Chapter II: Consolidation
In May 940, a fleet arrived in Sousse. Off of these boats came soldiers. They spoke Greek. They were armed with Eastern-style composite recurves bows and swords. Horses were being unloaded off of the boats as well. They were Doryphoroi, horse archers. They were welcomed by the local clergymen and by Giorgios Papadopoulos. Papadopoulos was a childhood friend of Emperor Konstantinos. He was sent to Aphrike as a replacement for Ioannis Papadaks. Papadopoulos had sent a letter to the Emperor not long before askng for 1500 Doryphoroi. They had arrived. Papadopoulos had a plan to deal with the Agizul's bandits. The lack of troops available to Papadopoulos prior to the arrival of the Doryphoroi had left Agizul as the de facto ruler of Aphrike, with the Byzantines only having secure control over major cities like Carthage. Papadopoulos had enough experience of Agizul to understand his nature. Agizul was a vengeful soul, and was tenacious in destroying enemy forces. This trait had allowed Agizul to become the most powerful of the local Berbers, but it was to prove his undoing. After a week of preparations, Papadopoulos and the Doryphoroi started their march to Kairouan, which, being near the bandits' main base. It was two days march on their horses. When the Doryphoroi arrived, they found that a Berber raiding party of 400 Berbers was attacking Kairouan. The Doryphoroi at the beginning of the column opened fire, raining arrows on the Berbers. Suprised at the presence of the Byzantines, and in such force, the Berbers retreated. 120 Berbers were killed or injured, including Agizul's nephew, Idir 'Azrur' Aksim. The Berbers who survived were executed, and to provoke Agizul into action, Papadopoulos ordered the Berbers' genitals to be cut off and sent in a sack to Agizul. The mutilated Berbers' heads were mounted on pikes outside the city walls. Due to rumours of Idir's ephebophilia, Idir's penis was cut off and put in his mouth, and sent in that state to Agizul.
When Agizul received the sack and his nephew's corpse, his rage knew no bounds. He immediatly gathered all of his forces in Tunisia, some 22,000 Berber cavalry, and rode to Kairouan. Papadoupolos had prepared, and mobilised Kairouan males into a infantry militia. They were just simple spearmen with little training, but they'd be adequate for the task. On May 28, Agizul's forces met Byzantine cavalry. Only a small, 20 man contingent of Byzantines met Agizul's forces. They fired arrows at the Berber cavalry, who, armed only with lances and javelins, couldn't meet the Byzantines' range. Chasing after the Byzantines, the Berbers were led to a narrow hill pass. The rocky hills were barely navigable for horses. The Byzantine spearmen took position at either side of the pass, and the main force of Doryphoroi, who had dismounted and took position in the hills, opened fire. Agizul's last thoughts were that he knew this scene. It was the same tactic he had used to slaughter the Byzantine forces 4 years before. He couldn't believe he had fallen for such an obvious ruse. The Byzantines would never have let just 20 men be by themselves when his forces were near. Agizul was possessed by rage, but a split second later, a Greek arrow pierced his skull. The Berbers were crushed. Agizul had been to enveloped by anger to think logically. He was too predictable. Berber power in Aphrike was broken, and the Byzantines were in total control of the thema. Giorgios Papadopoulos held a triumph in Carthage.
In May 940, a fleet arrived in Sousse. Off of these boats came soldiers. They spoke Greek. They were armed with Eastern-style composite recurves bows and swords. Horses were being unloaded off of the boats as well. They were Doryphoroi, horse archers. They were welcomed by the local clergymen and by Giorgios Papadopoulos. Papadopoulos was a childhood friend of Emperor Konstantinos. He was sent to Aphrike as a replacement for Ioannis Papadaks. Papadopoulos had sent a letter to the Emperor not long before askng for 1500 Doryphoroi. They had arrived. Papadopoulos had a plan to deal with the Agizul's bandits. The lack of troops available to Papadopoulos prior to the arrival of the Doryphoroi had left Agizul as the de facto ruler of Aphrike, with the Byzantines only having secure control over major cities like Carthage. Papadopoulos had enough experience of Agizul to understand his nature. Agizul was a vengeful soul, and was tenacious in destroying enemy forces. This trait had allowed Agizul to become the most powerful of the local Berbers, but it was to prove his undoing. After a week of preparations, Papadopoulos and the Doryphoroi started their march to Kairouan, which, being near the bandits' main base. It was two days march on their horses. When the Doryphoroi arrived, they found that a Berber raiding party of 400 Berbers was attacking Kairouan. The Doryphoroi at the beginning of the column opened fire, raining arrows on the Berbers. Suprised at the presence of the Byzantines, and in such force, the Berbers retreated. 120 Berbers were killed or injured, including Agizul's nephew, Idir 'Azrur' Aksim. The Berbers who survived were executed, and to provoke Agizul into action, Papadopoulos ordered the Berbers' genitals to be cut off and sent in a sack to Agizul. The mutilated Berbers' heads were mounted on pikes outside the city walls. Due to rumours of Idir's ephebophilia, Idir's penis was cut off and put in his mouth, and sent in that state to Agizul.
When Agizul received the sack and his nephew's corpse, his rage knew no bounds. He immediatly gathered all of his forces in Tunisia, some 22,000 Berber cavalry, and rode to Kairouan. Papadoupolos had prepared, and mobilised Kairouan males into a infantry militia. They were just simple spearmen with little training, but they'd be adequate for the task. On May 28, Agizul's forces met Byzantine cavalry. Only a small, 20 man contingent of Byzantines met Agizul's forces. They fired arrows at the Berber cavalry, who, armed only with lances and javelins, couldn't meet the Byzantines' range. Chasing after the Byzantines, the Berbers were led to a narrow hill pass. The rocky hills were barely navigable for horses. The Byzantine spearmen took position at either side of the pass, and the main force of Doryphoroi, who had dismounted and took position in the hills, opened fire. Agizul's last thoughts were that he knew this scene. It was the same tactic he had used to slaughter the Byzantine forces 4 years before. He couldn't believe he had fallen for such an obvious ruse. The Byzantines would never have let just 20 men be by themselves when his forces were near. Agizul was possessed by rage, but a split second later, a Greek arrow pierced his skull. The Berbers were crushed. Agizul had been to enveloped by anger to think logically. He was too predictable. Berber power in Aphrike was broken, and the Byzantines were in total control of the thema. Giorgios Papadopoulos held a triumph in Carthage.