Arabs at the gates: when Rome almost fell
In the mid-9th century CE, Rome, once the heart of a great empire, was in decline. The city, whose population had dropped to 30,000, could no longer boast of its former power.
However, even in this weakened form, it remained an important political centre and an attractive target for opponents.
By this time, Muslim Arabs, called Saracens by the inhabitants of medieval Italy, had settled in Spain and now their attention turned to Rome. The events that followed in 846 became one of the brightest pages of the early Middle Ages.
The warning of Count Adelvertus
According to a manuscript called the “Bible of the Popes”, Count Adelvertus, the ruler of Corsica, was the first to learn of the Saracens’ plans to attack Rome and hastened to warn the city of the impending threat. The papal chronicle tells us that the Saracen army numbered 11,000 men, 500 horses and 73 ships. These figures, however, are questioned by historians. If we take them at face value, each ship would have had about 158 men or horses, which is almost impossible for ships of that time. It is more likely that the Saracen army was half that number – about 5,500 soldiers and 250 horses, which would correspond to a fleet of 70-80 small galleys.
Despite Adelvertus’s warning, the Romans treated it with astonishing indifference. Perhaps they were accustomed to false alarms or simply did not believe that the Saracens would dare to attack the Eternal City. Nevertheless, the Roman nobility gathered for a council and decided to notify their neighbors and allies of the possible threat. However, their reaction was also sluggish: only a few responded to the call for help.
Saracen landing and capture of Ostia
Less than two weeks after sending Adelvertus’ letter, on August 23, the Saracen fleet landed on the banks of the Tiber River near Ostia, an ancient port town of Rome. The Saracens quickly captured Ostia without encountering any resistance. The city’s inhabitants apparently learned of the enemy’s approach in advance and managed to leave their homes, barricading the streets. Curiously, Ostia, despite its fortifications - high walls, ditches and catapult towers built by Pope Gregory IV - was abandoned without a fight. This decision still raises questions among historians: the port city could have become a serious obstacle for the Saracens if it had been defended by a combat-ready unit.
After Ostia, the Saracens moved on to another Roman port - Portus, which was also quickly captured. News of the invasion reached Rome almost immediately, and the city began to prepare for defense. A detachment of foreigners, mostly pilgrims and traders, was sent out to meet the Arabs. They were involved in a skirmish with the Saracens near Ostia. Later, the Romans sent more soldiers to help their foreign unit. The combined force headed for Portus, where they suddenly encountered a numerically superior Saracen army. This forced the main Roman forces to retreat, leaving their “foreign legion” to oversee the Arabs’ preparations. In the morning, the camp of Rome’s foreign defenders was suddenly attacked by the Saracens and routed. The Arabs moved towards Rome.
At the walls of Rome
By this time, the Eternal City was surrounded by walls built by Emperor Aurelian between 271 and 275. They underwent many reconstructions in the following centuries. After all these repairs, the walls were about nineteen kilometers long and almost twelve meters high, with 381 towers and a moat. During the Gothic Wars (IV-VI centuries), about 50,000-60,000 people lived in Rome, but because of the wars, agriculture suffered and the population decreased. Thus, according to various estimates, Rome could only field an army of 5,000 to 10,000 people.
The first detachments of Arabs, moving along the famous ancient Roman roads Via Portuensis and Via Campana, approached the walls of St. Peter’s Church, where they began to line up, waiting for the main forces to arrive. Now this is one of the districts of modern Rome but at that time the church was outside the city walls.
When everything was ready, the Saracens went on the assault. On Friday morning, they captured St. Peter’s Church and carried off its treasures. Meanwhile, the Romans withdrew their men from the city and placed them on the Campus Neronis field, which is located between the modern Vatican and the Castel Sant’Angelo. The papal chronicle ends here and the final clashes of the armies remain a mystery.
From other sources, we can only assume that there was a battle that ended either in a draw or a victory for the Saracens. They did not try to besiege the city or take it by storm, but, content with the spoils they had previously captured, headed south along the first Roman paved road, called the Appian Way.
Historians still argue whether the Saracens intended to capture Rome or whether the campaign of 846 did not initially envisage this.
Results of the campaign
Princeton University researcher, Tommy P. Lanakila, is confident that the Saracens had a clear plan of action during the raid on Rome and they seem to have prepared their attack well.
First, they equipped an effective and numerous army, with which the Romans and Franks could not match.
Second, they understood the geography of Italy well, knew where to sail and march and thus their land and naval forces acted logically and quickly in accordance with their plans. This is evidenced by their arrival at Ostia, where they knew where to go ashore and also by the fact that their land and naval forces moved to Rome by the shortest route. They knew that the Via Appia (Appian Way) was the fastest route to the South. Near Caieta (an ancient Roman harbor) they found an excellent place to set up camp and here they met their ships.
Another example of their geographical knowledge is their rapid expedition to the lands of Monte Cassino (about 120 kilometers southeast of Rome), although bad weather prevented them from attacking what was probably another important target, the monastery of Monte Cassino.
Thirdly, they were aware of the weather conditions in the Mediterranean, since they decided to set sail in April, when the harsh winter weather should have ended.
However, they were unlucky, since a sudden storm caught them by surprise and, according to some, destroyed their fleet. In 849, the Saracens were to launch a new raid against Rome. But the city was much better defended and prepared than three years earlier and the Arabs were never able to take it.
