AHC/WI: Byzantine Sicilian reconquest

As the title says, what would happen if the Byzantine reconquered Sicily after the 9th century and how would one go about it, possibly achieving it before OTL Norman conquest?

And following that, what would happen in Sicily in terms of religion, language and other demographic developments? I'd wager Romance would still be the main language family spoken in the region, not sure if Greek can become majority mid term.
 
Well, you could give a couple more years of life to Basileos II, IIRC he was planning a reconquest of Sicily in his later years. Or have some POD around the Georgios Maniakos reconquest, I think it's not ASB for it to succeed.
As for the linguistic and religeous developments, it'd largely depend on what happens with Italian Catepanate and the Pope. The Normans resettled a lot of South Italians and North African Romance speakers in Sicily, so if the Catepanate remains mostly a small coastal area around Apulia and Calabria I can see it either retaining a lot of its arab character or becoming much more greek if they are ultimately resettled here. But if the Catepanate grows enough to encompass most of Southern Italy it'd be easier to settle it with Italians. As for religion, it'd probably be under the nominal suzerainty of the Pope until the Schism happens, but it'd probably take a lot of eastern character, but I don't know much about religious matters so don't take my word for it.
 
Well, you could give a couple more years of life to Basileos II, IIRC he was planning a reconquest of Sicily in his later years. Or have some POD around the Georgios Maniakos reconquest, I think it's not ASB for it to succeed.
As for the linguistic and religeous developments, it'd largely depend on what happens with Italian Catepanate and the Pope. The Normans resettled a lot of South Italians and North African Romance speakers in Sicily, so if the Catepanate remains mostly a small coastal area around Apulia and Calabria I can see it either retaining a lot of its arab character or becoming much more greek if they are ultimately resettled here. But if the Catepanate grows enough to encompass most of Southern Italy it'd be easier to settle it with Italians. As for religion, it'd probably be under the nominal suzerainty of the Pope until the Schism happens, but it'd probably take a lot of eastern character, but I don't know much about religious matters so don't take my word for it.
I can't see a situation where a Sicilian reconquest is possible without a stronger hold in Southern peninsular Italy. Would a 10th century reconquest be possible if the Byzantines deal with the Bulgarians better early on?
 
I can't see a situation where a Sicilian reconquest is possible without a stronger hold in Southern peninsular Italy. Would a 10th century reconquest be possible if the Byzantines deal with the Bulgarians better early on?

George Maniakes having reconquered most of the island before being recalled to Constantinople might have disagreed.
 
George Maniakes having reconquered most of the island before being recalled to Constantinople might have disagreed.
George Maniakes reconquered the Eastern half of the island only, which the Byzantines held a century before anyway and which was the most Greek portion.
Plus my idea wouldn't be that conquest without more peninuslar Italy is impossible, but that a Byzantine that reconquers Sicily would consequently be strong enough to retake more of mainland Italy as well.
 
Does anyone have any earlier PODs? Possibly making the Greeks reconquer the island before the loss of Syracuse even? Although a 10th century POD seems more likely.
 
Also related mini question, what language did Malta speak prior to the Arab conquest?
Not much is recorded, but it was under control of the Western empire and the bulk of its population was noted as being Latinized, with some Greeks being introduced later. So probably Latin locally and Greek for commerce until the island was lost to the Arab conquest.
 
Not much is recorded, but it was under control of the Western empire and the bulk of its population was noted as being Latinized, with some Greeks being introduced later. So probably Latin locally and Greek for commerce until the island was lost to the Arab conquest.
Eastern Sicily spoke Greek and the island was ruled 4 centuries by Byzantium(although half of those were during the period in which Latin was official), I wonder if they really had no local Greek population.

Punic is dead by this time?
 
Does anyone have any earlier PODs? Possibly making the Greeks reconquer the island before the loss of Syracuse even? Although a 10th century POD seems more likely.
If you want to have an early reconquest of Sicily, I think it needs to come with an earlier reconquest of Crete. The loss of Crete was a much bigger problem than the loss of Sicily as it exposed the entire Aegean littoral to Arab raiding. That’s why the Byzantines launched A major expedition to Crete almost every generation from its loss in ~828 to Nikephoros Phokas’s successful invasion in 961. If one of those earlier attempts succeeds, then the Byzantines might well go for Sicily.
 
If you want to have an early reconquest of Sicily, I think it needs to come with an earlier reconquest of Crete. The loss of Crete was a much bigger problem than the loss of Sicily as it exposed the entire Aegean littoral to Arab raiding. That’s why the Byzantines launched A major expedition to Crete almost every generation from its loss in ~828 to Nikephoros Phokas’s successful invasion in 961. If one of those earlier attempts succeeds, then the Byzantines might well go for Sicily.
I was thinking exactly that yesterday, maybe a super early reconquest in 843 when the guy who invaded the island went back to the capital for a rumoured plot that actually didn't happen, so if he disregards that he could possibly take back the island and then could better supply the place to at least retain control of Eastern Sicily, allowing for further operation when the Bulgarians aren't as big of a threat.
 
Top