| Property | Value |
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| rdf:type | |
| rdfs:label | - Catalan Campaign in Asia Minor
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| rdfs:comment | - In 1303, the Byzantine Emperor Andronicus II Palaeologus hired 6,500 Catalan mercenaries under Roger de Flor to campaign against the Turks in the spring and summer of the same year. Their costly service came with success, driving back the Turks in parts of Asia Minor. At Philadelphia, 20,000 Turkish soldiers (possibly those of Aydinids) were left dead, the work of the Catalans.[citation needed] The campaign was Byzantium's few decisive victories in a poorly-managed war. Thus, the Catalans' campaign was a short-term Byzantine victory, but benefited the Turks in the long term.
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| dbkwik:military/property/wikiPageUsesTemplate | |
| Partof | - Byzantine-Ottoman wars and Byzantine-Seljuq wars
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| Date | |
| Commander | |
| Casualties | - 18000
- only about 1,500 Catalans remained, according to Ramon Muntaner
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| Result | - Strategic Ottoman victory
- Tactical Byzantine victory
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| combatant | - Various Anatolian Turkish Beyliks
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Catalan Company
- Catalan Company until 1305)
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| Place | |
| Conflict | - Catalan Campaign in Asia Minor
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| abstract | - In 1303, the Byzantine Emperor Andronicus II Palaeologus hired 6,500 Catalan mercenaries under Roger de Flor to campaign against the Turks in the spring and summer of the same year. Their costly service came with success, driving back the Turks in parts of Asia Minor. At Philadelphia, 20,000 Turkish soldiers (possibly those of Aydinids) were left dead, the work of the Catalans.[citation needed] The campaign was Byzantium's few decisive victories in a poorly-managed war. However, the Byzantines got more than what they bargained for; the mercenaries were difficult to restrain and consequently much of the reconquered territory was laid to waste. When their leader Roger de Flor was assassinated in Gallipoli on 3 April 1305 by Michael IX Palaeologus followed by a massacre of 1,300 Catalans, the mercenaries began a two-year pillage in revenge and crossed over to Thrace and Macedonia under the command of their new leader, Berenguer d'Entança, where further raiding occurred. As a result of this brutality, the Company got excommunicated by Pope Clement V. Eventually the Catalan mercenaries claimed the Duchy of Athens for themselves in 1311 and would remain there until 1379, leaving behind a devastated Byzantium. After this, the Turks found much support amongst those who suffered and reoccupied land that had been lost. Thus, the Catalans' campaign was a short-term Byzantine victory, but benefited the Turks in the long term.
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