Qualla: Battle of Carthage (698) https://qualla.com/battle-of-carthage-698 en-us © 2026 Bendyline Mon, 20 Jul 2026 10:21:30 GMT Qualla serial false Qualla support@bendyline.com yes https://qualla.com/_m/s/n/x/3/battle-of-carthage-698-wp/hero-small.webp Qualla: Battle of Carthage (698) https://qualla.com/battle-of-carthage-698 Battle of Carthage (698): Introduction https://qualla.com/battle-of-carthage-698/ Photo credit Gabagool, CC BY 3.0. The chain across the Cothon was supposed to hold. Hassan ibn al-Nu'man, the Umayyad general who had captured Carthage and secured it against Byzantine reprisal, had blocked the ancient harbor entrance with iron chains and assumed the city was safe from seaborne attack. He was wrong. In 698 AD, a Byzantine fleet under John the Patrician burst through the barrier with reinforced hulls, briefly recaptured one of the ancient world's greatest cities, and then lost it forever -- the last chapter in a story that had begun with Phoenician settlers nearly 1,500 years earlier.

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Image: Gabagool | CC BY 3.0

]]> Fri, 13 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/s/n/x/3/battle-of-carthage-698-wp/snx3-battle-of-carthage-698-intro.mp3 0:06 1 full Battle of Carthage (698): The Second Wave https://qualla.com/battle-of-carthage-698/ Photo credit Hobe / Holger Behr, Public domain. The Arab conquest of North Africa did not happen all at once. During the first wave, Umayyad forces pushed deep into the former Roman Province of Africa and established the military base of Kairouan. But other conflicts drew these forces away, and Byzantine and local defenders pu...

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Image: Hobe / Holger Behr | Public domain

]]> Fri, 13 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/s/n/x/3/battle-of-carthage-698-wp/snx3-battle-of-carthage-698-the-second-wave.mp3 0:06 2 full Battle of Carthage (698): Flight Context https://qualla.com/battle-of-carthage-698/ Photo credit Hobe / Holger Behr, Public domain. Centered on ancient Carthage at 36.85°N, 10.32°E. The Punic harbor lagoons where the chain-breaking attack occurred are visible as two small bodies of water near the southern part of the archaeological site. The Gulf of Tunis, across which the Byzantine fleet approached, opens to the northeast. Tunis-Carthage International Airport (DTTA) lies approximately 3 km to the southwest. Best viewed at 3,000-5,000 feet to see the harbor entrance and the coastline approach routes.

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Image: Hobe / Holger Behr | Public domain

]]> Fri, 13 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/s/n/x/3/battle-of-carthage-698-wp/snx3-battle-of-carthage-698-surrender-and-flight.mp3 0:06 3 full Battle of Carthage (698): The Byzantine Counter-Strike https://qualla.com/battle-of-carthage-698/ Photo credit Hobe / Holger Behr, Public domain. Emperor Leontius, only three years into his reign, learned of Carthage's fall and ordered a mobilization. He assembled a force that included soldiers from Sicily, veteran Goth warriors, and the Karabisianoi Theme Navy, placing them under the command of John the Patrician. The exp...

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Image: Hobe / Holger Behr | Public domain

]]> Fri, 13 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/s/n/x/3/battle-of-carthage-698-wp/snx3-battle-of-carthage-698-the-byzantine-counter-strike.mp3 0:06 4 full Battle of Carthage (698): The Last Roman Day https://qualla.com/battle-of-carthage-698/ Photo credit Hobe / Holger Behr, Public domain. The Byzantine occupation of Carthage was brief. Hassan returned with his main force and launched heavy attacks on the walls. The Byzantines, recognizing they could not hold the city against a full-scale assault, manned their ships and embarked as quickly as possible, withdrawing ...

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Image: Hobe / Holger Behr | Public domain

]]> Fri, 13 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/s/n/x/3/battle-of-carthage-698-wp/snx3-battle-of-carthage-698-the-last-roman-day.mp3 0:06 5 full Battle of Carthage (698): Aftershocks East and West https://qualla.com/battle-of-carthage-698/ Photo credit Hobe / Holger Behr, Public domain. Hassan spent five more years suppressing resistance in former Numidia before reaching the Atlantic coast. The Berber queen Kahina led a fierce guerrilla campaign against his forces, but she could not halt the Arab advance. By 709, Hassan had completed his conquest of North Africa...

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Image: Hobe / Holger Behr | Public domain

]]> Fri, 13 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/s/n/x/3/battle-of-carthage-698-wp/snx3-battle-of-carthage-698-aftershocks-east-and-west.mp3 0:06 6 full