Krum 's campaigns
149-583: Simeon I 's campaigns Sviatoslav's invasion of Bulgaria Byzantine conquest of Bulgaria Uprising of Peter Delyan Second Bulgarian Empire The Byzantine–Bulgarian wars were a series of conflicts fought between the Byzantine Empire and Bulgaria which began after the Bulgars conquered parts of the Balkan peninsula after 680 AD. The Byzantine and First Bulgarian Empire continued to clash over
298-644: A new treaty with Emperor Theodosius III in 716 (confirming the annual tribute paid by the Byzantines to Bulgaria and the territorial concessions in Thrace, as well as regulating commercial relations and the treatment of political refugees), and he was also the Bulgarian ruler who helped relieve the second Arab siege of Constantinople in 717–718 by land. According to Theophanes, the Bulgars slaughtered some 22,000 Arabs in
447-417: A brief reign (he died from his wound in 812) and was succeeded by his brother-in-law, Michael I Rangabe . In 812 Krum invaded Byzantine Thrace , taking Develt and scaring the population of nearby fortresses to flee towards Constantinople. From this position of strength, Krum offered a return to the peace treaty of 716. Unwilling to compromise his regime by weakness, the new Emperor Michael I refused to accept
596-636: A few continuing attacks from them. After the Latin Empire collapsed, the Byzantines, took advantage of the Bulgarian civil war and captured portions of Thrace, but the Bulgarian emperor Theodore Svetoslav retook these lands. The Byzantine-Bulgarian relations continued to fluctuate until the Ottoman Turks captured the Bulgarian capital in 1393 and the Byzantine capital in 1453. The Byzantines first clashed with
745-523: A force of 30,000 into Thrace, capturing Arkadioupolis ( Lüleburgaz ) and carrying off some 50,000 captives. The loot from Thrace was used to enrich Krum and his nobility and included architectural elements utilized in the reconstruction of Pliska, perhaps largely by captured Byzantine artisans. Krum spent the winter preparing for a major attack on Constantinople, where rumor reported the assemblage of an extensive siege park to be transported on 5,000 carts. He died before he set out, however, on April 13, 814, and
894-465: A massive expedition against Bulgaria, advancing to Marcellae (near Karnobat ). Here Krum attempted to negotiate on July 11, 811, but Nikephoros was determined to continue his advance. His army managed to avoid Bulgar ambushes in the Balkan Mountains and defeated an army of 12,000 that tried to block their advance into Moesia. Another hastily assembled army of 50,000 was defeated before the walls of
1043-475: A monastery, as ruler of Bulgaria. Vladimir attempted to reintroduce paganism in the empire and possibly signed an anti-Byzantine pact with Arnulf of Carinthia , compelling Boris to re-enter political life. Boris had Vladimir imprisoned and blinded, and then appointed Simeon as the new ruler. This was done at an assembly in Preslav which also proclaimed Bulgarian as the only language of state and church and moved
1192-531: A particularly strong Byzantine army led by Leo Phokas the Elder , son of Nikephoros Phokas , invaded Bulgaria accompanied by the Byzantine navy under the command of Romanos Lekapenos , which sailed to the Bulgarian Black Sea ports. En route to Mesembria ( Nesebǎr ), where they were supposed to be reinforced by troops transported by the navy, Phokas' forces stopped to rest near the river of Acheloos , not far from
1341-405: A particularly strong Byzantine army led by Leo Phokas, son of Nikephoros Phokas, invaded Bulgaria accompanied by the Byzantine navy under the command of Romanos Lekapenos , which sailed to the Bulgarian Black Sea ports. En route to Mesembria ( Nesebǎr ), where they were supposed to be reinforced by troops transported by the navy, Phokas' forces stopped to rest near the river of Acheloos, not far from
1490-407: A period of decline of the Bulgarian state. In 971 John I Tzimiskes , the Byzantine emperor, subjugated much of the weakening Bulgarian Empire by defeating Boris II and capturing Preslav , the Bulgarian capital. Samuel managed to stabilize the Bulgarian state with a center around the town of Prespa . Near the end of his rule, the Byzantines got the upper hand again, and under Basil II they won
1639-618: A personal meeting, during which he was enchained and carried off to Bulgaria, where he died in a dungeon. Simeon put Pavle Branović, prior to that an exile in Bulgaria, on the Serbian throne, thus restoring the Bulgarian influence in Serbia for a while. Meanwhile, the Byzantine military failures forced another change of government in Constantinople: the admiral Romanos Lekapenos replaced Zoe as regent of
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#17328549584681788-548: A result of the victory Simeon drew into his orbit the Pecheneg leaders and started a major offensive against the European dominions of Byzantium. The Bulgarians sent to pursue the remnants of the Byzantine army approached Constantinople and encountered Byzantine forces under Leo Phokas, who had returned to the capital, at the village of Katasyrtai in the immediate proximity of Constantinople. Simeon pursued an aggressive policy regarding
1937-580: A result of their defeat, the Bulgars took serious precautions to get rid of the Byzantine spies in Pliska . Khan Telerig sent a secret emissary to Constantine V indicating his intention to flee Bulgaria and seek refuge with the emperor, and seeking assurances of hospitality. Telerig succeeded in having the emperor betray his own agents in Bulgaria, who were duly rounded up and executed. In response, Constantine V invaded Bulgaria once again, in 775, but became ill and died on his return journey to Constantinople. In 791,
2086-410: A sort of regency for the captive Boris II. As they began to raid neighboring territories under Byzantine rule, the Byzantine government resorted to a stratagem intended to compromise the leadership of this "revolt". This involved allowing Boris II and his brother Roman to escape from their honorary captivity at the Byzantine court, in the hope that their arrival in Bulgaria would cause a division between
2235-540: A symbolic termination of the Bulgarian empire, the Byzantines were unable to assert their control over the western provinces of Bulgaria. These remained under the rule of their own governors, especially a noble family led by four brothers called the Cometopuli (i.e., "the sons of the Count"), named David , Moses , Aron , and Samuel . The movement was regarded as a "revolt" by the Byzantine emperor, but it apparently saw itself as
2384-610: A war with the Franks under Louis the German and the Croatians. In 863 Boris made a decision to embrace Christianity, and he sought a mission from the Franks. The Byzantines could not countenance so close a neighbor as Bulgaria falling under Frankish religious control. Byzantium had recently gained a major victory over the Arabs and was free to field a considerable military force against Bulgaria. A fleet
2533-589: A wolf or other strange animal". Simeon also had several daughters, including one who was arranged to marry Constantine VII in 913. The marriage was annulled by Constantine's mother Zoe once she had returned to the court. Tsar Simeon I has remained among the most highly valued Bulgarian historical figures, as indicated by popular vote in the Velikite Bǎlgari (a spin-off of 100 Greatest Britons ) television programme, which in February 2007 placed him fourth among
2682-412: Is a later invention, which gave rise to the nickname by which Basil II was known from the 12th century onwards: the 'Bulgar-slayer'. The Bulgarian Emperor Ivan Vladislav restored the fortifications of Bitola in 1015 and survived an assassination plot undertaken by Byzantine agents. Although the Byzantines sacked Ohrid, they failed to take Pernik and received troubling intelligence that Ivan Vladislav
2831-681: Is known of his early life, other than that he was born in Isauria in Asia Minor . He was given the title of patrikios , and made strategos of the Anatolic Theme under Emperor Constantine IV . He led forces against the Umayyads during the early years of Justinian II 's reign, securing victory and forcing the Umayyad caliph, Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan , to sue for peace. In 692, Justinian declared war upon
2980-512: Is not supported by any source. Around 888, Simeon returned to Bulgaria and settled at the newly established royal monastery of Preslav "at the mouth of the Tiča ", where, under the guidance of Naum of Preslav , he engaged in active translation of important religious works from Greek to Medieval Bulgarian (currently referred to as Church Slavonic), aided by other students from Constantinople. Meanwhile, Vladimir had succeeded Boris, who had retreated to
3129-556: The Battle of Kleidion and completely conquered Bulgaria in 1018. There were rebellions against Byzantine rule from 1040 to 1041, and in the 1070s and the 1080s, but these failed. In 1185, however, Theodore Peter and Ivan Asen started a revolt, and the weakening Byzantine Empire, facing internal dynastic troubles of its own, was unable to quash the revolt. After the army of the Fourth Crusade conquered Constantinople in 1204, Kaloyan ,
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#17328549584683278-594: The Battle of Southern Buh . The war ended in 896 with a great Bulgarian victory near Bulgarophygon in Eastern Thrace. The market was returned to Constantinople, and the Byzantine Emperor had to pay annual tribute to Bulgaria. More importantly, with help from the Pechenegs Simeon successfully fended off a Magyar invasion, which was coordinated with the Byzantines. After the death of Leo VI on 11 May 912 and
3427-762: The Black seas . The newly independent Bulgarian Orthodox Church became the first new patriarchate besides the Pentarchy , and Bulgarian Glagolitic and Cyrillic translations of Christian texts spread all over the Slavic world of the time. It was at the Preslav Literary School in the 890s that the Cyrillic alphabet was developed. Halfway through his reign, Simeon assumed the title of " emperor " ( Tsar ), having prior to that been styled " prince " ( Knyaz ). Simeon
3576-616: The Byzantines , Magyars and Serbs led Bulgaria to its greatest territorial expansion ever, making it the most powerful state in contemporary Eastern and Southeast Europe . His reign was also a period of unmatched cultural prosperity and enlightenment later deemed the Golden Age of Bulgarian culture . During Simeon's rule, Bulgaria spread over a territory between the Aegean , the Adriatic and
3725-655: The Danube using the Byzantine navy . Leo VI may have also concluded an agreement with Arnulf to make sure that the Franks did not support Simeon against the Magyars. In addition, the talented commander Nikephoros Phokas was called back from southern Italy to lead a separate army against Bulgaria in 895 with the intention to merely overawe the Bulgarians. Simeon, unaware of the threat from
3874-419: The Franks , Croats , Serbs, and Byzantines. Soon after coming to power Boris launched a brief campaign against the Byzantines in 852. No details of the outcome of this war are extant, though it is possible he may have gained some territory in inland Macedonia. Another conflict between the Byzantines and Bulgarians started in 855–856. The Empire wanted to regain its control over some areas of inland Thrace and
4023-527: The Gates of Trajan , and the emperor (barely surviving the heavy defeat) soon turned to the east for new conquests. The victory by Samuel prompted Pope Gregory V to recognize him as Tsar, and he was crowned in Rome in 997. In 1002, a full-scale war broke out. By this time, Basil's army was stronger, and the emperor was determined to conquer Bulgaria once and for all. He deployed much of the imperial army, battle-seasoned from
4172-507: The Golden (or Round) Church , Preslav was a true imperial capital. The development of Bulgarian art in the period is demonstrated by a ceramic icon of Theodore Stratelates and the Preslav-style illustrated ceramics. Simeon was married twice. By his first wife, whose identity is unknown, Simeon had a son called Michael . Possibly because his mother was of inferior birth, he was excluded from
4321-526: The Medieval Serbian principalities that tended to support Byzantium. Bulgarian troops led by Theodore Sigritsa and Marmais invaded the country, deposing local rulers like Petar Gojniković and Pavle Branović . Meanwhile, the admiral Romanos Lekapenos replaced Zoe as regent of the young Constantine VII in 919 and advanced himself to the rank of co-emperor in December 920, effectively assuming control of
4470-467: The Zlatostruj collection and Simeon's Collection , to which the tsar personally wrote an addendum. Simeon turned the new Bulgarian capital Preslav into a magnificent religious and cultural centre, intended more as a display of his realm's heyday and as a royal residence than as a military fortress. With its more than twenty cross-domed churches and numerous monasteries, its impressive royal palace and
4619-514: The patrikios John to retake the city. John was able to seize Carthage after a surprise attack on its harbor. However, Umayyad reinforcements soon retook the city, forcing John to retreat to Crete and regroup. A group of officers, fearing the Emperor's punishment for their failure, revolted and proclaimed Apsimar, a droungarios (mid-level commander) of the Cibyrrhaeots , emperor. Apsimar took
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4768-555: The Armenian , offered to negotiate and arranged for a meeting with Krum. As Krum arrived, he was ambushed by Byzantine archers and was wounded as he made his escape. Furious, Krum ravaged the environs of Constantinople and headed home, capturing Adrianople en route and transplanting its inhabitants (including the parents of the future Emperor Basil I ) across the Danube. In spite of the approach of winter, Krum took advantage of good weather to send
4917-597: The Bulgarian capital from Pliska to Preslav, to better cement the recent conversion. It is not known why Boris did not place his second son, Gavril, on the throne, but instead preferred Simeon. With Simeon on the throne, the long-lasting peace with the Byzantine Empire established by his father was about to end. A conflict arose when Byzantine Emperor Leo VI the Wise , allegedly acting under pressure from his mistress Zoe Zaoutzaina and her father Stylianos Zaoutzes , moved
5066-429: The Bulgarian capital, Pliska , which fell to the emperor on July 20. Here Nikephoros, who had been a financial minister before becoming emperor, helped himself to the treasures of Krum, while setting the city ablaze and turning his army on the population. A new diplomatic tentative from Krum was rebuffed. Nikephorus showed great cruelty, ordering his army to kill the population of the capital. Increasingly concerned about
5215-649: The Bulgarian court, but eliminated its assimilative effect by means of military power and religious autonomy. The disciples of Cyril and Methodius , among whom were Clement of Ohrid , Naum and Constantine of Preslav , continued their educational work in Bulgaria, actively translating Christian texts, such as the Bible and the works of John Chrysostom , Basil of Caesarea , Cyril of Alexandria , Gregory of Nazianzus , and Athanasius of Alexandria , as well as historic chronicles such as those of John Malalas and George Hamartolus , to Bulgarian. The reign of Simeon also witnessed
5364-551: The Bulgarian emperor, tried to establish friendly relations with the crusaders. However, the newly created Latin Empire spurned any offer of alliance with the Bulgarians. Because of his cold reception, Kaloyan allied with the Nicaeans , which reduced the crusaders' power in the area. Even though his nephew Boril allied with the Latin Empire, Boril's successors sided with the Nicaeans, despite
5513-666: The Bulgarians as a desperate measure, Leo VI managed to repel the Bulgarians from Constantinople, which they had besieged. The war ended with a peace treaty which formally lasted until around Leo VI's death in 912 and under which Byzantium was obliged to pay Bulgaria an annual tribute. Under the treaty, the Byzantines also ceded an area between the Black Sea and Strandža to the Bulgarian Empire. Meanwhile, Simeon had also imposed his authority over Serbia in return for recognizing Petar Gojniković as their ruler. Simeon often violated
5662-488: The Bulgarians to arrange the alliance. However, the envoys were captured by the Byzantines at Calabria . Romanos offered peace to Egypt under the Fatimids , supplementing this offer with generous gifts, and ruined the Fatimids newly formed alliance with Bulgaria . In 924 Simeon sent an army led by Časlav Klonimirović to depose a former ally of his, Zaharije Pribisavljević . He was successful, as Zaharije fled to Croatia. In
5811-502: The Bulgarians to arrange the alliance. However, the envoys were captured by the Byzantines at Calabria . Romanos offered peace to the Arabs, supplementing this offer with generous gifts, and ruined their union with Bulgaria. In Serbia, Zaharije was persuaded by the Byzantines to revolt against Simeon. Zaharije was supported by many Bulgarians exhausted from Simeon's endless campaigns against Byzantium. The Bulgarian emperor sent his troops under Sigrica and Marmais, but they were routed and
5960-436: The Bulgars, but neither side initiated an attack for two weeks. Finally, on June 22, 813, the Byzantines attacked but were immediately turned to flight. With Krum's cavalry in pursuit, the rout of Michael I was complete, and Krum advanced on Constantinople, which he besieged by land. Discredited, Michael was forced to abdicate and become a monk—the third Byzantine emperor undone by Krum in as many years. The new emperor, Leo V
6109-480: The Bulgars. In 681 Constantine was forced to acknowledge the Bulgarian state in Moesia and to pay protection money to avoid further inroads into Byzantine Thrace. Eight years later, Asparuh led a successful campaign against Byzantine Thrace. Tervel , first mentioned in the Byzantine texts in 704 when the deposed emperor Justinian II came to him and asked for his aid, supported Justinian in an attempted restoration to
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6258-688: The Byzantine Emperor Michael IV was staying. Michael fled, leaving his treasury to a certain Michael Ivac, probably a son of Ivac, a general under Samuel of Bulgaria , who promptly turned over the bulk of the treasury to Peter outside the city. Thessalonica remained in Byzantine hands, but Macedonia, Durazzo, and parts of northern Greece were taken by Peter II's forces. This inspired further Slavic revolts against Byzantine rule in Epirus and Albania . Peter II Delyan's successes ended, however, with
6407-406: The Byzantine Empire in 837. Emperor Theophilos sought Bulgar support in putting down the rebellion, but he simultaneously arranged for his fleet to sail through the Danube delta and undertake a clandestine evacuation of some of the Byzantine captives settled in trans-Danubian Bulgaria by Krum and Omurtag. In retaliation Isbul campaigned along the Aegean coasts of Thrace and Macedonia and captured
6556-456: The Byzantine and the Frankish empires, the need to consolidate Bulgar authority in the newly conquered lands, and the new stirring of the tribes in the steppes gave reason for Omurtag to conclude a 30-year peace treaty with the Byzantines in 815, which was partly inscribed on a surviving column found near the village of Seltsi , Shumen Province . According to that inscription the treaty specified
6705-590: The Byzantine emperor Constantine VI embarked on an expedition against Bulgaria, in retaliation for Bulgarian incursions in the Struma valley since 789. Kardam pre-empted the Byzantine invasion and met the enemy near Adrianople in Thrace . The Byzantine army was defeated and turned to flight. In 792, Constantine VI led another army against the Bulgars and encamped at Marcellae , near Karnobat , which he proceeded to fortify. Kardam arrived with his army on July 20 and occupied
6854-476: The Byzantine emperor had pitted against the Bulgarians. In 969 a new Kievan invasion defeated the Bulgarians again, and Peter I abdicated to become a monk. In circumstances that are not entirely clear, Boris II was allowed to return to Bulgaria and sit on his father's throne. Boris II was unable to stem the Kievan advance and found himself forced to accept Sviatoslav of Kiev as his ally and puppet-master, turning against
7003-403: The Byzantine throne in exchange for friendship, gifts and his daughter in marriage. With an army of 15,000 horsemen provided by Tervel, Justinian suddenly advanced on Constantinople and managed to gain entrance into the city in 705. The restored emperor executed his supplanters, the emperors Leontios and Tiberios III , alongside many of their supporters. Justinian rewarded Tervel with many gifts,
7152-461: The Byzantines had castrated him so that he could not have any heirs, he was unable to assume the throne. Instead, the youngest of the Cometopuli brothers, Samuel, resisted the Byzantines. Although the Byzantines eventually managed to capture all of Bulgaria, Samuel resisted Basil II for decades and is the only man to ever defeat him in battle, when in 986 Samuel drove Basil II's army from the field at
7301-471: The Byzantines. A Kievan campaign into Byzantine Thrace was defeated at Arcadiopolis in 970, and the new Byzantine Emperor John I Tzimiskes advanced northwards. Failing to secure the defense of the Balkan passes, Sviatoslav allowed the Byzantines to penetrate into Moesia and lay siege to the Bulgarian capital Preslav. Although Bulgarians and Russians joined in defending the city, the Byzantines managed to set afire
7450-880: The Caliphate recognized Abdallah ibn al-Zubayr instead. Under Marwan I and his son Abd al-Malik , however, the Umayyads gained the upper hand, although the Zubayrids were not finally defeated until 692. The civil war in the Umayyad Caliphate provided an opportunity for the Byzantine Empire to attack its weakened rival, and, in 686, Emperor Justinian II sent Leontius to invade Umayyad territory in Armenia and Iberia , where he campaigned successfully, before leading troops into Media and Caucasian Albania ; during these campaigns he gathered loot. Leontius' successful campaigns compelled
7599-399: The Cometopuli and other Bulgarian leaders. As the brothers entered the region under Bulgarian control in 977, Boris II dismounted and went ahead of his brother. Mistaken for a Byzantine noble due to his attire, Boris was shot in the chest by a deaf and mute border patrol. Roman managed to identify himself to the other guards and was duly accepted as emperor. However, since he was a eunuch , as
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#17328549584687748-559: The Deacon would write that "piles of bones can still be seen today at the river Acheloos, where the fleeing army of the Romans was then infamously slain". The planned Pecheneg attack from the north also failed, as the Pechenegs quarrelled with admiral Lekapenos, who refused to transport them across the Danube to aid the main Byzantine army. The Byzantines were not aided by Serbs and Magyars either:
7897-513: The Eastern campaigns against the Arabs, and Samuel was forced to retreat into his country's heartland. Still, by harassing the powerful Byzantine army, Samuel hoped to force Basil to the peace table. For a dozen years, his tactics maintained Bulgarian independence and even kept Basil away from the main Bulgarian cities, including the capital of Ohrid . On July 29, 1014, however, at Kleidion (or Belasitsa ) (present day Blagoevgrad Province ), Basil II
8046-541: The Great ( Church Slavonic : цѣсар҄ь Сѷмеѡ́нъ А҃ Вели́къ , romanized: cěsarĭ Sỳmeonŭ prĭvŭ Velikŭ ; Bulgarian : цар Симеон I Велики , romanized : Simeon I Veliki [simɛˈɔn ˈpɤrvi vɛˈliki] ; Greek : Συμεών Αʹ ὁ Μέγας , romanized : Sumeṓn prôtos ho Mégas ) ruled over Bulgaria from 893 to 927, during the First Bulgarian Empire . Simeon's successful campaigns against
8195-573: The Magyars were engaged in Western Europe as Frankish allies, and the Serbs under Petar Gojniković were reluctant to attack Bulgaria because Michael of Zahumlje , an ally of Bulgaria, had notified Simeon of their plans. Simeon's army quickly followed up the victory of Acheloos with another success. The Bulgarians sent to pursue the remnants of the Byzantine army approached Constantinople and encountered Byzantine forces under Leo Phokas, who had returned to
8344-510: The Theme of Hellas in Southern Greece . During his captivity, Leontius was cared for by two monks, Gregorios and Paulos, who prophesied his rise to the throne, and encouraged him to rise against Justinian after his release. Leontius, once free, quickly raised a rebellion against Justinian. Leontius had wide support from the aristocracy, who opposed Justinian's land policies, which restricted
8493-415: The Umayyad Caliph, Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan, to sue for peace in 688, agreeing to tender part of the taxes from Umayyad territory in Armenia, Iberia , and Cyprus , and to renew a treaty signed originally under Constantine IV, providing for a weekly tribute of 1,000 pieces of gold, one horse, and one slave. Justinian invaded the Caliphate again in 692, feeling that the Umayyads were in a weak position, but
8642-426: The Umayyads again, and sent Leontius to campaign against them. However, he was defeated decisively at the Battle of Sebastopolis , and imprisoned by Justinian for his failure. He was released in 695, and given the title of strategos of the Theme of Hellas in Southern Greece . After being released, he led a rebellion against Justinian, and seized power, becoming emperor in the same year. He ruled until 698, when he
8791-432: The accession of his infant son Constantine VII under the guidance of Leo's brother Alexander , who expelled Leo's wife Zoe from the palace, constituted a great opportunity for Simeon to attempt another campaign against Constantinople, the conquest of which remained the dream of his life. In early 913, Simeon's envoys, who had arrived in Constantinople to renew the peace of 896, were sent away by Alexander, who refused to pay
8940-408: The accession of his infant son Constantine VII , under the guidance of Leo's brother Alexander , who expelled Leo's last wife and Constantine's mother, Zoe Karbonopsina , from the palace, Simeon claimed the imperial title and tried to replace Byzantium as the biggest power in the region, perhaps building a new Bulgarian–Byzantine empire. Alexander died on 6 June 913, leaving the capital in anarchy and
9089-444: The advancing Basil II in exchange for guarantees of the preservation of their lives, status, and property. The newly proclaimed Bulgarian emperor Peter II later led a large revolt against the Byzantines. Peter II Delyan took Niš and Skopje , first co-opting and then eliminating another potential leader in the person of one Tihomir , who had led a rebellion in the region of Durazzo. After this Peter II marched on Thessalonica, where
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#17328549584689238-439: The annual tribute, urging Simeon to prepare for war . Before Simeon could attack, Alexander died, on 6 June 913, leaving the empire in the hands of a regency council headed by Patriarch Nicholas Mystikos . Many residents of Constantinople did not recognize the young emperor and instead supported the pretender Constantine Doukas, which, exacerbated by revolts in southern Italy and the planned Arab invasion in eastern Anatolia,
9387-441: The aristocracy's ability to acquire land from peasant freeholders, and the peasantry, who opposed Justinian's tax policies, as well as the Blue faction (one of the Hippodrome factions), and the Patriarch of Constantinople Callinicus . Leontius and his supporters seized Justinian and brought him to the Hippodrome, where Justinian's nose was cut off , a common practice in Byzantine culture , done in order to remove threats to
9536-404: The army of King Tomislav in the Battle of the Bosnian Highlands . A peace was mediated by the papal legate Madalbert between Simeon and Tomislav. Though the army he sent to Croatia was destroyed, Simeon retained sufficient military forces to contemplate renewed aggression against the Byzantines. After 14 years of war Simeon was ultimately too frustrated in his designs on the Byzantine throne. In
9685-493: The autumn of 894 Simeon invaded the Byzantine Empire from the north, meeting little opposition due to the concentration of most Byzantine forces in eastern Anatolia to counter Arab invasions. Informed of the Bulgarian offensive, the surprised Leo sent an army consisting of guardsmen and other military units from the capital to halt Simeon, but his troops were routed somewhere in the theme of Macedonia .The Magyars managed to defeat Simeon's army twice, but in 896 they were routed in
9834-401: The battle. After the death of Sevar , Bulgaria descended into a long period of crisis and unrest, while the Byzantines consolidated their positions. Between 756 and 775, the new Byzantine Emperor Constantine V led nine campaigns against his northern neighbour to establish a Byzantine border on the Danube . Due to the frequent change of rulers (eight Khans held the throne in twenty years) and
9983-467: The border in Thrace, the issue with those Slavs who remained in Byzantium, and the exchange of the other prisoners of war . The treaty was honoured by both sides and was renewed after the accession of the new Byzantine Emperor Michael II to the throne in 820. In 821 Thomas the Slav rebelled against the Byzantine Emperor and laid siege to Constantinople, seeking to seize the imperial throne for himself. Khan Omurtag sent an army to help Michael II put down
10132-425: The border of the Byzantine empire to proceed without reprisal, and instead focused upon consolidation. Very little is known of his domestic policy, except that he had the port of Neorion in Constantinople cleared, which allegedly led to a four-month outbreak of plague. The Umayyads, emboldened by Leontius ' perceived weakness, invaded the Exarchate of Africa in 696, capturing Carthage in 697. Leontius sent
10281-407: The breakdown of discipline in his army, Nikephoros finally began to retreat towards Thrace. In the meantime, Krum had mobilized as many of his subjects as he could (including the women) and had begun to set traps and ambushes for the retreating imperial army in the mountain passes. At dawn on July 26 the Byzantines found themselves trapped against a moat and wooden wall in the Vărbica pass. Nikephoros
10430-538: The capital, at the village of Katasyrtai in the immediate proximity of Constantinople. The Bulgarian regiments attacked and again defeated the Byzantines, destroying some of their last units before returning to Bulgaria. Immediately after that campaign, Simeon sought to punish the Serbian ruler Petar Gojniković who had attempted to betray him by concluding an alliance with the Byzantines. Simeon sent an army led by two of his commanders, Theodore Sigrica and Marmais , to Serbia. The two managed to persuade Petar to attend
10579-420: The ceded area. Tervel routed him at the Battle of Anchialus (or Ankhialo) in 708. In 711, faced by a serious revolt in Asia Minor , Justinian again sought the aid of Tervel but obtained only lukewarm support manifested in an army of 3,000. Outmaneuvered by the rebel emperor Philippicus , Justinian was captured and executed, while his Bulgar allies were allowed to retire to their country. Tervel took advantage of
10728-406: The city and populating it with Slavs, Leo VI was forced to make further territorial concessions to the Bulgarians in the modern region of Macedonia . With the treaty of 904, all Slavic-inhabited lands in modern southern Macedonia and southern Albania were ceded to the Bulgarian Empire, with the border line running some 20 kilometres north of Thessaloniki. The death of Leo VI on 11 May 912 and
10877-530: The city of Philippi , where Theophilos set up a surviving memorial inscription in a local church. Isbul's campaign may have resulted in the establishment of Bulgar suzerainty over the Slavic tribe of the Smoljani. Despite his able diplomacy, statesmanship, and his importance in the process of converting Bulgaria to Christianity , Boris I was not a particularly successful leader in war, being at various times defeated by
11026-519: The constant political crisis, Bulgaria was on the verge of destruction. In his first campaign in 756, Constantine V was successful and managed to defeat the Bulgars twice, but in 759, Vinekh , the Bulgar Khan, defeated the Byzantine army comprehensively in the Battle of the Rishki Pass . Vinekh then sought to make peace with the Byzantines but was assassinated by Bulgar nobles. The new ruler, Telets ,
11175-464: The contents of the Bulgarian imperial treasury in 971. In a public ceremony in Constantinople, Boris II was ritually divested of his imperial insignia and was given the Byzantine court title of magistros as compensation. The Bulgarian lands in Thrace and lower Moesia now became part of the Byzantine Empire and were placed under Byzantine governors. Although the ceremony in 971 had been intended as
11324-539: The debatable region of Zagora as a reward for their change of religious orientation. With the ascendance of Simeon I to the throne in 893, the long-lasting peace with the Byzantine Empire established by his father was about to end. A conflict arose when Byzantine Emperor Leo VI the Wise , acting under pressure from his wife Zoe Zaoutzaina and her father, Stylianos Zaoutzes , moved the marketplace for Bulgarian goods from Constantinople to Thessaloniki, where Bulgarian merchants were heavily taxed. Forced to take action, in
11473-486: The defeat of the Magyars, Simeon finally released the Byzantine prisoners in exchange for Bulgarians captured in 895. Claiming that not all prisoners had been released, Simeon once again invaded Byzantium in the summer of 896, heading directly to Constantinople. He was met in Thrace by a hastily assembled Byzantine army, but annihilated the Byzantine forces in the Battle of Bulgarophygon (at modern Babaeski , Turkey). Arming Arab captives and sending them to fight with
11622-527: The deposition of Romanos and captured Adrianople; in 922 they were victorious at Pigae , burning much of the Golden Horn and seizing Bizye . Desperate to conquer Constantinople, Simeon planned a large campaign in 924 and sent envoys to the Shia Fatimid ruler Ubayd Allah al-Mahdi Billah , who possessed a powerful navy, which Simeon needed. The Ubayd Allah agreed and sent his own representatives back with
11771-650: The disorder in Byzantium to raid Thrace in 712, plundering as far as the vicinity of Constantinople. According to the chronological information of the Imennik , Tervel died in 715. However, the Byzantine Chronicler Theophanes the Confessor ascribes Tervel a role in an attempt to restore the deposed Emperor Anastasius II in 718 or 719. If Tervel did survive this long, he was the Bulgarian ruler who concluded
11920-579: The empire. No longer able to climb to the Byzantine throne by diplomatic means, the infuriated Simeon once again had to wage war to impose his will. Between 920 and 922, Bulgaria increased its pressure on Byzantium, campaigning in the west through Thessaly , reaching the Isthmus of Corinth , and in the east in Thrace, reaching and crossing the Dardanelles to lay siege on the town of Lampsacus . Simeon's forces appeared before Constantinople in 921, when they demanded
12069-463: The enemy in northern Dobruja resulted in Magyar victories, forcing him to retreat to Drǎstǎr . After pillaging much of Bulgaria and reaching Preslav, the Magyars returned to their lands, but not before Simeon had concluded an armistice with Byzantium towards the summer of 895. A complete peace was delayed, as Leo VI required the release of the Byzantine captives from the trade war. Having dealt with
12218-450: The envoy, Simeon refused to release the captives and ridiculed Leo VI's astrological abilities. Using a Magyar invasion in the lands of the neighbouring Slavs in 896 as a casus belli , Simeon headed against the Magyars together with his Pecheneg allies, defeating them completely in the Battle of Southern Buh and making them leave Etelköz forever and settle in Pannonia . Following
12367-513: The founders of Bulgaria (the Bulgars) when Khan Kubrat's youngest son Asparuh moved westward, occupying today's southern Bessarabia . Asparuh defeated the Byzantines, who were under Constantine IV , with a combined land and sea operation and successfully besieged their fortified camp in Ongala . Suffering from bad health, the emperor had to leave the army, which allowed itself to panic and be defeated by
12516-460: The frontiers restored to those defined in treaties of 897 and 904. Simeon's conquests in Thrace were restored to the Byzantine Empire, which in return recognised Bulgarian control over inland Macedonia. Peter also gained a Byzantine bride, Maria Lecapena, granddaughter of Romanus I , an annual tribute, and recognition of his title of tsar and of the autocephalus status of the Bulgarian church. This peace lasted until 966. After Peter's empress died in
12665-471: The greatest Bulgarians ever. Simeon the Great has been regularly featured in fiction. Bulgarian national writer Ivan Vazov dedicated a children's patriotic poem to him, "Tsar Simeon", and it was later arranged as a song, "Kray Bosfora šum se vdiga" ("A Clamour Rises by the Bosphorus "). An eleven-episode drama series filmed in 1984, Zlatniyat vek ( The Golden Age ), retells the story of Simeon's reign. In
12814-549: The head of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. In 926, Simeon's troops under Alogobotur invaded Croatia, at the time a Byzantine ally, but were completely defeated by the army of King Tomislav in the Battle of the Bosnian Highlands . Fearing a Bulgarian retribution, Tomislav agreed to abandon his union with Byzantium and make peace on the basis of the status quo , negotiated by the papal legate Madalbert. In
12963-551: The head. This urged Simeon to raise his siege and enter peace negotiations, to the joy of the Byzantines. The protracted negotiations resulted in the payment of the arrears of Byzantine tribute, the promise that Constantine VII would marry one of Simeon's daughters, and, most importantly, Simeon's official recognition as Emperor of the Bulgarians by Patriarch Nicholas in the Blachernae Palace . Shortly after Simeon visited Constantinople, Constantine's mother Zoe returned to
13112-455: The imperial government was recalcitrant and Kardam found it necessary to demand the tribute while threatening to devastate Thrace if it were not paid. According to the chronicler Theophanes the Confessor , Constantine VI mocked the demand by having dung sent instead of gold as "fitting tribute" and promising to lead a new army against the elderly Kardam at Marcellae. Once again the emperor's army headed north, and once again it encountered Kardam in
13261-447: The insistence of the young emperor and immediately proceeded to eliminate the regents. Through a plot, she managed to assume power in February 914, practically removing Patriarch Nicholas from the government, disowning and obscuring his recognition of Simeon's imperial title, and rejecting the planned marriage of her son to one of Simeon's daughters. In retaliation, Simeon invaded Thrace in the summer of 914 and captured Adrianople . In 917,
13410-560: The interference of his cousin Alusian , whose father, Ivan Vladislav, had murdered Peter's father, Gavril Radomir , in 1015. Alusian joined Peter II's ranks as an apparent deserter from the Byzantine court, where he had been disgraced, and was welcomed by Peter II, who gave him an army to attack Thessalonica. The siege was raised by the Byzantines, however, and the army was defeated . Alusian barely escaped and returned to Ostrovo . Simeon I of Bulgaria Tsar Simeon (also Symeon ) I
13559-462: The interview of the two monarchs, two eagles are said to have met in the skies above and then to have parted, one of them flying over Constantinople and the other heading to Thrace, as a sign of the irreconcilability of the two rulers. In his description of this meeting, Theophanes Continuatus mentions that "the two emperors ... conversed", which may indicate renewed Byzantine recognition of Simeon's imperial claims. Most likely after (or possibly at
13708-434: The last months of his life, Simeon prepared for another conflict with Constantinople despite Romanos' desperate pleas for peace. On 27 May 927, Simeon died of heart failure in his palace in Preslav. Byzantine chroniclers tie his death to a legend, according to which Romanos decapitated a statue which was Simeon's inanimate double, and he died at that very hour. He was succeeded by his son Peter I , with George Sursubul,
13857-484: The leadership of Isbul , the minister of Malamir , they reached Adrianople. At this time, if not earlier, the Bulgars captured Philippopolis ( Plovdiv ) and its environs. Several surviving monumental inscriptions from this reign make reference to the Bulgar victories and others to the continuation of construction activities in and near Pliska. The war ended, however, when Slavs in the vicinity of Thessalonica rebelled against
14006-462: The marketplace for Bulgarian goods from Constantinople to Thessaloniki , where the Bulgarian merchants were heavily taxed. The Bulgarians sought protection by Simeon, who in turn complained to Leo. However, the Byzantine emperor ignored his embassy. Unable to effectively respond to the Bulgarian campaign due to the engagement of their forces against the Arabs, the Byzantines convinced the Magyars to attack Bulgaria, promising to transport them across
14155-504: The meantime, Peter managed to secure the retreat of the Kievan forces by inciting Bulgaria's traditional allies, the Pechenegs, to attack Kiev itself. In 968 Boris II, future emperor of Bulgaria, went to Constantinople again to negotiate a peace settlement with Emperor Nikephoros II Phokas, and apparently to serve as an honorary hostage. This arrangement was intended to put an end to the conflict between Bulgaria and Byzantium, which would now join forces against Prince Sviatoslav I of Kiev, whom
14304-497: The meantime, the Byzantines attempted to ignite Serbia against Simeon, but he substituted Pavle with Zaharije Pribisavljević, a former refugee at Constantinople that he had captured. Desperate to conquer Constantinople, Simeon planned a large campaign in 924 and sent envoys to the Fatimid caliph Ubayd Allah al-Mahdi Billah , who possessed a powerful navy which Simeon needed. The caliph agreed and sent his own representatives back with
14453-452: The mid 960s, the Byzantine emperor Nikephoros II Phokas refused to pay the annual tribute to Bulgaria in 966, complaining of the Bulgarian alliance with the Magyars, and undertook a show of force at the Bulgarian border. Dissuaded from a direct attack against Bulgaria, Nikephoros II dispatched a messenger to the Kievan prince Sviatoslav Igorevich to arrange a Kievan attack against Bulgaria from
14602-454: The neighboring heights. After some time passed with the two forces sizing up each other, Constantine VI ordered the attack, but in the resulting Battle of Marcellae the Byzantine forces lost formation and once again were defeated and turned to flight. Kardam captured the imperial tent and the emperor's servants. After his return to Constantinople , Constantine VI signed a peace treaty and undertook to pay an annual tribute to Bulgaria. By 796,
14751-530: The new emperor's maternal uncle, initially acting as a regent. As part of the peace treaty signed in October 927 and reinforced by Peter's marriage to Maria (Eirene) , Romanos' granddaughter, the existing borders were confirmed, as were the Bulgarian ruler's imperial dignity and the head of the Bulgarian Church's patriarchal status. H.H.Howorth opined "If he had lived, or if he had been succeeded by princes of
14900-405: The next century with variable success, until the Bulgarians, led by Krum , inflicted a series of crushing defeats on the Byzantines. After Krum died in 814, his son Omurtag negotiated a thirty-year peace treaty. Simeon I had multiple successful campaigns against the Byzantines during his rule from 893 to 927. His son Peter I negotiated another long-lasting peace treaty. His rule was followed by
15049-472: The north, rushed to meet Phokas' forces, but the two armies did not engage in a fight. Instead, the Byzantines offered peace, informing him of both the Byzantine foot and maritime campaign, but intentionally did not notify him of the planned Magyar attack. Simeon did not trust the envoy and, after sending him to prison, ordered the Byzantine navy's route into the Danube closed off with ropes and chains, intending to hold it until he had dealt with Phokas. Despite
15198-512: The north. Sviatoslav readily launched a campaign with a vast force and routed the Bulgarians on the Danube, seizing some 80 Bulgarian fortresses in 968. Stunned by the success of his ally and suspicious of his actual intentions, Emperor Nikephoros II now hastened to make peace with Bulgaria and arranged the marriage of his wards, the underage emperors Basil II and Constantine VIII , to two Bulgarian princesses. Two of Peter's sons were sent to Constantinople as both negotiators and honorary hostages. In
15347-440: The palace on the insistence of the young emperor and immediately proceeded to eliminate the regents. Through a plot, she managed to assume power in February 914, practically removing Patriarch Nicholas from the government, disowning and obscuring his recognition of Simeon's imperial title, and rejecting the planned marriage of her son to one of Simeon's daughters. Simeon had to resort to war to achieve his goals. He invaded Thrace in
15496-409: The peace treaty with Byzantium, attacking and conquering Byzantine territory on several occasions, such as in 904, when the Bulgarian raids were used by Arabs led by the Byzantine renegade Leo of Tripoli to undertake a maritime campaign and seize Thessaloniki. After the Arabs plundered the city, it was an easy target for Bulgaria and the nearby Slavic tribes. In order to dissuade Simeon from capturing
15645-429: The port of Anchialos ( Pomorie ). Once informed of the invasion, Simeon rushed to intercept the Byzantines, and attacked them from the nearby hills while they were resting disorganized. In the Battle of Acheloos of 20 August 917, one of the largest in medieval history, the Bulgarians completely routed the Byzantines and killed many of their commanders, although Phokas managed to escape to Mesembria. Decades later, Leo
15794-426: The port of Anchialos ( Pomorie ). Once informed of the invasion, Simeon rushed to intercept the Byzantines, and he attacked them from the nearby hills while they were resting disorganized. In the Battle of Achelous (or Anchialus) on 20 August 917, one of the largest in medieval history, the Bulgarians completely routed the Byzantines and killed many of their commanders, although Phokas managed to escape to Mesembria. As
15943-468: The ports around the Gulf of Burgas on the Black Sea. The Byzantine forces, led by the emperor and the caesar Bardas , were successful in the conflict and reconquered a number of cities, Philippopolis, Develtus , Anchialus and Mesembria being among them, and also the frontier region between Sider and Develtus, known as Zagora , in northeastern Thrace. At the time of this campaign the Bulgarians were distracted by
16092-515: The pressure from the Magyars and the Byzantines, Simeon was free to plan a campaign against the Magyars looking for retribution. He negotiated a joint force with the Magyars' eastern neighbours, the Pechenegs , and imprisoned the Byzantine envoy Leo Choirosphaktes in order to delay the release of the captives until after the campaign against the Magyars. This would allow him to renegotiate the peace conditions in his favour. In an exchange of letters with
16241-448: The problems they encountered because of the fencing, the Byzantines ultimately managed to ferry the Magyar forces led by Árpád 's son Liüntika across the Danube, possibly near modern Galaţi , and assisted them in pillaging the nearby Bulgarian lands. Once notified of the surprise invasion, Simeon headed north to stop the Magyars, leaving some of his troops at the southern border to prevent an attack by Phokas. Simeon's two encounters with
16390-506: The production of a number of original theological and secular works, such as John Exarch 's Six Days ( Šestodnev ), Constantine of Preslav's Alphabetical Prayer and Proclamation of the Holy Gospels , and Černorizec Hrabǎr 's An Account of Letters . Simeon's own contribution to this literary blossoming was praised by his contemporaries, for example in the Praise to Tsar Simeon preserved in
16539-466: The promise that Constantine VII would marry one of Simeon's daughters, and, most importantly, Simeon's official recognition as Emperor ( tzar ) of the Bulgarians by Patriarch Nicholas in the Blachernai Palace . Until the end of his reign, Simeon used the style of "Emperor of the Bulgarians and the Romans". Shortly after Simeon visited Constantinople, Constantine's mother Zoe returned to the palace on
16688-510: The proposal, seemingly opposing the clause for exchange of deserters. To apply more pressure on the emperor, Krum besieged and captured Mesembria ( Nesebar ) in the fall of 812. In February 813, the Bulgars raided into Thrace but were repelled by the emperor's forces. Encouraged by this success, Michael I summoned troops from the entire empire and headed north, hoping for a decisive victory. Krum led his army south towards Adrianople and pitched camp near Versinikia. Michael I lined up his army against
16837-432: The rebellion, attacking the rebels at the Battle of Kedouktos (winter 822 or spring 823). Although Byzantine accounts report that Thomas's army was routed, modern scholars consider the battle a victory, albeit costly, for Thomas. After the expiration of the original 20-year peace treaty with the Byzantine Empire in 836, Emperor Theophilos ravaged the regions within the Bulgarian frontier. The Bulgars retaliated, and under
16986-515: The regnal name Tiberius , gathered a fleet and allied himself with the Green faction, before sailing for Constantinople, which was enduring the bubonic plague . After several months of siege, the city surrendered to Tiberius, in 698. Tiberius captured Leontius, and had his nose slit before imprisoning him in the Monastery of Dalmatou . Leontius stayed in the monastery under guard until Justinian retook
17135-410: The rule of the empire in the hands of a regency council headed by Patriarch Nicholas Mystikos . This gave the Bulgarian ruler a great opportunity to attempt a campaign towards the Byzantine capital, so he attacked in full force in late July or August 913, reaching Constantinople without any serious resistance. The protracted negotiations resulted in the payment of the arrears in the Byzantine tribute,
17284-611: The same martial character, it is very probable that a great Slav state reaching from the Adriatic to the Black Sea, which would have been a barrier to the Turks, might have been formed south of the Danube." During Simeon's reign, Bulgaria reached its cultural apogee, becoming the literary and spiritual centre of Slavic Europe . In this respect, Simeon continued his father Boris' policy of establishing and spreading Slavic culture and attracting noted scholars and writers within Bulgaria's borders. It
17433-490: The series, the tsar is played by Marius Donkin . A historical drama play called Tsar Simeon Veliki – Zlatniyat vek produced by Stefan Staychev, director of the Silistra Theatre, premiered in December 2006. Ivan Samokovliev stars in the part of Simeon. The painting, "The Bulgarian Tsar Simeon" is part of the 20-canvas work by Alfons Mucha , The Slav Epic . The last Bulgarian monarch, Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha ,
17582-433: The succession and sent to a monastery. By his second wife, the sister of the influential noble George Sursubul, he had three sons: Peter , who succeeded as Emperor of Bulgaria in 927 and ruled until 969; Ivan, who unsuccessfully conspired against Peter in 929 and then fled to Byzantium; and Benjamin (Bajan), who, according to Lombard historian Liutprand of Cremona , "possessed the power to transform himself suddenly into
17731-399: The summer of 914 and captured Adrianople . Zoe was quick to send Simeon numerous presents in order to conciliate him, and she managed to convince him to cede back Adrianople and withdraw his army. In the following years, Simeon's forces were engaged in the northwestern Byzantine provinces, around Drač ( Durrës ) and Thessaloniki, but did not make a move against Constantinople. By 917, Simeon
17880-478: The summer of the same year, Simeon arrived at Constantinople and demanded to see the patriarch and the emperor. He conversed with Romanos on the Golden Horn on 9 September 924 and arranged a truce, according to which Byzantium would pay Bulgaria an annual tax, but would be ceded back some cities on the Black Sea coast. In 926, Simeon's troops invaded Croatia, at the time a Byzantine ally, but were severely defeated by
18029-425: The supposed meeting and all of them were beheaded. Bulgaria annexed Serbia directly. In the summer of 924, Simeon nevertheless arrived at Constantinople and demanded to see the patriarch and the emperor. He conversed with Romanos on the Golden Horn on 9 September 924 and arranged a truce, according to which Byzantium would pay Bulgaria an annual tax, but would be ceded back some cities on the Black Sea coast. During
18178-508: The throne with the assistance of the Bulgar king Tervel in 705. Justinian then had both Leontius and Tiberius dragged to the Hippodrome and publicly humiliated, before being taken away and beheaded. The execution took place on 15 February 706 according to the 13th-century Chronicon Altinate . The body of Leontius was thrown into the sea alongside Tiberius, but was later recovered and buried in
18327-494: The throne, as mutilated people were traditionally barred from becoming emperor; however, Leontius did not kill Justinian, out of reverence for Constantine IV. After Justinian's nose was cut off, Leontius exiled him to Cherson , a Byzantine exclave in the Crimea . Upon his coronation, Leontius, now known as "Leo", adopted a moderate political stance. He restricted the activity of the Byzantine army , allowing small raids against
18476-461: The throne. Both Leontius and Tiberius were executed. Little of Leontius' early life is known, other than that he was from Isauria , and possibly of Armenian descent. Christian Settipani speculates that Leontius was the son of a certain Lazarus, who was the direct descendant of emperor Phocas and general Priscus . Furthermore, Settipani identifies patrikios Tarasius as Leontius' son. Leontius
18625-467: The time of) Patriarch Nicholas' death in 925, Simeon raised the status of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church to a patriarchate. This may be linked to Simeon's diplomatic relations with the Papacy between 924 and 926, during which he demanded and received Pope John X 's recognition of his title as "Emperor of the Romans", truly equal to the Byzantine emperor, and possibly the confirmation of a patriarchal dignity for
18774-459: The title of kaisar ( Caesar ), which made him second only to the emperor and the first foreign ruler in Byzantine history to receive such a title, and possibly a territorial concession in northeastern Thrace, a region called Zagore . Whether Justinian's daughter Anastasia was married to Tervel as had been arranged is unknown. A mere three years later Justinian II himself violated this arrangement and apparently commenced military operations to recover
18923-402: The two commanders beheaded, which forced Simeon to conclude an armistice with Byzantium in order to concentrate on the suppression of the uprising. Simeon sent an army led by Časlav Klonimirović in 924 to depose Zaharije. He was successful, as Zaharije fled to Croatia. After this victory, the Serbian nobility was invited to come to Bulgaria and bow to the new Prince. However, he did not appear at
19072-496: The vicinity of Adrianople. The armies faced each other for 17 days without entering into battle, while the two monarchs probably engaged in negotiations. In the end, conflict was averted and the peace resumed on the same terms as in 792. Khan Krum engaged in an aggressive policy within the Balkans, raiding along the Struma valley in 807, where he defeated a Byzantine army and captured an enormous amount of gold intended as wages for
19221-402: The west through Thessaly reaching the Isthmus of Corinth and in the east in Thrace, reaching and crossing the Dardanelles to lay siege on the town of Lampsacus . Simeon's forces appeared before Constantinople in 921, when they demanded the deposition of Romanos and captured Adrianople, and 922, when they were victorious at Pigae , burned much of the Golden Horn and seized Bizye . In
19370-418: The whole Byzantine army. In 809, Krum besieged and forced the surrender of Serdica ( Sofia ), slaughtering the Byzantine garrison in spite of his promise of safe conduct. This provoked Byzantine Emperor Nikephoros I to settle Anatolian populations along the frontier to protect it and to attempt to retake and refortify Serdica, although this enterprise ultimately failed. In early 811, Nikephoros I undertook
19519-637: The wooden structures and roofs with missiles, and they took the fortress. Boris II now became a captive of John I Tzimiskes, who continued to pursue the Russians, besieging Sviatoslav in Drăstăr ( Silistra ) while claiming to act as Boris' ally and protector and treating the Bulgarian monarch with due respect. After Sviatoslav had come to terms and set out for Kiev, the Byzantine emperor returned to Constantinople in triumph. Far from liberating Bulgaria as he had claimed, John brought along Boris II and his family, together with
19668-450: The year following the destruction of his army in Croatia, while planning another attack on the Byzantines, he died of a heart attack in his palace in Preslav on May 27, 927. Soon after his accession, Simeon's son Peter I renewed the war and raided Byzantine Thrace. Following this show of strength, Peter dispatched a diplomatic mission to Constantinople seeking peace. A peace was obtained with
19817-511: The young Constantine VII in 919, forcing her back into a convent. Romanos betrothed his daughter Helena Lekapene to Constantine and advanced to the rank of co-emperor in December 920, effectively assuming the government of the empire, which was largely what Simeon had planned to do. No longer able to climb to the Byzantine throne by diplomatic means, the infuriated Simeon once again had to wage war to impose his will. Between 920 and 922, Bulgaria increased its pressure on Byzantium, campaigning in
19966-433: Was able to corner the main Bulgarian army and force a battle while Samuel was away. He won a crushing victory and, according to later legend, he blinded 14,000 prisoners, leaving one man in every hundred with sight in one eye to lead his comrades home. According to the legend, the sight of this atrocity was too much even for Samuel, who blamed himself for the defeat and died less than three months later, on October 6. This story
20115-458: Was all to Simeon's advantage. Nicholas Mystikos tried to discourage Simeon from invading Byzantium in a long series of pleading letters, but the Bulgarian ruler nevertheless attacked in full force in late July or August 913, reaching Constantinople without any serious resistance. The anarchy in Constantinople had ceased after the murder of the pretender Constantine Doukas, however, and a government had promptly been formed with Patriarch Nicholas at
20264-534: Was appointed as strategos of the Anatolic Theme , at the time the most senior military command of the Byzantine Empire, and patrikios by Emperor Constantine IV , possibly c. 682 AD. Starting in 680, the Islamic Umayyad Caliphate erupted into a civil war, known as the Second Fitna . Umayyad authority was challenged even in their metropolitan province of Syria , while most of
20413-478: Was attempting to induce the Pechenegs to come to his aid, following up the general practice of his predecessors. While Byzantine armies had penetrated deep into Bulgaria in 1016, Ivan Vladislav was able to rally his forces and commenced a siege of Dyrrachium ( Durazzo ) in the winter of 1018. During a battle in front of the city , Ivan Vladislav was killed. After his death much of the Bulgarian nobility and court, including his widow Maria and his sons, submitted to
20562-495: Was born in 864 or 865, as the third son of Knyaz Boris I of Krum 's dynasty. As Boris was the ruler who Christianized Bulgaria in 865, Simeon was a Christian all his life. Because his eldest brother Vladimir was designated heir to the Bulgarian throne, Boris intended Simeon to become a high-ranking cleric, possibly Bulgarian archbishop, and sent him to the University of Constantinople to receive theological education when he
20711-472: Was defeated at the Battle of Anchialus in 763. During their next campaigns, both sides failed to gain significant success because the Byzantines could not pass through the Balkan Mountains, and their fleet was destroyed twice in heavy storms (2,600 ships sank in just one of the storms in 765). In 774, they defeated an inferior Bulgarian force at Berzitia , but this was the last success of Constantine V: as
20860-447: Was in the Preslav Literary School and Ohrid Literary School , founded under Boris, that the main literary work in Bulgaria was concentrated during the reign of Simeon in the new Cyrillic alphabet which was developed there. The late 9th and early 10th centuries constitute the earliest and most productive period of medieval Bulgarian literature . Having spent his early years in Constantinople, Simeon introduced Byzantine culture to
21009-419: Was killed in the ensuing battle along with many of his troops, while his son Staurakios was carried to safety by the imperial bodyguard after receiving a paralyzing wound to his neck. According to tradition, Krum had the Emperor's skull lined with silver and used it as a drinking cup. This enhanced his reputation for brutality and won him the nickname "New Sennacherib ". Staurakios was forced to abdicate after
21158-579: Was named after Simeon I. A brand of high-quality grape rakija , Car Simeon Veliki , also bears his name, and an Antarctic peak on Livingston Island of the South Shetland Islands was named Simeon Peak in his honour by the Antarctic Place-names Commission . Leontios Leontius ( Greek : Λεόντιος , romanized : Leóntios ; died c. 15 February 706) was Byzantine emperor from 695 to 698. Little
21307-464: Was overthrown by Apsimarus , a droungarios who had taken part in a failed expedition that had been launched by Leontius to recover Carthage . After seizing Constantinople , Apsimar took the name Tiberius (III), and had Leontius' nose and tongue cut off . He was sent to the Monastery of Dalmatou, where he remained until some time between August 705 and February 706. By this time Justinian had retaken
21456-486: Was preparing for yet another war against Byzantium. He attempted to conclude an anti-Byzantine union with the Pechenegs, but his envoys could not match the financial resources of the Byzantines, who succeeded in outbidding them. The Byzantines hatched a large-scale campaign against Bulgaria and also tried to persuade the Serbian Prince Petar Gojniković to attack the Bulgarians with Magyar support. In 917,
21605-526: Was repulsed at the Battle of Sebastopolis , where a large number of Slavs defected to the Umayyads, ensuring the Byzantine defeat. After this, the Umayyads renewed their invasion of North Africa , aimed at taking the city of Carthage in the Exarchate of Africa , and also invaded Anatolia . Around this time, Justinian imprisoned Leontius. Some Byzantine sources, such as Nikephoros and Theophanes , suggest that Justinian did so because he believed that Leontius
21754-468: Was seeking to take the throne, but it is possible that the crushing defeat at Sebastopolis played a part in his imprisonment; as strategos of the Anatolic Theme, he likely served in the battle, and may have even been the main Byzantine commander in it. After further setbacks in the war, Justinian released Leontius in 695 because he feared losing control of Carthage, and appointed him strategos of
21903-512: Was sent into the Black Sea and an army dispatched to invade Bulgaria. As the bulk of Boris' army was campaigning against Moravia far to the northwest, he had little choice but to yield immediately. He broke off the Frankish alliance, allowed Greek clergy to enter Bulgaria, and was eventually baptized, with the Byzantine emperor Michael III as his sponsor; Boris took the additional name of Michael at his baptism. The Bulgarians were allowed to recover
22052-500: Was succeeded by his son Omurtag . The reign of Khan Omurtag opened with an invasion of the Byzantine Empire after the rejection of Byzantine offers for peace. The Bulgars penetrated as far south as modern Babaeski (Bulgarophygon then), but there they were defeated by Emperor Leo V the Armenian , and Omurtag escaped the battlefield on his swift horse. The battle was not a decisive blow for the Bulgars, though it certainly had some effect. The possibility of an anti-Bulgar alliance between
22201-471: Was thirteen or fourteen. He took the name Simeon as a novice in a monastery in Constantinople. During the decade (ca. 878–888) he spent in the Byzantine capital, he received an excellent education and studied the rhetoric of Demosthenes and Aristotle . He also learned fluent Greek , to the extent that he was referred to as "the half-Greek" in Byzantine chronicles. He is speculated to have been tutored by Patriarch Photios I of Constantinople , but this
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