What is it about?
Explores the rhythm of war during the 968-69 CE blockade of Antioch by east Roman forces by using a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) model to examine potentials of human movement. The blockade was too distant to keep the Antiochenes within their walls, and model looks at how the Antioch might have gathered food while east Roman troops attempted to disrupt their access to their hinterland.
Featured Image
Photo by adam habib on Unsplash
Why is it important?
The blockade lasted a year and involved thousands of individuals both within and without, but their perspectives are not recorded in any historical source. By looking at the blockade through a digital, spatial model, we are able to appreciate where and how long movement took between the siege camps and Antioch itself, and lets us understand the quotidian rhythms of life for the besieged and the besiegers.
Perspectives
Writing this was a good opportunity to try out some GIS movement models in practice, and I will be taking it further with others in the future.
Lucas McMahon
University of Exeter
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Strangling Antioch: a Spatial Approach to Conquest, April 2025, De Gruyter,
DOI: 10.1163/9789004724716_006.
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