battle, medieval

Capture of Messina

Name: Capture of Messina
Location: Messina, Italy

Capture of Messina was a battle fought in 1038 at Messina, in what is now Italy. Its exact site is not recorded; the atlas places it at Messina. It was part of Q141304352. The recorded result: Byzantine victory. Recorded strength: Total: 10,000; 1,000 Varangian Guards; 2,000 Italian recruits and auxiliaries; 300–500 Normans against Unknown.

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Fought1038

WhereMessina, Italy38.194N, 15.554E, placed at the location, approximate

OutcomeByzantine victory

BelligerentsByzantine EmpireagainstKalbid Emirate

Casualties and lossesUnknownandHeavy

Part ofQ141304352

Where it sits in Q141304352

3 placed engagements of Q141304352 in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date	1038 (year precision)
Place	Messina, Italy 38.194N, 15.554E
Kind	Battle, medieval
Territorial change	Byzantines capture Messina
Strength	Total: 10,000; 1,000 Varangian Guards; 2,000 Italian recruits and auxiliaries; 300–500 Normans	Unknown
Casualties and losses	Unknown	Heavy
Commanders	George Maniakes Katakalon Kekaumenos Harald Hardrada Arduin the Lombard Rainulf Drengot Drogo of Hauteville

Placed at Messina; the exact site is not recorded. with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

Battle of Messene 397 BC, 1.2 km S
Siege of Messina 1847, 1.2 km S
Siege of Messina 1041, 1.2 km S
Siege of Messina 1300, 1.2 km S
Siege of Messina AD 842, 1.2 km S

In the same war

After: Battle of Rometta 1038

Elsewhere in 1038

Capture of Messina is one of 318 engagements of the 11th century in the atlas and one of 942 in present-day Italy.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q141304205, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Capture of Messina (1038), revision 1380330996, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.