Atlas of Battles

siege, notable, medieval

Siege of Chandax

Siege of Chandax was a siege conducted in AD 960 at Heraklion, in what is now Greece; it ran into the following year. It was part of the Byzantine–Arab Wars of 780–1180, which ran from AD 780 to 1180. The recorded result: Byzantine victory. Recorded strength: Garrison of Chandax; Relief force: ~40,000 men (Leo the Deacon) against Unknown, possibly ~34,000 men.

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Byzantines under Nikephoros Phokas besiege Chandax, the capital of the Emirate of Crete
Byzantines under Nikephoros Phokas besiege Chandax, the capital of the Emirate of Crete. Unknown, 13th-century author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
FoughtAD 960ran into the following year
WhereHeraklion, Greece35.339N, 25.133E
OutcomeByzantine victory
BelligerentsEmirate of CreteagainstByzantine Empire
Part ofByzantine–Arab Wars of 780–1180Byzantine reconquest of Crete

Record

DateAD 960 (year precision)
to 6 March AD 961
PlaceHeraklion, Greece
35.339N, 25.133E
KindSiege, medieval
Territorial changeCrete reconquered by Byzantium
StrengthGarrison of Chandax; Relief force: ~40,000 men (Leo the Deacon)Unknown, possibly ~34,000 men
Commanders
  • Abd al-Aziz ibn Shu'ayb
  • Anemas (died 971)
  • Nikephoros II Phokas
  • Nikephoros Pastilas
Siege of ChandaxSiege of ChandaxBattle of HeraklionSiege of CandiaBattle of TrahiliBattle of RethymnoRaid on Souda BayBattle of TrahiliBattle of RethymnoRaid on Souda BaySitia100 km35.339N, 25.133E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

Contested ground: this site was fought over 3 times between AD 960 and 1941.

In the same war

Elsewhere in AD 960

Siege of Chandax is one of 186 engagements of the 10th century in the atlas and one of 529 in present-day Greece.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q43085092, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Siege of Chandax, revision 1377665310, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.