desert entered syria unexpected route bold attacked byzantine defenses levant quickly captured capital city july muslim army command defeated byzantine army clearing southern flank muslims laid siege damascus siege site strategically located damascus attracted merchants world city known paradise syria fortifications matched importance main city enclosed massive high wall fortified city approximately long wide wall gates gate thomas gate gate paradise small gate river ran north wall shallow defensive importance time syrian campaign byzantine commander damascus thomas son law devout christian known courage skill command intelligence learning seventh century muslim armies siege equipment typically employed siege tactics options necessary siege equipment armies early muslim expansion surround city denying supplies city defenders surrendered chance breaking city possible stealth espionage muslim armies usually city rest region deploy scouts vital routes damascus cut lines transportation communication northern syria west detachment cavalry occupied attention byzantine garrison detachment protected muslim supply lines cavalry detachment functioned rearguard muslim forces syrian detachment sent road position near bait approximately miles city instructions byzantine relief columns unable defeat repel byzantine rescue effort detachment commander instructed send reinforcements having isolated damascus ordered army surround city august 20th corps commanders instructed repel byzantine attack respective gates seeking assistance case heavy attack commanded horsemen mobile guard patrol areas gates night reinforce corps attacked byzantines following muslim generals held siege gates damascus commander gate forces command gate thomas gate gate small gate eastern gate placed main body forces command eastern gate established headquarters short distance away eastern gate monastery known monastery army encircled city halting flow supplies damascus damascus provided muslim army supplies needed men mounts byzantine relief emperor beginning siege september dispatched relief force thought numbered men scouts posted road damascus reported approach byzantine army hearing news sent troops met miles north damascus road force proved insufficient soon surrounded byzantine troops byzantines defeat muslim detachment arrived column men routed come known battle pass muslim siege forces weakened withdrawal men repel byzantine relief force byzantine garrison muslim army historians suspect defenders broken muslim lines lifted siege understanding danger situation returned damascus byzantine attack realizing reinforcements come thomas decided launch counter offensive early week september thomas drew men sectors city form force strong break gate thomas faced corps men byzantine attack began concentrated shower arrows muslims byzantine infantry covered wall rushed gate battle formation thomas led assault action thomas struck right eye arrow unsuccessful breaking muslim lines byzantines retreated fortress wounded thomas said sworn thousand eyes return ordered great sortie night second byzantine attack time thomas planned launch simultaneous sorties gates main sector thomas gate advantage exhausted muslim corps stationed attacks gates small gate eastern gate intended tie muslim corps aid corps thomas gate eastern gate thomas assembled forces gates unable assistance command decisive sector thomas attack gates gave flexibility operation success achieved sector success exploited sending troops sector achieve breakthrough thomas ordered taken alive hard fighting gate commander men repulsed byzantines city battle intense small gate guarded commander men fewer troops came aid cavalry cavalry attacked flank byzantine sortie force repulsed situation larger roman force assigned sector unable withstand attacks timely arrival reserve veteran cavalry subsequent attack roman flank marked turning point eastern gate heaviest fighting occurred thomas gate thomas commanded person intense fighting thomas seeing weakening muslim decided continuing attack fruitless lead heavier casualties men ordered withdrawal romans moved steady pace subjected concentrated shower arrows muslims attempt thomas break siege attempt failed lost thousands men longer afford fight outside walls city attack september priest named informed festival celebration city night festivities offered opportunity capture city surprise attack relatively lightly defended walls return requested immunity according muslim chronicles handed arrival muslim army damascus according came information beloved wife soon converted islam time coordinated plan attack army decided storm ibn climbed wall hand hand gate wall strongest guard stationed secured ropes wall dropped selected soldiers waiting base leaving men assist descended city killing guards inside gate open remainder men entered city intense battle ensued thomas saw rest army gates assumed army entered city second corps commanders unaware sudden attack muslim practice specific city surrendered inhabitants spared city resisted killed thomas tried save damascus time sent envoys gate talk second command offered surrender fort peacefully pay known peace loving nature accepted terms thinking agree news sent corps commanders dawn entered damascus gate commanders respective gates corps battling city marched peacefully corps accompanied thomas dignitaries bishops damascus center city men fought way center damascus killing resisted commanders met center city capture city argued conquered city force maintained city peace agreement thomas corps commanders discussed situation reportedly told peace agreement honored rationale logic romans syria heard muslims given guarantee safety surrendered city slaughtered safety guaranteed city surrender muslims task conquering syria difficult happy agreed honor peace agreement terms peace agreement enslaved harm temples taken booty safe passage given thomas citizen damascus willing live muslim rule peace agreement stated peace end days muslims attack days violating agreement following pact drawn signed given sic people damascus muslims enter people shall safety property temples walls city shall destroyed guarantee behalf messenger muslims shall receive good long pay aftermath helped enter city showed short cut leading cavalry regiment caught convoy byzantine refugees damascus sea near day truce passed cavalry attacked convoy heavy rain subsequent battle reportedly killed thomas duel battle known battle meadow muslims took great booty addition thomas wife daughter captured according chronicles greek man guided short cut got committed suicide offered daughter emperor refused sent father died years later died making successor removed command muslim army appointed new commander chief later years following battle annexed levant followed conquest byzantines lost armenia emperor concentrated defenses egypt creating zone west abandoning byzantine fortifications muslims invaded byzantines lost egypt arabs administered city damascus population damascus remained christian eastern orthodox growing community arab muslims city chosen capital islamic syria muslim governor ibn commanders muslim army captured city died plague younger brother succeeded murder installed islamic empire founding dynasty damascus subsequently capital surplus revenue provinces treasury damascus arabic established official language giving arab minority city advantage greek speaking christians administrative affairs trade economics prospered city damascus remained dazzling cities world fell august having beaten battle iraq conquered damascus facing little resistance damascus eclipsed baghdad new islamic capital ancient sources 8th century conquest syria muhammad ibn history kings modern sources sword pakistan isbn archer world history warfare isbn michael history israel isbn burns ross damascus history isbn terry enemy history espionage isbn lieu lieu isbn john byzantium seventh century cambridge isbn byzantine early islamic near east isbn revised illustrated edition decline fall roman empire isbn david muslim conquest syria isbn john damascus islam isbn martin islamic world arab conquests siege vienna isbn
Siege of Damascus (634)