▁decl ine ▁and ▁fragment ation ▁of ▁the ▁Abb as id ▁state ▁after ▁ 8 6 1 ▁and ▁the ▁concurrent ▁strength ening ▁of ▁the ▁By z antine ▁Empire ▁under ▁the ▁Mac ed onian ▁dynast y , ▁the ▁t ide ▁gradually ▁turned . ▁Over ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁fifty ▁years ▁from ▁ca . ▁ 9 2 0 ▁to ▁ 9 7 6 , ▁the ▁By z ant ines ▁finally ▁broke ▁through ▁the ▁Muslim ▁def ences ▁and ▁restored ▁their ▁control ▁over ▁northern ▁Sy ria ▁and ▁Gre ater ▁Armen ia . ▁The ▁last ▁century ▁of ▁the ▁Arab – By z antine ▁wars ▁was ▁domin ated ▁by ▁front ier ▁conflicts ▁with ▁the ▁F at im ids ▁in ▁Sy ria , ▁but ▁the ▁border ▁remained ▁stable ▁until ▁the ▁appearance ▁of ▁a ▁new ▁people , ▁the ▁Sel j uk ▁Tur ks , ▁after ▁ 1 0 6 0 . ▁ ▁The ▁Arab s ▁also ▁took ▁to ▁the ▁sea , ▁and ▁from ▁the ▁ 6 5 0 s ▁on , ▁the ▁entire ▁Mediter rane an ▁Sea ▁became ▁a ▁battle ground , ▁with ▁ra ids ▁and ▁counter - ra ids ▁being ▁launched ▁against ▁islands ▁and ▁the ▁coast al ▁settlement s . ▁Arab ▁ra ids ▁reached ▁a ▁peak ▁in ▁the ▁ 9 th ▁and ▁early ▁ 1 0 th ▁centuries , ▁after ▁the ▁con quest s ▁of ▁Cre te , ▁Mal ta ▁and ▁Sic ily , ▁with ▁their ▁fle ets ▁reaching ▁the ▁coast s ▁of ▁France ▁and ▁Dal mat ia ▁and ▁even ▁the ▁sub ur bs ▁of ▁Constantin ople . ▁ ▁Background ▁ ▁The