Battle of Mauropotamos

Battle of Mauropotamos
Part of the Arab–Byzantine Wars
Map of Byzantine Asia Minor and the Byzantine-Arab frontier region ca. 842
Date 844 Location Mauropotamos, Asia Minor Result Abbasid victory
Belligerents
Abbasid Caliphate Emirate of Melitene	Byzantine Empire
Commanders and leaders
Abu Sa'id Muhammad b Yusuf Umar al-Aqta	Theoktistos

The Battle of Mauropotamos (Greek: Μάχη τοῦ Μαυροποτάμου) was fought in 844, between the armies of the Byzantine Empire and the Abbasid Caliphate, at Mauropotamos (either in northern Bithynia or in Cappadocia). After a failed Byzantine attempt to recover the Emirate of Crete in the previous year, the Abbasids launched a raid into Asia Minor. The Byzantine regent, Theoktistos, headed the army that went to meet the invasion but was heavily defeated, and many of his officers defected to the Arabs. Internal unrest prevented the Abbasids from exploiting their victory, however. A truce and a prisoner exchange were consequently agreed in 845, followed by a six-year cessation of hostilities, as both powers focused their attention elsewhere.