Battle of Ongal
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Ongal took place in the summer of 680 in the Ongal area, an unspecified location in around the Danube delta
near the Peuce Island
. The battle had an enormous significance and influence not only for Balkan but also for Europe
an history with the creation of the First Bulgarian Empire
.
managed to unite the Bulgars
into the mighty Old Great Bulgaria
between the Black Sea
and Caspian Sea
. After his death in 660s the state was threatened by constant attacks by the Khazars
from the east and his sons divided. Batbayan the eldest son inherited the throne but was defeated by the Khazars and submitted to their rule. Kotrag
headed to the north and established the strong Volga Bulgaria
, while the third son Asparukh marched westward and settled with his folk in the Ongal area to the north of the Danube
. From there he launched an attack against the Byzantine
fortresses to the south. During that time Byzantium was at war with the Arabs who even besieged the capital Constantinople
. However, in 680 the Byzantines
defeated them and settled peace. After this success the emperor Constantine IV
decided to punish the Bulgars
for their attack and led an army against Asparukh. In the meantime the Bulgarian leader made an alliance with the Seven Slavic tribes
for mutual protection against Byzantine attacks and formed a federation.
had built wooden ramparts in the swampy area near the Peuce Island
. The marshes forced the Byzantines
to attack from different places and in smaller groups which reduced the strength of their attack. With sudden strikes from the ramparts, the well-organised defense eventually forced the Byzantines to retreat, and the retreat developed into a stampede. The Bulgar
cavalry came out and charged the enemy who retreated chaotically. Most of the Byzantine soldiers perished. According to popular belief, the emperor had leg pain and went to Nessebar to seek treatment. The troops thought that he fled the battlefield and in turn began fleeing. When the Bulgars realised what was happening, they attacked and easily defeated the discouraged enemy.
defeating the Byzantines again. Constantine IV
found himself in a dead-lock and asked for peace. With the treaty of 681 the Byzantines recognised the creation of the new Bulgarian state and were obliged to pay annual tribute to the Bulgarian rulers, which was greatly humiliating for the empire which managed to defeat the Persians
and the Arabs.
state, which was to become a Europe
an superpower in the 9th and 10th century along with the Byzantine and Frankish Empire
s. It became a cultural and spiritual centre of Slavic Europe
through most of the Middle Ages
.
in Tangra Mountains
on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands
, Antarctica is named for the historical Ongal area.
Danube Delta
The Danube Delta is the second largest river delta in Europe, after the Volga Delta, and is the best preserved on the continent. The greater part of the Danube Delta lies in Romania , while its northern part, on the left bank of the Chilia arm, is situated in Ukraine . The approximate surface is...
near the Peuce Island
Peuce Island
Peuce in ancient geography was an island located in the Danube Delta, in Scythia Minor . Its name came from the ancient Greek word peuke, 'pine tree'. It was about the size of the island of Rhodes...
. The battle had an enormous significance and influence not only for Balkan but also for Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an history with the creation of the First Bulgarian Empire
First Bulgarian Empire
The First Bulgarian Empire was a medieval Bulgarian state founded in the north-eastern Balkans in c. 680 by the Bulgars, uniting with seven South Slavic tribes...
.
Origins of the conflict
In 632, Khan KubratKubrat
Kubrat or Kurt was a Bulgar ruler credited with establishing the confederation of Old Great Bulgaria in 632. He is said to have achieved this by conquering the Avars and uniting all the Bulgar tribes under one rule....
managed to unite the Bulgars
Bulgars
The Bulgars were a semi-nomadic who flourished in the Pontic Steppe and the Volga basin in the 7th century.The Bulgars emerge after the collapse of the Hunnic Empire in the 5th century....
into the mighty Old Great Bulgaria
Old Great Bulgaria
Old Great Bulgaria or Great Bulgaria was а term used by Byzantine historians to refer to Onoguria during the reign of the Bulgar ruler Kubrat in the 7th century north of the Caucasus mountains in the steppe between the Dniester and Lower...
between the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
and Caspian Sea
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. The sea has a surface area of and a volume of...
. After his death in 660s the state was threatened by constant attacks by the Khazars
Khazars
The Khazars were semi-nomadic Turkic people who established one of the largest polities of medieval Eurasia, with the capital of Atil and territory comprising much of modern-day European Russia, western Kazakhstan, eastern Ukraine, Azerbaijan, large portions of the northern Caucasus , parts of...
from the east and his sons divided. Batbayan the eldest son inherited the throne but was defeated by the Khazars and submitted to their rule. Kotrag
Kotrag
Khan Kotrag was the founder of Volga Bulgaria. He was the son of Kubrat who left Great Bulgaria after the death of his father. His successors reached the lands of modern Tatarstan and established a state during 7-9 centuries and recognised Islam as the official religion in 922 AD during the visit...
headed to the north and established the strong Volga Bulgaria
Volga Bulgaria
Volga Bulgaria, or Volga–Kama Bolghar, is a historic Bulgar state that existed between the seventh and thirteenth centuries around the confluence of the Volga and Kama rivers in what is now Russia.-Origin:...
, while the third son Asparukh marched westward and settled with his folk in the Ongal area to the north of the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
. From there he launched an attack against the Byzantine
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
fortresses to the south. During that time Byzantium was at war with the Arabs who even besieged the capital Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
. However, in 680 the Byzantines
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
defeated them and settled peace. After this success the emperor Constantine IV
Constantine IV
Constantine IV , , sometimes incorrectly called Pogonatos, "the Bearded", by confusion with his father; was Byzantine emperor from 668 to 685...
decided to punish the Bulgars
Bulgars
The Bulgars were a semi-nomadic who flourished in the Pontic Steppe and the Volga basin in the 7th century.The Bulgars emerge after the collapse of the Hunnic Empire in the 5th century....
for their attack and led an army against Asparukh. In the meantime the Bulgarian leader made an alliance with the Seven Slavic tribes
Seven Slavic tribes
The Seven Slavic tribes were a union of Slavic tribes of Moesia that was established around the middle of the 7th century and took part in the formation of the First Bulgarian Empire together with the Bulgars in 680-681....
for mutual protection against Byzantine attacks and formed a federation.
The battle
The BulgarsBulgars
The Bulgars were a semi-nomadic who flourished in the Pontic Steppe and the Volga basin in the 7th century.The Bulgars emerge after the collapse of the Hunnic Empire in the 5th century....
had built wooden ramparts in the swampy area near the Peuce Island
Peuce Island
Peuce in ancient geography was an island located in the Danube Delta, in Scythia Minor . Its name came from the ancient Greek word peuke, 'pine tree'. It was about the size of the island of Rhodes...
. The marshes forced the Byzantines
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
to attack from different places and in smaller groups which reduced the strength of their attack. With sudden strikes from the ramparts, the well-organised defense eventually forced the Byzantines to retreat, and the retreat developed into a stampede. The Bulgar
Bulgars
The Bulgars were a semi-nomadic who flourished in the Pontic Steppe and the Volga basin in the 7th century.The Bulgars emerge after the collapse of the Hunnic Empire in the 5th century....
cavalry came out and charged the enemy who retreated chaotically. Most of the Byzantine soldiers perished. According to popular belief, the emperor had leg pain and went to Nessebar to seek treatment. The troops thought that he fled the battlefield and in turn began fleeing. When the Bulgars realised what was happening, they attacked and easily defeated the discouraged enemy.
Aftermath
After the victory, the Bulgars advanced south and seized the lands to the north of Stara Planina. In 681 they invaded ThraceThrace
Thrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east...
defeating the Byzantines again. Constantine IV
Constantine IV
Constantine IV , , sometimes incorrectly called Pogonatos, "the Bearded", by confusion with his father; was Byzantine emperor from 668 to 685...
found himself in a dead-lock and asked for peace. With the treaty of 681 the Byzantines recognised the creation of the new Bulgarian state and were obliged to pay annual tribute to the Bulgarian rulers, which was greatly humiliating for the empire which managed to defeat the Persians
Persian people
The Persian people are part of the Iranian peoples who speak the modern Persian language and closely akin Iranian dialects and languages. The origin of the ethnic Iranian/Persian peoples are traced to the Ancient Iranian peoples, who were part of the ancient Indo-Iranians and themselves part of...
and the Arabs.
Significance
This battle was a significant moment in European history, as it led to the creation of a mighty SlavicSlavic peoples
The Slavic people are an Indo-European panethnicity living in Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe, North Asia and Central Asia. The term Slavic represents a broad ethno-linguistic group of people, who speak languages belonging to the Slavic language family and share, to varying degrees, certain...
state, which was to become a Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an superpower in the 9th and 10th century along with the Byzantine and Frankish Empire
Frankish Empire
Francia or Frankia, later also called the Frankish Empire , Frankish Kingdom , Frankish Realm or occasionally Frankland, was the territory inhabited and ruled by the Franks from the 3rd to the 10th century...
s. It became a cultural and spiritual centre of Slavic Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
through most of the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
.
Honour
Ongal PeakOngal Peak
Ongal Peak is a sharp glaciated peak on the Levski Ridge, Tangra Mountains, Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. The peak was first ascended on 21 December 2004 by the Bulgarian Lyubomir Ivanov from Camp Academia...
in Tangra Mountains
Tangra Mountains
Tangra Mountains form the principal mountain range of Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica...
on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands
South Shetland Islands
The South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands, lying about north of the Antarctic Peninsula, with a total area of . By the Antarctic Treaty of 1959, the Islands' sovereignty is neither recognized nor disputed by the signatories and they are free for use by any signatory for...
, Antarctica is named for the historical Ongal area.