▁Mediter rane an , ▁h ither to ▁a ▁" R oman ▁lake ", ▁to ▁Arab ▁expansion , ▁and ▁began ▁a ▁centuries - long ▁series ▁of ▁naval ▁conflicts ▁over ▁the ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁Mediter rane an ▁water ways . ▁ 5 0 0 ▁By z antine ▁ships ▁were ▁destroyed ▁in ▁the ▁battle , ▁and ▁Emperor ▁Const ans ▁II ▁was ▁almost ▁killed . ▁Under ▁the ▁instructions ▁of ▁the ▁cal i ph ▁U th man ▁ibn ▁Aff an , ▁Mu aw iy ah ▁then ▁prepared ▁for ▁the ▁sie ge ▁of ▁Constantin ople . ▁ ▁Trade ▁between ▁the ▁Muslim ▁eastern ▁and ▁southern ▁sh ores ▁and ▁the ▁Christian ▁northern ▁sh ores ▁almost ▁ceased ▁during ▁this ▁period , ▁isol ating ▁Western ▁Europe ▁from ▁develop ments ▁in ▁the ▁Muslim ▁world : ▁" In ▁anti qu ity , ▁and ▁again ▁in ▁the ▁high ▁Middle ▁A ges , ▁the ▁voyage ▁from ▁Italy ▁to ▁Alexand ria ▁was ▁common place ; ▁in ▁early ▁Islam ic ▁times ▁the ▁two ▁countries ▁were ▁so ▁remote ▁that ▁even ▁the ▁most ▁basic ▁information ▁was ▁unknown " ▁( K enn edy ). ▁Mu aw iy ah ▁also ▁initi ated ▁the ▁first ▁large - scale ▁ra ids ▁into ▁An atol ia ▁from ▁ 6 4 1 ▁on . ▁These ▁exped itions , ▁aim ing ▁both ▁at ▁pl under ▁and ▁at ▁weak ening ▁and ▁keeping ▁the ▁By z ant ines ▁at ▁bay , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁corresponding ▁ret ali atory ▁By z antine ▁ra ids , ▁eventually ▁became ▁established ▁as ▁a ▁fi xture ▁of ▁By z antine – A rab ▁war