Editing 828 (section)

==== Byzantine Empire ====
* [[Siege of Syracuse (827–828)|Siege of Syracuse]]: The Muslims under [[Asad ibn al-Furat]] defeat a [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] relief army sent from [[Palermo]], and backed by a [[Venice|Venetian]] fleet led by [[Giustiniano Participazio]]. Al-Furat decides to break off the [[siege]] at [[Syracuse, Sicily|Syracuse]], as his forces suffer greatly from lack of [[food]]. Later he dies during an outbreak of an [[epidemic]]. 
* Summer &ndash; [[Euphemius (Sicily)|Euphemius]], Byzantine admiral, is murdered by emissaries from the Byzantine [[garrison]] at [[Enna|Castrogiovanni]], which is besieged by the Muslims. Threatened by Byzantine reinforcements arriving from [[Constantinople]], the survivors burn their ships and retreat overland westward to [[Mazara del Vallo]].<ref>Treadgold (1988), pp. 253–254.</ref><ref>Vasiliev (1935), pp. 83–84.</ref>