Did the first great Arab siege of Constantinople actually happen, or is it myth?
In short: For centuries, history books have described a multi-year Arab blockade of Constantinople between 674 and 678. Yet, modern scholars now debate whether this event was a genuine military siege or a later invention, potentially conflated with other campaigns to mask the complexities of seventh-century power struggles.
The traditional account, primarily derived from the Byzantine chronicler Theophanes the Confessor, depicts a methodical, seven-year effort by the Umayyad Caliphate to capture the Byzantine capital. According to this narrative, Arab fleets established a base at Cyzicus, launching annual spring assaults on the city's walls. The siege supposedly ended when Emperor Constantine IV deployed a revolutionary new weapon—Greek fire—to destroy the Arab navy, forcing a retreat and securing a peace treaty that stabilized the empire.
However, this version of events faces significant scrutiny. Oxford scholar James Howard-Johnston has argued that the siege is a myth, noting its complete absence from contemporary Arabic and Syriac sources. He suggests the story was an interpolation, likely influenced by the later, better-documented Arab siege of 717–718. For Howard-Johnston, the true Byzantine success lay not in a static blockade, but in naval victories off Lycia and the support of the Mardaite insurgency in Syria, which pressured the Caliphate into peace.
Other historians, such as Marek Jankowiak, propose a middle ground: they accept that a major siege occurred but argue that Theophanes, writing over a century later, misdated and garbled the timeline. They suggest the conflict likely took place earlier, around 667–669. These conflicting interpretations highlight the difficulty of reconstructing seventh-century history, where even the most foundational events are often filtered through layers of later legend, religious tradition, and the varying perspectives of competing empires.
Opens the Intellect+ feed with this card first. Swipe up for the next one.
Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Siege of Constantinople (674–678)
To cite this card, link to https://intellectplus.co.uk/app/history-siege-of-constantinople-674-678.
How we source, check and correct cards: Editorial standards.
General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.
Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?
Related
More in Post-classical · More in History · Latest · A–Z · All topics
