Emperor
Romanos III Argyros decides to retaliate upon the incursions of the Muslims on the eastern frontier. He leads a Byzantine expeditionary force (20,000 men) to secure
Antioch. The
Mirdasid emir
Shibl al-Dawla Nasr of
Aleppo sues for peace, but Romanos refuses to negotiate and leads his army against Aleppo, against the advice of his generals. The Byzantine army encamps near
Azaz,
where they are encircled by the Mirdasids'
Bedouin troops, who cut off the Byzantines from food and water.
10 August – Romanos orders a retreat to Antioch. As the army is exhausted from the heat and the lack of supplies, the retreat soon turns into a flight in panic. Romanos returns to Constantinople in humiliation but his generals on the eastern frontier manage to salvage the situation: a
Fatimid attack on
Maraclea is repulsed, and Azaz itself is captured in December after a brief siege. In April/May 1031, Emir Nasr of Aleppo agreed to vassal and tributary status with Byzantium.[1]
Europe
June – Emperor
Conrad II (the Elder) leads an invasion into
Hungary. He plunders the lands west of the River
Rába, but suffers from consequences of the
scorched earth tactics used by the Hungarians. Conrad, threatened by starvation, is forced to retreat back to
Germany. King
Stephen I pursues his forces, which are defeated and captured by the Hungarians at
Vienna.
July 29 –
Battle of Stiklestad: King
Olaf II Haraldsson (St. Olaf) attempts to reconquer
Norway with help from King
Anund Jakob of
Sweden. He is defeated by a superior Norwegian peasant and Danish army (14,000 men). Olaf is killed in the battle, he is later canonized and becomes the
patron saint of Norway and Rex perpetuum Norvegiae ('the eternal king of Norway').
The first mention is made of
Tartu,
Estonia, as Grand Prince
Yaroslav I (the Wise) of
Novgorod and
Kiev defeats the
Estonians, and founds a fort named Yuryev (modern-day Tartu).[2] The Rus' will hold the fortress for the next 30 or 31 years.
The first mention is made of
Thalwil,
Switzerland, which is derived from Tellewilare, and indicates the early medieval origins of Thalwil as an
Alemannic farmstead.
Henry I revolts against his father King
Robert II (the Pious) in a civil war over power and property. Robert's army is defeated, and he retreats to
Beaugency.
July 20 – King
Robert II (the Pious) dies at
Melun, after a 35-year reign. He is succeeded by his 23-year-old son,
Henry I, who becomes the sole ruler of
France. Henry's mother, Queen dowager
Constance of Arles, prefers her third son,
Robert, as heir to the
throne and, with the help of Count
Odo II, begins a war against Henry.[3]
The
Caliphate of Córdoba collapses after years of infighting; the caliphate fractures into a number of independent Muslim taifa (kingdoms). The last
Umayyad ruler, Caliph
Hisham III, tries to consolidate the caliphate, but his raising of taxes (to pay for
mosques) leads to heavy opposition and he is imprisoned by his rivals.[4]
King
Mieszko II is forced to escape
Poland after an attack of Grand Prince
Yaroslav I (the Wise) of
Kiev, who installs Mieszko's half-brother
Bezprym onto the Polish throne.
Odo II, count of
Champagne, invades
Burgundy and seizes most of the kingdom for himself.[7] With the assistance of
Humbert I of
Savoy, Queen-dowager Ermengarde (Rudolph III's widow) flees to the safety of
Zürich.
Winter – Conrad II marches with his army into Champagne and devastates the land – forcing Odo II to sue for peace and swear to abandon Burgundy. The bishops prevent Conrad from seizing control of Burgundy.[7]
December 5 – A
major earthquake in the Jordan Valley devastates multiple cities across the Palestine region, killing many people and triggering a tsunami.[9]
Treaty of Merseburg: Conrad II attends a Hoftag at
Merseburg and signs an agreement with King
Mieszko II. He divides
Poland in three parts with Mieszko designated as supreme ruler, in exchange for Conrad's support.
By topic
Religion
Panic spreads throughout
Europe that the end of the universe may be near,[11][12][13] on the 1,000th anniversary of the crucifixion of
Christ, due to some unusually harsh spring weather. The
Book of Revelation (Chapter 20) predicts the end of the earth after a 1,000 year period after the second return of Jesus Christ.[14][15][16]
May – King
Mieszko II dies after a 6-year reign (probably killed as a result of a conspiracy) and is succeeded by his 17-year-old son
Casimir I (the Restorer). A violent revolt spreads throughout
Poland.
In
Al-Andalus, benefiting from the weakening of the Muslim central authority, the count of
Portugal, Gonçalo Maia, conquers
Montemor-o-Velho (approximate date).
c.
July 3 – 8-year-old
William I becomes duke of
Normandy after his father
Robert I ("the Magnificent") dies on a
pilgrimage at
Nicaea (modern
Turkey). Robert's death leads to a period of instability in Normandy, as William is too young to take his father's place. The Norman
nobles in the region take the opportunity to settle old
feuds and to increase their private wealth.[21]
Winter – Harthacnut is unable to travel to his
coronation in England because his Danish kingdom is under threat of an invasion by King
Magnus I of Norway and King
Anund Jacob of
Sweden.
Spring – A revolt in northern
Italy is started by Archbishop
Aribert of
Milan. King
Henry III (eldest son of Emperor
Conrad II) travels south of the
Alps to quell it.
May – Conrad II, with Pavian assistance, lays siege to Milan at the
Porta Romana side, but the city holds out. In
Rome, Pope
Benedict IX deposes Aribert as archbishop.
Summer – A Byzantine expeditionary force under
George Maniakes lands at
Sicily, and defeats the
Zirids. Maniakes begins his campaign to reconquer the island.
Emperor
Conrad II (the Elder) travels to
Southern Italy and holds court in
Troia. He orders
Pandulf IV of Capua to restore the territories of
Monte Cassino. Pandulf holes himself up in the fortress of
Sant'Agata de' Goti, and dispatches
tribute (300 lb of gold) and his son as hostage to Troia as a token of peace. Conrad accepts his offer, but the son escapes. Conrad goes on the offensive and seizes Capua, and gives it to
Guaimar IV of Salerno.
Duke
John II drives his brother
Manso II and his mother
Maria out of
Amalfi. He has Manso blinded and
exiled to the island of
Sirenuse. John reconciles with Maria, and allows her to remain as co-ruler of Amalfi.
June 4 – Emperor
Conrad II (the Elder) dies of
gout in
Utrecht after a 12-year reign. He is succeeded by his 21-year-old son,
Henry III (the Black), who also becomes king of
Italy and
Burgundy.
Duke
Casimir I (the Restorer) returns to
Poland, and makes great efforts to rebuild the war-ruined country. He establishes his residence at
Kraków (which becomes Poland's capital until
1596).[28]
^Halm, Heinz (2003). Die Kalifen von Kairo: Die Fatimiden in Ägypten, 973–1074 [The Caliphs of Cairo: The Fatimids in Egypt, 973–1074] (in German). Munich: C. H. Beck. pp. 341–343.
ISBN3-406-48654-1.
^Norwich, John (1991). Byzantium: the Apogee, pp. 279–80. London: Penguin.
ISBN0-670-80252-2.
^Richard Brzezinski (1998). History of Poland: Old Poland, the Piast Dynasty, p. 18.
ISBN83-7212-019-6.
^Black's Picturesque Tourist of Scotland, Adam and Charles Black. Published 1861, Scotland.
^Meynier, Gilbert (2010). L'Algérie cœur du Maghreb classique: De l'ouverture islamo-arabe au repli (658-1518). Paris: La Découverte. p. 50.
^The Gesta Normannorum Ducum of William of Jumièges, Orderic Vitalis, and Robert of Torigni, Ed. & Trans. Elizabeth M.C. van Houts, Vol. I (Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1992), pp. 80-85.
^Benvenuti, Gino (1985). Le Repubbliche Marinare. Amalfi, Pisa, Genova e Venezia. Rome: Newton & Compton Editori. p. 42.
ISBN88-8289-529-7.
^Meynier, Gilbert (2010). L'Algérie, cœur du Maghreb classique: De l'ouverture islamo-arabe au repli (658-1518). Paris: La Découverte. p. 50.
Emperor
Romanos III Argyros decides to retaliate upon the incursions of the Muslims on the eastern frontier. He leads a Byzantine expeditionary force (20,000 men) to secure
Antioch. The
Mirdasid emir
Shibl al-Dawla Nasr of
Aleppo sues for peace, but Romanos refuses to negotiate and leads his army against Aleppo, against the advice of his generals. The Byzantine army encamps near
Azaz,
where they are encircled by the Mirdasids'
Bedouin troops, who cut off the Byzantines from food and water.
10 August – Romanos orders a retreat to Antioch. As the army is exhausted from the heat and the lack of supplies, the retreat soon turns into a flight in panic. Romanos returns to Constantinople in humiliation but his generals on the eastern frontier manage to salvage the situation: a
Fatimid attack on
Maraclea is repulsed, and Azaz itself is captured in December after a brief siege. In April/May 1031, Emir Nasr of Aleppo agreed to vassal and tributary status with Byzantium.[1]
Europe
June – Emperor
Conrad II (the Elder) leads an invasion into
Hungary. He plunders the lands west of the River
Rába, but suffers from consequences of the
scorched earth tactics used by the Hungarians. Conrad, threatened by starvation, is forced to retreat back to
Germany. King
Stephen I pursues his forces, which are defeated and captured by the Hungarians at
Vienna.
July 29 –
Battle of Stiklestad: King
Olaf II Haraldsson (St. Olaf) attempts to reconquer
Norway with help from King
Anund Jakob of
Sweden. He is defeated by a superior Norwegian peasant and Danish army (14,000 men). Olaf is killed in the battle, he is later canonized and becomes the
patron saint of Norway and Rex perpetuum Norvegiae ('the eternal king of Norway').
The first mention is made of
Tartu,
Estonia, as Grand Prince
Yaroslav I (the Wise) of
Novgorod and
Kiev defeats the
Estonians, and founds a fort named Yuryev (modern-day Tartu).[2] The Rus' will hold the fortress for the next 30 or 31 years.
The first mention is made of
Thalwil,
Switzerland, which is derived from Tellewilare, and indicates the early medieval origins of Thalwil as an
Alemannic farmstead.
Henry I revolts against his father King
Robert II (the Pious) in a civil war over power and property. Robert's army is defeated, and he retreats to
Beaugency.
July 20 – King
Robert II (the Pious) dies at
Melun, after a 35-year reign. He is succeeded by his 23-year-old son,
Henry I, who becomes the sole ruler of
France. Henry's mother, Queen dowager
Constance of Arles, prefers her third son,
Robert, as heir to the
throne and, with the help of Count
Odo II, begins a war against Henry.[3]
The
Caliphate of Córdoba collapses after years of infighting; the caliphate fractures into a number of independent Muslim taifa (kingdoms). The last
Umayyad ruler, Caliph
Hisham III, tries to consolidate the caliphate, but his raising of taxes (to pay for
mosques) leads to heavy opposition and he is imprisoned by his rivals.[4]
King
Mieszko II is forced to escape
Poland after an attack of Grand Prince
Yaroslav I (the Wise) of
Kiev, who installs Mieszko's half-brother
Bezprym onto the Polish throne.
Odo II, count of
Champagne, invades
Burgundy and seizes most of the kingdom for himself.[7] With the assistance of
Humbert I of
Savoy, Queen-dowager Ermengarde (Rudolph III's widow) flees to the safety of
Zürich.
Winter – Conrad II marches with his army into Champagne and devastates the land – forcing Odo II to sue for peace and swear to abandon Burgundy. The bishops prevent Conrad from seizing control of Burgundy.[7]
December 5 – A
major earthquake in the Jordan Valley devastates multiple cities across the Palestine region, killing many people and triggering a tsunami.[9]
Treaty of Merseburg: Conrad II attends a Hoftag at
Merseburg and signs an agreement with King
Mieszko II. He divides
Poland in three parts with Mieszko designated as supreme ruler, in exchange for Conrad's support.
By topic
Religion
Panic spreads throughout
Europe that the end of the universe may be near,[11][12][13] on the 1,000th anniversary of the crucifixion of
Christ, due to some unusually harsh spring weather. The
Book of Revelation (Chapter 20) predicts the end of the earth after a 1,000 year period after the second return of Jesus Christ.[14][15][16]
May – King
Mieszko II dies after a 6-year reign (probably killed as a result of a conspiracy) and is succeeded by his 17-year-old son
Casimir I (the Restorer). A violent revolt spreads throughout
Poland.
In
Al-Andalus, benefiting from the weakening of the Muslim central authority, the count of
Portugal, Gonçalo Maia, conquers
Montemor-o-Velho (approximate date).
c.
July 3 – 8-year-old
William I becomes duke of
Normandy after his father
Robert I ("the Magnificent") dies on a
pilgrimage at
Nicaea (modern
Turkey). Robert's death leads to a period of instability in Normandy, as William is too young to take his father's place. The Norman
nobles in the region take the opportunity to settle old
feuds and to increase their private wealth.[21]
Winter – Harthacnut is unable to travel to his
coronation in England because his Danish kingdom is under threat of an invasion by King
Magnus I of Norway and King
Anund Jacob of
Sweden.
Spring – A revolt in northern
Italy is started by Archbishop
Aribert of
Milan. King
Henry III (eldest son of Emperor
Conrad II) travels south of the
Alps to quell it.
May – Conrad II, with Pavian assistance, lays siege to Milan at the
Porta Romana side, but the city holds out. In
Rome, Pope
Benedict IX deposes Aribert as archbishop.
Summer – A Byzantine expeditionary force under
George Maniakes lands at
Sicily, and defeats the
Zirids. Maniakes begins his campaign to reconquer the island.
Emperor
Conrad II (the Elder) travels to
Southern Italy and holds court in
Troia. He orders
Pandulf IV of Capua to restore the territories of
Monte Cassino. Pandulf holes himself up in the fortress of
Sant'Agata de' Goti, and dispatches
tribute (300 lb of gold) and his son as hostage to Troia as a token of peace. Conrad accepts his offer, but the son escapes. Conrad goes on the offensive and seizes Capua, and gives it to
Guaimar IV of Salerno.
Duke
John II drives his brother
Manso II and his mother
Maria out of
Amalfi. He has Manso blinded and
exiled to the island of
Sirenuse. John reconciles with Maria, and allows her to remain as co-ruler of Amalfi.
June 4 – Emperor
Conrad II (the Elder) dies of
gout in
Utrecht after a 12-year reign. He is succeeded by his 21-year-old son,
Henry III (the Black), who also becomes king of
Italy and
Burgundy.
Duke
Casimir I (the Restorer) returns to
Poland, and makes great efforts to rebuild the war-ruined country. He establishes his residence at
Kraków (which becomes Poland's capital until
1596).[28]
^Halm, Heinz (2003). Die Kalifen von Kairo: Die Fatimiden in Ägypten, 973–1074 [The Caliphs of Cairo: The Fatimids in Egypt, 973–1074] (in German). Munich: C. H. Beck. pp. 341–343.
ISBN3-406-48654-1.
^Norwich, John (1991). Byzantium: the Apogee, pp. 279–80. London: Penguin.
ISBN0-670-80252-2.
^Richard Brzezinski (1998). History of Poland: Old Poland, the Piast Dynasty, p. 18.
ISBN83-7212-019-6.
^Black's Picturesque Tourist of Scotland, Adam and Charles Black. Published 1861, Scotland.
^Meynier, Gilbert (2010). L'Algérie cœur du Maghreb classique: De l'ouverture islamo-arabe au repli (658-1518). Paris: La Découverte. p. 50.
^The Gesta Normannorum Ducum of William of Jumièges, Orderic Vitalis, and Robert of Torigni, Ed. & Trans. Elizabeth M.C. van Houts, Vol. I (Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1992), pp. 80-85.
^Benvenuti, Gino (1985). Le Repubbliche Marinare. Amalfi, Pisa, Genova e Venezia. Rome: Newton & Compton Editori. p. 42.
ISBN88-8289-529-7.
^Meynier, Gilbert (2010). L'Algérie, cœur du Maghreb classique: De l'ouverture islamo-arabe au repli (658-1518). Paris: La Découverte. p. 50.