Careful siege of Zeugminon by Manuel, balancing maintenance of siege with defence against relief force

Summary:
 
Dates:
1165 
old woman in Zeugminon (Anonyma 17019)
  • She bared her buttocks to insult the Byzantine attackers of Zeugminon but was later found with an arrow through them (:) Kinnamos 246.2-10
Byzantine archer at Zeugminon (Anonymus 17065)
  • Firing accurately in the siege of Zeugminon, he is said to have been protected by Manuel 1 with his shield (:) Kinnamos 245.2-5
Byzantine archer at Zeugminon (Anonymus 17066)
  • Was captured by the Hungarians at Zeugminon and, since he was a good archer, was set to shoot at his comrades; but he deliberately missed; at the capture of the city he was found in a windowless dungeon (:) Kinnamos 246.11-17
Emperor Manuel I Komnenos (Manuel 1)
  • Was warned by Roman scouts and Vasas 17001 of the approach of Stephanos 53, with Cumans, Russians and the king of the Czechs (Vladislav 17001) with all his forces; called a council to discuss how to act (:) Σκύθην ὁμοῦ καὶ Ταυροσκύθην ἄγοντα στρατόν Kinnamos 242.11-20
  • His speech at the council urged careful thought; when opinions were divided over aggressive or defensive strategies, he persuaded the Byzantines to face the approaching army while maintaining the siege with weaker troops (:) Kinnamos 242.20-244.7
  • Before facing the approaching force, a new attack on the walls with missiles and undermining made progress; he protected an archer (Anonymus 17065) with his shield (:) Kinnamos 244.7-245.5
  • Studied Zeugminon all around, decided where to attack and filled in the large ditches with brushwood, as there was no stone, for the passage of siege-engines; but the morale of the Hungarian defenders remained high (:) Kinnamos 242.2-10
  • When he reached Zeugminon, its defenders all rushed inside; later, when a wooden siege-tower approached the walls, he (Ioannes 17001 Kinnamos is a witness), demanded to go up first — but his commanders strongly forbade it (:) Kinnamos 241.6-242.2
István III, king of Hungary (Stephanos 53)
  • Was reported to be approaching Zeugminon with an army of Cumans, Russians and the king of the Czechs (Vladislav 17001) with all his forces (:) Σκύθην ὁμοῦ καὶ Ταυροσκύθην ἄγοντα στρατόν Kinnamos 242.11-18
Vasas, Hungarian nobleman (Vasas 17001)
  • When Byzantine scouts reported the approach of an army, he said it was Stephanos 53 with a large army including Cumans, Russians and the king of the Czechs (Vladislav 17001) with full forces (:) Kinnamos 242.11-18
Vladislav II, king of the Czechs (Bohemia) (Vladislav 17001)
  • Was reported to be approaching Zeugminon with all his forces again in the army of Stephanos 53 (:) Kinnamos 242.17-18