battle battle fought near modern western edge plateau arab army byzantine forces arabs conducting regular raids past century expedition largest recent decades consisting separate divisions division strong ibn confronted byzantines command emperor son future constantine battle resulted decisive byzantine victory coupled troubles fronts internal instability end major arab incursions decades background beginning muslim conquests byzantine_empire largest richest militarily strongest state bordering expanding muslims primary enemy following disastrous byzantines largely confined strategy passive defence muslim armies regularly launched raids byzantine held following failure capture byzantine capital constantinople time diverted attention resumed expeditions regular pattern summer campaigns sing launched accompanied naval attack followed winter expeditions longer aimed permanent conquest large scale raids devastating countryside occasionally attacking forts major settlements raids period largely confined central plateau chiefly eastern half rarely reached peripheral aggressive arab raids large scale affairs led capable generals including princes dynasty sons gradually muslim successes fewer especially resources drawn mounting conflict raids continued arab byzantine mention fewer successful captures forts towns major victory allowed arabs shift focus intensify campaigns byzantium ibn led successful raids including capture town year assembled largest expedition reign placing son battle according chronicle invading force totalled men lightly armed men ibn sent raid western followed ibn marched main force number certainly inflated ibn raided emperor leo confronted second force details battle known emperor secured crushing victory arab commanders fell larger army men rest arab troops managed conduct orderly retreat joined arab forces devastated countryside unopposed failed towns forts arab invasion army suffered severe hunger lack supplies returning syria 10th century arab christian historian records byzantines took prisoners invading forces effect aftermath major success byzantines large scale victory scored pitched battle arabs seeing evidence god renewed favour victory served strengthen leo belief policy adopted years immediate aftermath success opened way aggressive stance byzantines attacked major arab base able exploit civil war constantine raid relative arab sources report major achievements arab defeat traditionally seen decisive battle turning point arab byzantine wars causing arab pressure byzantium historians early 20th century scholar recent ones challenged view reduced arab threat fact coincided heavy remote provinces exhausted military resources internal turmoil civil wars revolution result arab attacks byzantine_empire soon ceased completely constantine able advantage collapse launch series expeditions syria secure byzantine eastern frontier lasted muslim world memory defeated arab commander preserved greatest heroes arab later turkish epic poetry
Battle of Akroinon