Saturday, December 28, 2024

The Siege of Chandax (1)

I am currently revising a chapter about the Cretan War, which involved the Byzantine army led by General Nikephoros Phokas and the Muslim forces in Crete. This conflict reached its climax during the siege of Chandax (960-961). My paper will be divided into 14 sections and will include a re-evaluation of key themes.

The first section, titled "The Outcasts," narrates the story of a group of Andalusian Muslims who were exiled from their homeland. In their search for a new home, they formed a naval detachment that succeeded in conquering Crete from the Byzantine Empire.

 In the second section, "The Byzantine Chronicles," I discuss my perspective on the primary sources for this narrative, including "The History of Leo the Deacon."

The third section, "The Emirate of Crete," explores the political situation on the eve of the invasion and examines the economic relations between the Muslim and Christian populations.

Additionally, I am revising the first 25 pages of my book, "The Enchanting Encounter with the East," which includes five chapters: 1. What If the Earth Is a Sphere? 2. How to Measure the Earth's Circumference? 3. How Long Does the Inhabited World Span? 4. The Trefoil of the World 5. Where Is the Heart of the World?

I am also working on the beginning of "The Enigma of the Antipodes." Unit I of this book, comprising the first three chapters, will be titled "The Three Trick Questions of Mathematical Geography."

Finally, I have continued to collect data on early naval guns in the Mediterranean to investigate their development, function, shooting range, and accuracy.

Wishing you and your families a Happy New Year! I plan to introduce new developments in my narrative next January.




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