Siege of Nicaea facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Siege of Nicaea |
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| Part of the First Crusade and Byzantine-Seljuk wars | |||||||||
 13th-century miniature (BNF Fr. 779) |
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Crusaders Byzantine |
Sultanate of Rûm | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Bohemond of Taranto Raymond IV of Toulouse Adhemar of Le Puy Godfrey of Bouillon Robert II of Normandy Robert II of Flanders Stephen of Blois Tancred of Hauteville Hugh of Vermandois Eustace III of Boulogne Baldwin of Boulogne Manuel Boutoumites Tatikios |
Kilij Arslan | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
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Crusaders: 2,000 light infantry and naval support |
Nicaean garrison: ~10,000, mostly mounted archers |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| Unknown | ~4,000 | ||||||||
The Siege of Nicaea was a big battle during the First Crusade. It happened from May 14 to June 19, 1097. In this battle, Christian fighters called Crusaders tried to capture the city of Nicaea. The city was controlled by the Seljuk Turks. They decided to give up to the Byzantines because they were afraid of the Crusaders. This siege was followed by other important battles in what is now Turkey. These included the Battle of Dorylaeum and the Siege of Antioch.
Contents
Why Did the Siege of Nicaea Happen?
Nicaea is a city located on the eastern shore of Lake Askania. The Seljuk Turks had taken Nicaea from the Byzantine Empire in 1081. It became the capital city of their kingdom, the Sultanate of Rûm.
In 1096, a group called the People's Crusade came through this area. They were the first wave of the First Crusade. They caused trouble around Nicaea before the Turks defeated them. Because of this, the Turkish ruler, Sultan Kilij Arslan, didn't think the next group of Crusaders would be a big problem. He left his family and his treasures in Nicaea. Then he went east to fight another group, the Danishmends, for control of a city called Melitene.
The Crusaders Arrive at Nicaea
The Crusaders started their journey from Constantinople in late April 1097. Godfrey of Bouillon was the first leader to reach Nicaea. Other important leaders followed him. These included Bohemond of Taranto, his nephew Tancred, Raymond IV of Toulouse, and Robert II of Flanders.
They also had Peter the Hermit with them. He was a leader from the earlier People's Crusade. Some survivors from that group joined them too. A small group of Byzantine soldiers, led by Manuel Boutoumites, also came. They arrived on May 6. The Crusaders were very low on food. But Bohemond arranged for supplies to be brought to them by land and by sea.
Starting the Siege of Nicaea
The Crusaders began their attack on Nicaea on May 14. They spread their forces around the city walls. The walls were very strong, with 200 towers defending them. The Crusaders sent a message to Raymond to hurry his troops to help with the siege.
- Bohemond set up his camp on the north side of the city.
- Godfrey camped on the south side.
- Raymond and Adhemar of Le Puy were at the eastern gate.
Kilij Arslan's Defeat
On May 16, the Turkish defenders came out of the city to attack the Crusaders. But the Turks were defeated in a small fight. They lost 200 men. The Turks inside Nicaea sent messages to Kilij Arslan, begging him to come back. When he realized how strong the Crusaders were, he quickly returned.
An early group of his soldiers was defeated by troops led by Raymond and Robert II of Flanders on May 20. On May 21, the Crusader army fought Kilij Arslan in a big battle. It lasted late into the night. Both sides lost many soldiers. In the end, the Sultan had to retreat, even though the Turks from Nicaea begged him to stay.
More Crusaders arrived during the rest of May. Robert Curthose and Stephen of Blois joined them in early June. Meanwhile, Raymond and Adhemar built a large siege machine. This machine was moved close to the Gonatas Tower. It was used to fight the defenders on the walls. Miners also dug tunnels under the tower. The tower was damaged, but the Crusaders couldn't get inside the city yet.
The Byzantines Arrive and Take the City
The Byzantine emperor, Alexios I, did not go with the Crusaders. Instead, he marched behind them and set up his camp nearby. From there, he sent boats. These boats were rolled over land to reach Lake Ascanius. The lake had been used by the Turks to bring food into Nicaea. The boats arrived on June 17, led by Manuel Boutoumites.
General Tatikios was also sent with 2,000 foot soldiers. Alexios had told Boutoumites to secretly talk to the city's defenders. He wanted them to surrender to the Byzantines without the Crusaders knowing. Tatikios was told to join the Crusaders and pretend to attack the walls. Boutoumites would also pretend to attack. This made it look like the Byzantines captured the city in battle. On June 19, the Turks surrendered to Boutoumites.
Crusaders' Reaction and Aftermath
When the Crusaders found out what Alexios had done, they were very angry. They had hoped to take the city themselves to get money and supplies. However, Boutoumites was made the new ruler of Nicaea. He did not let the Crusaders enter the city in groups larger than 10 men. Boutoumites also sent away the Turkish generals, as he didn't trust them.
Kilij Arslan's family was sent to Constantinople. They were later set free without having to pay a ransom. Alexios gave the Crusaders money, horses, and other gifts. But the Crusaders were still not happy. They believed they would have gotten much more if they had captured Nicaea themselves. Boutoumites would not let them leave until they had all promised to be loyal to Alexios. This was a promise some had already made in Constantinople. Tancred at first refused, but he eventually agreed.
The Crusaders left Nicaea on June 26. They marched in two groups. Bohemond, Tancred, Robert II of Flanders, and Tatikios were in the front group. Godfrey, Baldwin of Boulogne, Stephen, and Hugh of Vermandois were in the back. Tatikios was told to make sure that any captured cities were returned to the Byzantine Empire.
The Crusaders felt very hopeful. Stephen wrote to his wife Adela that they expected to reach Jerusalem in five weeks. On July 1, they defeated Kilij Arslan again at the Battle of Dorylaeum. By October, they reached Antioch. However, they would not reach Jerusalem until two years after leaving Nicaea.
Images for kids
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A 13th-century picture showing the Siege of Nicaea.
