The Umayyad Siege of Constantinople (2)

I have outlined the plot of my upcoming article, which will focus on the joint attack on the Byzantine capital by the forces of the Syrian army and the caliphate fleet. The Arab siege of Constantinople lasted approximately 13 months, from July 717 to August 718. The article will be divided into the following sections:

A: The Umayyad Caliphate

B: Pre-war Byzantine

C: Preparations

D: The Grand Invasion

E: Negotiations

F: Leo the Gambler

G: The siege

H: The Bitter Winter

I: Reinforcements

J: Lifting the siege

K: The Aftermath

 

The first two parts will describe the Umayyad Caliphate and Byzantium on the brink of war. The next two sections will discuss the Arab preparations for the invasion and the beginning of military activities. Sections five and six will focus on the negotiations between the main characters: General Maslama of the Syrian army and his Byzantine counterpart, General Leo the Isaurian, who later ascended the throne as Leo III. Sections seven and eight will cover the siege of Constantinople and the implications of a harsh winter. Sections eight and nine will concentrate on the last period of the blockade until the retreat order and the ill fate of the retreating army. The last segment will place the siege into a historical context, foreshadowing the end of the jihad state.

I've started editing the article and hope to upload it to the Academia site within a week. You can view my previous papers at

https://independent.academia.edu/BaizermanMichael

The Umayyad Siege of Constantinople (1)

 I was not satisfied with the previous draft of this chapter, so I decided to conduct new research and found new features.

I started by creating a new database and I am currently in the process of gathering valuable information and developing content for a future narrative.

As I mentioned before, I will not reference "Greek Fire" in this chapter. However, I am considering the possibility that Byzantine sailors could have used less technological methods, such as fire arrows or grenades hurled or launched by catapults, to burn enemy ships. I will be examining Arabic sources for the negotiations between Leo III and the Arabic commanders, although it's worth noting that these late accounts may not be entirely reliable. The same refers to the Byzantine sources.

  Additionally, I have added a new book to my reading list: "A Sailor's Life for Me: the Middle Byzantine Sailor on Board and at Port" by Zeynep Olgun. This book, which is the author's thesis for the Central European University, explores various aspects of sailors' lives during the seventh and twelfth centuries. I may incorporate some of the collected material into the Prelude to my project, particularly the chapters about the sea, the sailor, and the port. You can find out more about this book

https://www.academia.edu/93477259/MA_Thesis_The_Middle_Byzantine_Sailor_on_Board_and_at_Port

I want to merge two chapters discussing early and later galleys. Both describe the technical aspects of oared ships, including dimensions, design, seaworthiness, functions, and other parameters. It would be beneficial to compare them in a single paper. However, I'm concerned that this combined account might be too long and more focused on a technology-oriented audience.