3 The battle

At this point Manuel had about 25 000 men, although he may have had as many as 50 000. This included a force from the Principality of Antioch. The troops were divided into a vanguard of infantry, and cavalry, archers, and other infantry following behind them; the right wing led by Baldwin of Antioch and the Byzantine left wing was led by John Cantacuzenus. The rear was commanded by Andronicus Vatatzes. Arslan may have had about the same number of troops, but the exact number is unknown. The Byzantine vanguard was the first to encounter Arslan's troops, and made it through the pass with few casualties, as the Turks were apparently not finished setting up their positions. By the time the vanguard reached the end of the pass the rear was just about to enter; this allowed the Turks to almost completely trap them. The Turks attacked the right wing first, inflicting heavy casualties, including Baldwin.

Manuel felt he could do little but watch the slaughter from his position, but eventually gathered his troops and headed back into the pass to drive off the Seljuks. This he accomplished, and the rearguard was able to finish their march with fewer casualties than the right and left wings had suffered. As night fell, Manuel fortified his position and defended it from Turkish archery attacks, which lasted for some time until the Turks withdrew.

4 Outcome

Both sides suffered heavy casualties, and Manuel's siege equipment had been captured and destroyed. The Byzantines, probably with the inferior force and now without any means of attacking Iconium, were allowed to escape only when Manuel promised to remove his forts and armies on the frontier at Dorylaeum and Siblia. Manuel himself compared the defeat to Manzikert, and like Manzikert, it seems to have become a legendary disaster; in reality, although a defeat, it did not significantly ruin the Byzantine army, which was fighting in the Balkans soon after. However, like Manzikert, the balance between the two powers began to gradually shift - Manuel never again attacked the Turks and they were able to move further and further west, deeper into Byzantine territory.

Myriokephalon had more of a psychological impact than a military impact, as it proved the Empire still could not defeat the Seljuks despite the advances made during Manuel's reign. The army was quickly restocked with mercenaries and recaptured some territory in 1177. Manuel continued to meet the Seljuks in smaller battles throughout his reign, until he died in 1180. However, the defeat ultimately meant that the Byzantine control of the Anatolian plateau was forever lost.

5 References

• John Haldon, "The Byzantine Wars."
• Warren Treadgold, "A History of the Byzantine State and Society"

Myriokephalon

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