Battle of Strumica

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Battle of Strumica
Part of the Byzantine-Bulgarian Wars
DateAugust 1014
Location
near Strumica, present-day North Macedonia
Result Bulgarian victory
Belligerents
Bulgarian Empire Byzantine Empire
Commanders and leaders
Gavril Radomir Theophylactus Botaniates †
Strength
Unknown Unknown
Casualties and losses
Light Heavy

The Battle of Strumica took place in August 1014, near Strumica (or Strumitsa), present-day North Macedonia, between Bulgarian and Byzantine forces. For nearly three and a half centuries Bulgaria has threatened the Byzantine Empire's sole rule in the Balkan Peninsula.[1] Under the Tsar Samuel, Bulgarian power had been reconstituted. From 977 to 986 Samuel had reinforced Bulgaria's power by liberating Danubian Bulgaria, conquering Macedonia and Thessaly, and even forcing his way into the Peloponnesus.[2] The Tsar Samuel managed to extend the Bulgarian empires borders from the Danube to the Adriatic. Due to this strengthening of the Bulgarian empire, Bulgaria became the only foreign power which was capable enough to permanently threaten the Byzantine capital immediately due to its geographical location.[3] This resulted in the Byzantine emperor Basil II to go on the offensive and push his army into Bulgaria; however, Basil II suffered a defeat at the pass of the Trajan Gate in the Balkans putting a ten-year halt on his campaign into Bulgaria.[4] The Tsar Samuel took advantage of this ten-year hiatus by continuing to add to the size of his kingdom by extending Bulgaria's borders to the Aegean Sea. Bulgarian expansion was so successful and uncontested at this time due largely to the fact that Constantinople was preoccupied dealing with the Arab threat to its possessions in Asia Minor.[5] The Tsar Samuel's recent victories were short lived; however, now that the Arab threat had been dealt with, Byzantine emperor Basil II was now able to focus his full attention on the Bulgarian uprisings. The first Bulgarian state was nearing its end when the Bulgarian and Byzantine armies met in Macedonia in 1014. On the slopes of Mount Belassitsa fifteen thousand Bulgarian troops were captured; legend has it that ninety-nine out of every one hundred captured Bulgarians was blinded, leaving the remainder who were left with one eye, to guide their fellow comrades back to their leader who passed away three days after seeing what had happened to his soldiers.[6] Bulgarian troops under Emperor Samuil's son Gavril Radomir defeated the army of the governor of Thessaloniki, Theophylactus Botaniates, who perished in the battle. After his death the Byzantine Emperor Basil II was forced to pull back from Bulgaria and was unable to take advantage of his success in the recent Battle of Kleidion.

The battle

After his victory on 29 July 1014, when a large part of the Bulgarian army was destroyed, Basil II marched westwards and seized the small fortress of Matsukion near Strumitsa, but the town itself remained in Bulgarian hands. That is why the Byzantine Emperor sent an army led by one of his most capable generals, Theophylactus Botaniates, to destroy the palisades to the south of the town, which had been built by Samuil before the campaign. Thus he would clear the way of the Byzantines to Thessaloniki through the valley of the Vardar river.

He [Botaniates] marched on and the Bulgarians who guarded the surroundings allowed him to make his way undisturbed. But when he was preparing to go back to the Emperor after he had fulfilled his orders, he was ambushed in a long gorge. When he entered he was surrounded and fired with stones and arrows; he was killed and no one could help him...

— John Skylitzes, Historia, v. II, p. 66

The historian Vasil Zlatarski specifies the battlefield at the Kosturino gorge between the mountains Belasitsa and Plavush. The Byzantines could not organize their defense in the narrow pass and were annihilated. Most of their troops perished including their commander. According to bishop Michael of Devol, Botaniates was killed by the heir to the Bulgarian throne Gavril Radomir, who pierced the Byzantine general with his spear.[7][8] Upon the news of that unexpected and heavy defeat, Basil II was forced to immediately retreat eastwards and not through the planned route via Thessaloniki. He also lifted the siege of Strumitsa. In order to break the spirit of the Bulgarians, Basil II blinded thousands of soldiers previously captured at Kleidion and sent them to Samuil.[9]

References

  1. ^ Kanev, Nikolay (2019-12-30). "Emperor Basil II and the Awarding of Byzantine Honorific Titles to Bulgarians in the Course of the Conquest of Bulgaria (976–1018)". Studia Ceranea. Journal of the Waldemar Ceran Research Centre for the History and Culture of the Mediterranean Area and South-East Europe. 9: 455–473. doi:10.18778/2084-140X.09.24. ISSN 2449-8378.
  2. ^ Diehl, Charles (1945). History of the Byzantine Empire. G.E. Stechert. OCLC 23339936.
  3. ^ Kanev, Nikolay (2019-12-30). "Emperor Basil II and the Awarding of Byzantine Honorific Titles to Bulgarians in the Course of the Conquest of Bulgaria (976–1018)". Studia Ceranea. Journal of the Waldemar Ceran Research Centre for the History and Culture of the Mediterranean Area and South-East Europe. 9: 455–473. doi:10.18778/2084-140X.09.24. ISSN 2449-8378.
  4. ^ Diehl, Charles (1945). History of the Byzantine Empire. G.E. Stechert. OCLC 23339936.
  5. ^ "CAMBRIDGE CONCISE HISTORIES". A Concise History of Bulgaria: 288–289. 2005-11-24. doi:10.1017/cbo9780511996870.018.
  6. ^ "CAMBRIDGE CONCISE HISTORIES". A Concise History of Bulgaria: 288–289. 2005-11-24. doi:10.1017/cbo9780511996870.018.
  7. ^ Zlatarski, History of Bulgaria in the Middle Ages, Vol. I, Part 2, p. 738
  8. ^ Angelov / Cholpanov, Bulgarian Military History in the Middle Ages (10th–15th centuries), pp. 55–56
  9. ^ Gyuzelev, Short History of Bulgaria, p. 74

Sources

  • John Skylitzes. Synopsis Historion, translated by Paul Stephenson.
  • Подбрани извори за българската история, Том II: Българските държави и българите през Средновековието, Изд. "ТАНГРА ТанНакРа ИК", София 2004, ISBN 954-9942-40-6, с. 66-67
  • Мутафчиев, Петър, Книга за българите, Издателство на БАН, София 1992, ISBN 954-430-128-3, с. 118-119
  • Златарски, Васил, История на българската държава през средните векове, том 1, част 2, Академично издателство "Марин Дринов", София 1994, ISBN 954-430-299-9 (т. 1, ч. 2), с. 738 (с. 697-700 в електронно издание)
  • Пириватрич, Сърджан, Самуиловата държава. Обхват и характер, Изд. група "АГАТА-А", София 2000, ISBN 954-540-020-X, с. 137
  • Гюзелев, Васил, България от втората четвърт на Х до началото на ХІ век, с. 71, 74, в: Димитров, Илчо (ред.), Кратка история на България, изд. "Наука и изкуство", София 1983
  • Zlatarski, Vasil, History of Bulgaria in the Middle Ages (Istoria na balgarskata darzhava prez srednite vekove, История на българската държава през средните векове), in Bulgarian, Vol. 1, Part 2, Marin Drinov Academic Publishers, Sofia, 1994, ISBN 954-430-299-9 (That work can be found in the Internet, taken from the site "Books for Macedonia" (in Bulgarian) Archived 2014-07-21 at the Wayback Machine on 29.01.2008)
  • Gyuzelev, Vasil, Bulgaria from the second quarter of the tenth century to the beginning of the 11th century, (Balgaria ot vtorata chetvart na X do nachaloto na XI vek, България от втората четвърт на Х до началото на ХІ век), in Bulgarian, In: Dimitrov, Ilcho (Ed.), Short History of Bulgaria (Kratka istoria na Balgaria, Кратка история на България), in Bulgarian, Science and Arts Publishers, Sofia 1983

Coordinates: 41°26′N 22°38′E / 41.433°N 22.633°E / 41.433; 22.633

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