Thematic Byzantine versus Later Abbasid Arab

In a Basic Impetus 2.0 Great Battles game were all the players are called Mark.  Mark B was the Byzantines, and the other Mark was the Arabs. I played God, although I did not declare my favoured faith - the dice decided!

Arabs on the left, Byzantines on the right.

Very similar armies in composition and deployment.

A patch of difficult terrain one on side of the field

and some broken terrain at the other

The Byzantines send their superior light cavalry forward to attack the Arab wings.

It doesn't get off to a good start.

The firepower of the Arab medium cavalry is a bit too much,

especially on the Byzantine right.

The cavalry combats continue as the Arab centre starts to slowly advance,

after brushing aside some Byzantine skirmishers.

The Byzantine cavalry seems to be in trouble.

The Byzantine right flank has broken,

but their left flank has recovered from its initial set back.

In the centre the Byzantine archers are pouring arrows into the advancing Arabs.

With what looks like half their army routed,

the Byzantines are really in trouble.

It is down to their infantry to hold until their cavalry

can crash into the Arab right flank.

But the Byzantine losses have been too high and their morale breaks.