[Battlefield Stories] One of the largest battles in Medieval Europe
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
I hope you enjoyed the article. If so - vote & comment & shout.
Yours truly,
Comments
Battlefield stories
http://www.erepublik.com/en/article/-battlefield-stories-one-of-the-largest-battles-in-medieval-europe-2508476/1/20
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First
This is my clay there on the map o/
interesting
o7
в
Kievan Rus o/
what is Duklya?
That's Serbia
or small Servia.
supervote
Усещам наближаващите кавги хохо
😛opcorn
македонците ще са първи 😃
е Симеон не са го взели още :Д
неее, ова нема врска со Македонската историја 😉
Е како да нема wrska, Симеон е македонец по душа! 😃
Цар Симеон е македонски!
Чистокръвен антички македонец со югословенски коренски 😃
в дълбока заблуда сте - американче е 😉
Луно, луно ... еееее, замльо Македонска
This map is more bullshit than grtr albania 😃
These were the actual territories of the Bulgarian Empire, boy. Sorry to disappoint u.
Lets do not forget the Volga-Bulgarians 😃 and the Amero-bulgarians who have conquiered anatolia before the ugandanians came and eat all your breakfast
Im not familiar with the "'amero-bulgarians". Who are they?
o/
добре бе
Владо курајберо 😃
o/
Tzar Simeon has won all the battles he had and all the wars he led his army to. Except one. He faces King Tomislav of Croatia and lost there, I believe there are some stories where he admires the organisation and dedication of the Croatian army and calls them "the only equal to Bulgarians when it comes to war" ; Croatia had twice smaller army.
Bulgaria and Croatia has always been the proudest and the best armies of the Balkans.
o/
true story brateee
And always a best friends and close relatives o/
o7
v
о7
о7
On this map Bulgarian Empire is a little larger than it was.. but every nation is trying to present themselves better through the history..I guess that's normal 🙂
Interesting article btw.. 🙂
mm it's exactly how big it was. why such comments are coming always from serbs 😃 if u know better, show me
Comment doesn't have any bad intention..
http://prntscr.com/6kg51f the accuracy of any map from that period is not 100% correct..everyone draws his maps..
Why always coming from Serbs ? I didn't know about that..
Serbs and Bulgarians have a great history on this lands..
And years doesn't match 100%
What u are showing me is late 9th century and we are talking about 927. Bulgaria on 3 seas, have u heard that phrase?
Тя и при Иван Асен II е на 3 морета, конкретизирай се 🙂
Поздрави и на сръбския играч..!
Our northern border has never been known in details at this time, so on your map it may be more accurate, but in the South-West there is no doubt Dyrrachium and Serbia were BG territories in 927, although the extension in Thessalia is probably wrong.
I like history, I like military history and I liked your article. Well done.
о7
Браво, браво!
о7
Добър опит, но може да си оправиш малко фактологията 🙂
Симеон никога не е бил император на България 🙂
Цар=Император, dude
В римската република да се обявиш за диктатор е било равносилно на смъртна присъда чрез покушение, затова по времето на принципата стоящите начело на държавата са използвали имената на Цезар и Август като титли, подчертаващи както ролята им в обществото, такаи приемствеността на управлението.
През средновековието тези имена се превръщат в титли и образуват върха на сложна рангова система. Докато август се приема като претенция за владетел на целия (християнски) свят, негов патрон и покровител, цезар се приема за едно стъпало по-нисък ранг, съотвестващ на император (изключителен пълководец в Древен Рим). "Цезар" на гръцки се произнася "кесар", на немски "кайзер", на български и руски "цар".
Според папството в Рим, чието мнение е било меродавно в Западна Европа, българският владетел по право е император зарадите признаването на кесаровата титла от страна на августейшия владетел в Константинопол.
Според официалната византийска хронистика, Симеон няма титлата цар, защото не е коронясан според обичаите 🙂
това е така, защото византийския патриарх НЕ полага на главата му корона 🙂
Следователно според папството в Рим, Симеон НЕ е император, защото няма официално признаване на титлата му от Константинопол.
Отново според същото папство в Рим може да съществуват не повече от двама императори едновременно съгласно традициите на Римската империя. Към онзи момент това са владетелят на франките (като наследник на Карл Велики, който за разлика от нашия е официално коронясан) и византийският василевс.
Хайде сега ми обяснете как точно Симеон е Император?
Това трябва да е спорно. Вселенският владика, няма интерес да го прави Император, но това не пречи Императора на всички Българи и Ромеи, да плаща данъци на ВАСАЛА СИ цАР сИМЕОН.
оп, големите букви не са умишлени, грешка е
LOLgarians akka backstabers, just one of many nations who wanted to screw up Serbia but at the end get what they deserve 🙂