{{Battlebox|
battle_name=マラズギルトの戦い
|campaign=
|image=
|caption=
|conflict=
|date=1071年8月26日
|place=マラズギルト
|result=セルジューク朝の勝利
|combatant1=セルジューク朝
|combatant2=東ローマ帝国
|commander1=アルプ・アルスラーン
|commander2=ロマノス4世ディオゲネス
|strength1=30000
|strength2=70000
|casualties1=不明
|casualties2=8000
|}}

'''マラズギルトの戦い'''（トルコ語：Malazgirt Savaşı、 Mache tou Manzikert）とは1071年8月26日に、アナトリア東部のマラズギルト（Malazgirt）で、東ローマ帝国とセルジューク朝との間で戦われた戦闘。セルジューク朝が勝利をおさめ、東ローマ皇帝ロマノス4世ディオゲネスは捕虜となった。

戦闘が行われた地名について、東ローマのギリシア語文献はアルメニア語の「マンツィケルト」(Mantzikert)を転写した「マンツィケルト」(, Mantzikert)なる表記で記している。一方、セルジューク朝関連のペルシア語文献では「マラーズギルド」（ ملازكرد Malāzgird）或いは「マナーズギルド」（ منازكرد Manāzgird）などの表記を採り、アラビア語文献では「マナーズジルド」（ Manāzjird）などとも記されている。

== 背景 ==
シリア方面にのびていった。第2代スルターンとなったアルプ・アルスラーンの頃にはグルジア、ファーティマ朝治下のシリアに進出。さらにアルメニアに食指を動かした。
これが、東ローマ帝国との対立を生ずることになり、この戦いにいたった。

==経過==
1071年春、ロマノスはセルジューク側を上回る6万の軍勢を率いて討伐に向かい、アルメニアのヴァン湖北岸のアフラート:en:Ahlat（ヒラート）とマラズギルト、二つの要塞を確保するため東方に親征した。アルプ・アルスラーンは1万5000騎でシリアから北上し和議を申し入れたが、数を頼みとするロマノスはテュルク人の西方進出を一掃すべく、和議を蹴って決戦に臨んだ。

こうして8月17日、両軍はアフラートとマラズギルトの間で戦闘になった。しかし、ロマノスの率いていた当時の東ローマ軍は傭兵の寄せ集めで士気が低く、またドゥーカス王朝の一族アンドロニコス・ドゥーカスが裏切って兵を引き上げたために東ローマ軍は大混乱に陥り、ロマノス自身も捕虜となって敗北してしまったと言われている。ローマ皇帝が捕虜になったのは3世紀にサーサーン朝の捕虜となったヴァレリアヌス以来のことである。

== 結果 ==
東ローマ帝国のアナトリアでの影響力が低下し、アルプ・アルスラーンによるダーニシュマンド朝などのセルジューク系のオグズ・テュルクメン諸侯勢力の入植によって、アナトリアのイスラーム化とテュルク系民族の進出の端緒となり、ルーム・セルジューク朝、さらに後々のオスマン帝国の勃興、東ローマ帝国の滅亡へと繋がる遠因ともなった。また、セルジューク朝の脅威にさらされることになった東ローマ帝国は、西欧に救援を要請し、これが十字軍となった。

{{Infobox Military Conflict|
conflict=Battle of Manzikert|
image=300px|thumb.
In this 15th-century French miniature depicting the Battle of Manzikert, the combatants are clad in contemporary Western European armour.|
partof=the Byzantine-Seljuk wars|
date=August 26, 1071|
place=Manzikert, (modern Malazgirt)|
result=Seljuk victory|
combatant1=35x24px Byzantine Empire|
combatant2= Great Seljuk Sultanate|
commander1=Romanus IV,<br/>Nikephoros Bryennios,<br/>Theodore Alyates,<br/>Andronikos Doukas|
commander2=Alp Arslan|
strength1= originally <ref></ref><ref name="Norwich238"/> (more than half deserted)</br>~  [http://www.deremilitari.org/resources/articles/markham.htm]- <ref name="Norwich238"/> took part.|
strength2=~  [http://www.deremilitari.org/resources/articles/markham.htm]-<ref name="Norwich238"/>|
casualties1=~  [http://www.deremilitari.org/resources/articles/markham.htm]|
casualties2=Unknown|
}}

'''The Battle of Manzikert''', or '''Malazgirt''' (Turkish: ''Malazgirt Savaşı'') was fought between the Seljuq forces led by Armenia (modern Basprakania<ref></ref> theme (province) of the Empire. It resulted in one of the most decisive defeats of the Byzantine Empire and the capture of the Byzantine Emperor Romanos IV Diogenes.<ref name="Grant77"/> The Battle of Manzikert played an important role in breaking the Byzantine resistance and preparing the way for Turkish settlement in Anatolia.<ref>Peter Malcolm Holt, Ann Katharine Swynford Lambton, Bernard Lewis ''The Cambridge History of Islam'', 1977, p.231,232 [http://books.google.de/books?id=j15MBH-FIwkC&pg=PA231&dq=battle+manzikert+bernard+lewis&sig=PJnsVHRGFHDo9QMIOin4xvTma9Q#PPA232,M1]</ref> 

The battle marked the high point of the initial Turkish incursions and was followed up two years later with a large influx of Turkish settlers and soldiers, many at the request of the crumbling Byzantine Empire. However, the battle was not the slaughter that many historians, including contemporary writers, have stressed it to be &mdash; large numbers of mercenaries and Anatolian levies fled and survived the battle, thanks in part to Alp Arslan's refusal to pursue them.<ref name="Norwich240"/> All the Byzantine commanders, including Romanus, survived to participate in the numerous civil conflicts that wrecked Anatolia.<ref name="Norwich241"></ref> Nonetheless, the Byzantine Empire would never be able to muster a force as large, nor as distantly projected as that which took part in the fateful battle. 

==Background==

Although the Byzantine Empire had remained a strong and powerful entity in the Middle Ages,<ref name="Konstam40"></ref> the Kingdom began to decline under the reign of the militarily incompetent Constantine IX and again under  Great Seljuk Sultan Alp Arslan came to power and thus the invasion of Armenia, halted in 1045, began again.

During the 1060s, the Seljuk Sultan Alp Arslan allowed his Turkish allies, as well as the Armenia and Ani.<ref name="Konstam40"/> Constantine X (successor to Isaac Komnenos) did much discredit to his predecessor &mdash; in 1067 Armenia was taken by the Turks, followed by Caesarea.<ref> - "The fate of Caesarea was well known"</ref> In 1068, Romanos IV took power and after a few speedy military reforms led an expedition against the Seljuks, allowing him to capture the city of Hierapolis Bambyce in Edessa (Urfa). Romanos threatened war if Alp Arslan did not comply, and prepared his troops anyway, expecting the sultan to decline his offer, which he did.

==Preparations==
Accompanying Romanos was Frankish and Norman mercenaries under Uz and Varangian Guard, to total around 60- troops.<ref name="Norwich238"></ref> The quality of the Byzantine Thematic (provincial) troops had declined in the years prior to the succession of Romanus as the central government diverted resources to the recruitment of mercenaries who were considered less likely to become involved in coups or factional fighting within the Empire. Even when mercenaries were used, they were disbanded after to save money. 

The march across Asia Minor was long and difficult, and Romanos did not endear himself to his troops by bringing a luxurious baggage train along with him; the Byzantine population also suffered some plundering by Romanos' Frankish mercenaries, whom he was forced to dismiss. The expedition first rested at Sebasteia on the Halys, and reached Theodosiopolis in June 1071. There, some of his generals suggested continuing the march into Seljuk territory and catching Arslan before he was ready. Some of the other generals, including Nikephoros Bryennios, suggested they wait there and fortify their position. Eventually it was decided to continue the march.

Thinking that Alp Arslan was either further away or not coming at all, Romanos marched towards Khliat if possible. However, Arslan was actually in Armenia, with  cavalry from Aleppo, Mosul, and his other allies. Alp Arslan's spies knew exactly where Romanos was, while Romanos was completely unaware of his opponent's movements.

Romanos ordered his general Joseph Tarchaneiotes to take some of the Byzantine troops and Varangians and accompany the Pechenegs and Franks to Khliat, while Romanos and the rest of the army marched to Manzikert. This split the forces in half, each taking about  men.<ref name="Norwich238"/> It is unknown what happened to the army sent off with Joseph Tarchaneiotes - according to Islamic sources, Alp Arslan smashed his army; however Byzantine sources remain quiet of any such encounter,<ref name="Norwich238"/> whilst Attaleiates suggests that Tarchaneiotes fled at the sight of the Seljuk Sultan - an unlikely event considering the reputation of the Byzantine general. Either way, Romanus' army was reduced to less than half his planned 60- men.<ref name="Norwich238"/>

==The battle==
left|thumb|300px|Byzantine territory (purple), Byzantine attacks (red) and Seljuk attacks (green).

Romanus was unaware of the loss of Tarchaneiotes<ref name="Norwich238"/> and continued to Manzikert, which he easily captured on August 23; the Seljuks responded with heavy incursions by bowmen.<ref name="Norwich238"/> The next day some foraging parties under Bryennios discovered the Seljuk army and were forced to retreat back to Manzikert. The Armenian general Basilaces was sent out with some cavalry, as Romanos did not believe this was Arslan's full army; the cavalry was destroyed and Basilaces taken prisoner. Romanos drew up his troops into formation and sent the left wing out under Bryennios, who was almost surrounded by the quickly approaching Turks and was forced to retreat once more. The Turks hid among the nearby hills for the night, making it nearly impossible for Romanus to send a counterattack.<ref name="Grant77"/><ref name="Konstam41"></ref>

On August 25, some of Romanos' Turkish mercenaries came into contact with their Seljuk relatives and deserted. Romanos then rejected a Seljuk peace embassy<ref name="Norwich239"></ref> as he wanted to settle the Turkish problem with a decisive military victory and understood that raising another army would be both difficult and expensive. The Emperor attempted to recall Tarchaneiotes, who was no longer in the area. There were no engagements that day, but on August 26 the Byzantine army gathered itself into a proper battle formation and began to march on the Turkish positions, with the left wing under Bryennios, the right wing under Theodore Alyates, and the centre under the emperor. Andronikos Doukas led the reserve forces in the rear - a foolish mistake, considering the loyalties of the Doukids. The Seljuks were organized into a crescent formation about four kilometres away,<ref name="Norwich239"/> with Arslan observing events from a safe distance. Seljuk archers attacked the Byzantines as they drew closer; the centre of their crescent continually moved backwards while the wings moved to surround the Byzantine troops.

The Byzantines held off the arrow attacks and captured Arslan's camp by the end of the afternoon. However, the right and left wings, where the arrows did most of their damage, almost broke up when individual units tried to force the Seljuks into a pitched battle; the Seljuk cavalry simply fled when challenged, the classic hit and run tactics of steppe warriors. With the Seljuks avoiding battle,<ref name="Grant77"></ref> Romanos was forced to order a withdrawal by the time night fell.<ref name="Grant77"/> However, the right wing misunderstood the order, and Doukas, as an enemy of Romanos, deliberately ignored the emperor and marched back to the camp outside Manzikert, rather than covering the emperor's retreat. Now that the Byzantines were thoroughly confused, the Seljuks seized the opportunity and attacked.<ref name="Grant77"/> The Byzantine right wing was routed; the left under Bryennios held out a little longer but was soon routed as well.<ref name="Norwich240"></ref> The remnants of the Byzantine centre, including the Emperor and the Varangian Guard, were encircled by the Seljuks. Romanus was injured, and taken prisoner by the Seljuks. The survivors were the many who fled the field and were pursued throughout the night, but not beyond that; by dawn, the professional core of the Byzantine army had been destroyed whilst many of the Peasant troops and levies who had been under the command of Andronikus fled.<ref name="Norwich240"/>

===Captivity of Romanus Diogenes===
thumb|right|200px|Alp Arslan humiliating Emperor Romanos IV. From a 15th-century illustrated French translation of [[Boccacio's ''De Casibus Virorum Illustrium.]]

When the Emperor Romanos IV was conducted into the presence of Alp Arslan, he refused to believe that the bloodied and tattered man covered in dirt was the mighty Emperor of the Romans.<ref name="Norwich240"/> After discovering the identity of the Emperor, a famous conversation is reported to have taken place:

:'''Alp Arslan''': ''"What would you do if I were brought before you as a prisoner?"'' 
:'''Romanus''': ''"Perhaps I'd kill you, or exhibit you in the streets of Constantinople."'' 
:'''Alp Arslan''': ''"My punishment is far heavier. I forgive you, and set you free."'' 

After the Seljuk Sultan had placed his boot on the Emperor's neck and forced him to kiss the ground,<ref name="Norwich240"/> he treated him with considerable kindness and again offered the terms of peace which he had offered previous to the battle.