[Battlefield Stories] One of the largest battles in Medieval Europe

Day 2,680, 07:29 • Published in Ireland Bulgaria • by Vlado33


What's the craic, my fellow countrymen? Conas ata tu?

I got a bit bored in the game lately so I decided to start writing articles on historical topics - I think I will mostly try to teach you some Bulgarian history. I believe that if you are interested in history, you will be following what I publish in the press. Let me know down in the comments whether u will enjoy this kind of articles or not.

Today I will present you one of the biggest battles of the Middle Ages - a battle that was part of the Bulgarian-Byzantine wars.

Battle of Achelous (917)



The battle took place on the 20th of August, 917 on the Achelous river near the Black Sea coast. That was a major battle of the war between the First Bulgarian Empire and the Byzantine Empire. With 62 000 Bulgarian soldiers vs 60 000 Byzantium soldiers this is considered one of the largest battle in Medieval Europe.

Background

After the Bulgarian victory in the war between 894 and 896 the Byzantines were forced to pay tribute to Tsar Simeon I of Bulgaria. In 912 when the Byzantine emperor Leo VI died, his brother Alexander refused to pay tribute to the Bulgarians. Simeon saw an opportunity to wage a new war and fulfill his ambitions to conquer Constantinople.

Simeon I of Bulgaria was the emperor at the time and the Byzantine Empire's General was Leo Phocas. The battle, which resulted in a Bulgarian victory, was significant because it marked the worst defeat in the history of the Byzantine Army, and the greatest military success of Bulgarian history.



The battle

Simeon’s tactics was to outmaneveur the enemy so he left his center weak while the strongest forces were on the flanks. The Romans charged the Bulgarian center and the Bulgarians started to slowly retreat. The Byzantines formations were broken in the charge and Tzar Simeon led himself the cavalry, previously hidden behind the hills. The heavy cavalry caused havoc and panick and soon the Romans began to run for their lives. Many were slaughtered. This resulted in massive losses for the Byzantime army - about 60,000 out of 62,000 and very light losses for the Bulgarian side.

Consequences

Among the most significant consequences was the official recognition of the Imperial title of the Bulgarian monarchs, and the consequent affirmation of Bulgarian equality vis-à-vis Byzantium.

Even 75 years after the battle Leo the Deacon wrote:
"…And even now there could be seen piles of bones at Anchialus where the fleeing army of the Romans was disgracefully slain."

Afterwar years

The battle of Acheloos was one of the most important battles in the long Byzantine–Bulgarian Wars. It foiled Byzantine designs on Bulgaria, secured the concession of the Imperial title to the Bulgarian rulers, and thereby firmly established Bulgaria's role as a key player in Europe. However, the dynastic marriage that Simeon desired to establish with the Byzantine imperial family was foiled. After his death in 927 however, his successor Peter I was able to secure the hand of Maria Lecapene, the granddaughter of emperor Romanus I, and with it an annual tribute, the renewed recognition of his imperial title and the autocephaly of the Bulgarian church. This agreement ushered a period of 40 years of peaceful relations between the two powers, a time of stability and prosperity for Bulgaria.

Map of the Bulgarian Empire durign the reign of Tzar Simeon



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Yours truly,