Tarikh (al-Tabari) 3496
The Year 264 AH
مُلْكِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ مَدِينَةَ سَرَقُوسَةَ وَفِي سنة أربع وستين ومائتين رَابِعَ عَشَرَ رَمَضَانَ، مَلَكَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ سَرَقُوسَةَ، وَهِيَ مِنْ أَعْظَمِ [ مُدُنِ ] صِقِلِّيَّةَ. وَكَانَ سَبَبُ مُلْكِهَا أَنَّ جَعْفَرَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ أَمِيرَ صِقِلِّيَّةَ غَزَاهَا، فَأَفْسَدَ زَرْعَهَا، وَزَرْعَ قَطَانِيَةَ، وَطَبَرْمِينَ، وَرَمْطَةَ، وَغَيْرَهَا مِنْ بِلَادِ صِقِلِّيَّةَ الَّتِي بِيَدِ الرُّومِ، وَنَازَلَ سَرَقُوسَةَ، وَحَصَرَهَا بَرًّا وَبَحْرًا، وَمَلَكَ بَعْضَ أَرْبَاضِهَا، وَوَصَلَتْ مَرَاكِبُ الرُّومِ نَجْدَةً لَهَا، فَسَيَّرَ إِلَيْهَا أُسْطُولًا، فَأَصَابُوهَا، فَتَمَكَّنُوا حِينَئِذٍ مِنْ حَصْرِهَا، فَأَقَامَ الْعَسْكَرُ مُحَاصِرًا لَهَا تِسْعَةَ أَشْهُرٍ، وَفُتِحَتْ، وَقُتِلَ مِنْ أَهْلِهَا عِدَّةُ أُلُوفٍ، أُصِيبَ فِيهَا مِنَ الْغَنَائِمِ مَا لَمْ يُصَبْ بِمَدِينَةٍ أُخْرَى، وَلَمْ يَنْجُ مِنْ رِجَالِهَا إِلَّا الشَّاذُّ الْفَذُّ. وَأَقَامُوا فِيهَا بَعْدَ فَتْحِهَا بِشَهْرَيْنِ، ثُمَّ هَدَمُوهَا، ثُمَّ وَصَلَ بَعْدَ هَدْمِهَا مِنَ الْقُسْطَنْطِينِيَّةِ أُسْطُولٌ، فَالْتَقَوْا هُمْ وَالْمُسْلِمُونَ، فَظَفِرَ بِهِمُ الْمُسْلِمُونَ، وَأَخَذُوا مِنْهُمْ أَرْبَعَ قِطَعٍ، فَقَتَلُوا مَنْ فِيهَا، وَانْصَرَفَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ إِلَى بَلَدِهِمْ آخِرَ ذِي الْقَعْدَةِ.
Translation
✧ The Muslims' Possession of the City of Syracuse In the year two hundred sixty-four, on the fourteenth of Ramaḍān, the Muslims took possession of Syracuse, which is one of the greatest cities of Sicily. The reason for its possession was that Jaʿfar b. Muḥammad, the governor of Sicily, raided it, destroying its crops and the crops of Catania, Taormina, Rametta, and other Sicilian lands held by the Byzantines. He encamped against Syracuse and besieged it by land and sea, capturing some of its outskirts. Byzantine ships arrived as reinforcements for it, so he sent a fleet against them and they struck them. Then they were able to press the siege. The army remained blockading it for nine months, and it was conquered. Several thousands of its inhabitants were killed, and spoils were taken from it such as had not been taken from any other city. None of its men escaped except a scattered few. They remained in it for two months after its conquest, then demolished it. After its demolition, a fleet arrived from Constantinople, and they and the Muslims met. The Muslims defeated them, seizing four vessels from them, killing those aboard, and the Muslims returned to their own country at the end of Dhū al-Qaʿdah.
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