Asia Minor

   The heartland of medieval Byzantium (q.v.). Geographically, it constitutes a huge peninsula at the extremity of western Asia that extends toward Europe. It is also called Anatolia and is roughly synonymous with the Asian part of Turkey. Asia Minor extends from the Aegean Sea to the Euphrates River (qq.v.), and it is dominated by a large, central plateau, some 1,000-2,000 meters in elevation, with peripheral mountain ranges that include the great Taurus (q.v.) range in the southeast. Asia Minor's peace and prosperity remained intact until the destructive Persian (q.v.) raids of the early seventh century. These were closely followed by Arab (q.v.) raids that went on relentlessly for the next two centuries, despite the theme (q.v.) system, which provided a kind of defense-in-depth. During these centuries, cities were reduced in size and heavily fortified. Michael III (q.v.) launched an offensive in 856 that began to turn the tide. Subsequent military action, taking advantage of Muslim weakness, created peaceful conditions that lasted until the advent of the Seljuks (q.v.) in the middle of the 11th century. The battle of Mantzikert (q.v.) in 1071 opened the floodgate to Seljuk expansion. Final Byzantine efforts to maintain some control in Asia Minor were dashed at the battle of Myriokephalon (q.v.) in 1176.