Second Battle of the Meander Valley
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The Battle of the Meander Valley
Part of Byzantine-Seljuk Wars
A map showing the Nicaean Empire.
Date c 1211 Location Asia Minor Result Nicaean victory
Belligerents
Empire of Nicaea	Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm
Commanders
Theodore Laskaris	Kaykhusraw I †
Strength
2,000 men1	Unknown
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Unknown

The Battle of the Meander Valley, also known as the Battle of Antioch-on-the-Meander was the successful defence of the nascent Nicaean Empire against the invading forces of the Seljuq Turkish Sultanate of Rûm.

Background

Following the fall of Constantinople to the forces of the Fourth Crusade (1204) and the partition of the Byzantine Empire the Seljuq Sultan of Rūm, Kaykhusraw I, had given asylum to the Byzantine ex-emperor Alexios III. The sultan used the pretext of assisting Alexios back to power to attack Theodore Laskaris, crowned emperor in 1208, who had built up a powerbase in the former Byzantine territory of western Anatolia. This new polity was to become known as the Empire of Nicaea, though its emperors always claimed to be the rightful 'Emperor of the Romans' (Byzantine Emperor). Having failed to persuade Theodore to abdicate in favour of Alexios, the sultan invaded Theodore’s territory in the spring of 1211.

Battle

Kaykhusraw I was to pay dearly for his invasion as he was defeated and killed in a battle in the Meander Valley near Antioch-on-the-Meander. The Seljuk army was initially victorious with Laskaris' 800 Latin mercenary cavalry bearing the brunt of the Seljuk attack. However, the Seljuk troops stopped to plunder the Nicaean camp, allowing Theodore's forces to rally and counter-attack the now disorganised Turks. Theodore sought out Kaykhusraw I and engaged him in single combat, killing him.² The Seljuk forces were routed; Alexios, who was Theodore Laskaris' father-in-law, was captured during the battle and was subsequently imprisoned.

Outcome

The battle freed Nicaea from Seljuk pressure but Laskaris' army had suffered heavily. In particular his very effective Latin mercenary cavalry had been almost destroyed. As a result Laskaris could not defend his territory effectively from an attack by the Latin Empire of Constantinople and he had to cede some territory bordering the Sea of Marmara. However, the victory gave Laskaris considerable prestige and the capture of Alexios ended internal opposition to his rule.

References

• The New Cambridge Medieval History, Cambridge University Press (1995). ISBN 052136289X, 9780521362894

This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.

Citations