Battle of Salonica (1014)
Encyclopedia
The battle of Salonica was fought between the Bulgarian
and the Byzantine Empire
s in the summer of 1014 near the city of Thessaloniki
in contemporary northern Greece. The Bulgarian army under the command of Nestoritsa
was defeated by the Byzantines led by the governor of Salonica Theophylactus Botaniates
and it was unable to divert the main Byzantine forces who were attacking the Bulgarian ramparts between the Belasitsa and Ograzhden
mountains.
launched his annual campaign against Bulgaria. From Western Thrace
via Serres
he reached the valley of the Strumeshnitsa river where his troops were halted by a thick palisade guarded by an army under the personal command of Samuil
. To divert the attention of the enemy the Bulgarian Emperor sent a large force under his general Nestoritsa to the south to attack the second largest city of the Byzantine Empire, Thessaloniki.
s near the river of Galik it was confronted by a strong army led by the doux
(governor) of Thessalonica, Theophylactus Botaniates and his son Michael. The son of the governor charged the Bulgarians but was surrounded. In the fierce battle there the Bulgarians had many casualties and pulled back under the cover of archers. A second attack of Michael and the Byzantine cavalry resulted in a complete defeat for Nestoritsa's troops and they fled. The victorious Byzantines captured many soldiers. After he had secured Thessalonica, Botaniates join Basil's army at Belasitsa
.
Later in that summer Botaniates and his army were defeated in the gorges to the south of Strumitsa and he perished in the battle
, killed by Samuil's son Gavril Radomir
. Nestoritsa, who survived the defeat, surrendered to Basil II four years later in 1018, after the Byzantine Emperor entered the capital of Bulgaria Ohrid
.
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...
and the Byzantine Empire
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...
s in the summer of 1014 near the city of Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
in contemporary northern Greece. The Bulgarian army under the command of Nestoritsa
Nestoritsa
Nestoritsa was a Bulgarian noble and general during the reign of Emperors Samuil ; Gavril Radomir and Ivan Vladislav...
was defeated by the Byzantines led by the governor of Salonica Theophylactus Botaniates
Theophylactus Botaniates
Theophylact Botaniates was an 11th-century Byzantine general and governor of Thessalonica. In 1014 the Byzantine Emperor Basil II invaded Bulgaria and reached the ramparts around the village of Klyuch . To distract his attention, the Bulgarian emperor Samuel sent a large army under Nestoritsa...
and it was unable to divert the main Byzantine forces who were attacking the Bulgarian ramparts between the Belasitsa and Ograzhden
Ograzhden
Ograzhden is a mountain shared by northeastern Republic of Macedonia and southwestern Bulgaria, part of the Belasitsa-Osogovo group. It is located north of Belasitsa, northeast of the Macedonian town of Strumica and northwest of the Bulgarian town of Petrich...
mountains.
Prelude
In the summer of 1014 the Byzantine Emperor Basil IIBasil II
Basil II , known in his time as Basil the Porphyrogenitus and Basil the Young to distinguish him from his ancestor Basil I the Macedonian, was a Byzantine emperor from the Macedonian dynasty who reigned from 10 January 976 to 15 December 1025.The first part of his long reign was dominated...
launched his annual campaign against Bulgaria. From Western Thrace
Western Thrace
Western Thrace or simply Thrace is a geographic and historical region of Greece, located between the Nestos and Evros rivers in the northeast of the country. Together with the regions of Macedonia and Epirus, it is often referred to informally as northern Greece...
via Serres
Serres
Serres is a city in Greece, seat of the Serres prefecture.Serres may also refer to:Places:* Serres, Germany, a part of Wiernsheim in Baden-WürttembergIn France:* Serres, Aude in the Aude département...
he reached the valley of the Strumeshnitsa river where his troops were halted by a thick palisade guarded by an army under the personal command of Samuil
Samuil of Bulgaria
Samuel was the Emperor of the First Bulgarian Empire from 997 to 6 October 1014. From 980 to 997, he was a general under Roman I of Bulgaria, the second surviving son of Emperor Peter I of Bulgaria, and co-ruled with him, as Roman bestowed upon him the command of the army and the effective royal...
. To divert the attention of the enemy the Bulgarian Emperor sent a large force under his general Nestoritsa to the south to attack the second largest city of the Byzantine Empire, Thessaloniki.
The battle
Several days later Nestoritsa reached the vicinity of Thessalonica. On the fields to the west of the city or according to other historianHistorian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
s near the river of Galik it was confronted by a strong army led by the doux
Dux
Dux is Latin for leader and later for Duke and its variant forms ....
(governor) of Thessalonica, Theophylactus Botaniates and his son Michael. The son of the governor charged the Bulgarians but was surrounded. In the fierce battle there the Bulgarians had many casualties and pulled back under the cover of archers. A second attack of Michael and the Byzantine cavalry resulted in a complete defeat for Nestoritsa's troops and they fled. The victorious Byzantines captured many soldiers. After he had secured Thessalonica, Botaniates join Basil's army at Belasitsa
Battle of Kleidion
The Battle of Kleidion took place on July 29, 1014 between the Bulgarian Empire and the Byzantine Empire...
.
Later in that summer Botaniates and his army were defeated in the gorges to the south of Strumitsa and he perished in the battle
Battle of Strumitsa
The Battle of Strumica took place near Strumica in August 1014 between Bulgarian and Byzantine forces. Shortly after the disaster at Kleidion, Bulgarian troops under Emperor Samuil's son Gavril Radomir defeated the army of the governor of Thessaloniki, Theophylactus Botaniates, who perished in the...
, killed by Samuil's son Gavril Radomir
Gavril Radomir of Bulgaria
Gavril Radomir , normally rendered as Gabriel Radomir in English and Gavriil Romanos in Greek, was the ruler of the First Bulgarian Empire from October 1014 to August or September 1015. He was the son of Samuel of Bulgaria. During his father's reign, his cousin Ivan Vladislav and Ivan's entire...
. Nestoritsa, who survived the defeat, surrendered to Basil II four years later in 1018, after the Byzantine Emperor entered the capital of Bulgaria Ohrid
Ohrid
Ohrid is a city on the eastern shore of Lake Ohrid in the Republic of Macedonia. It has about 42,000 inhabitants, making it the seventh largest city in the country. The city is the seat of Ohrid Municipality. Ohrid is notable for having once had 365 churches, one for each day of the year and has...
.
Sources
- Златарски, Васил, История на българската държава през средните векове, том 1, част 2, Академично издателство "Марин Дринов", София 1994, ISBN 954-430-299-9
- Ангелов, Димитър, и Борис Чолпанов, Българска военна история през средновековието (Х-ХV век), Издателство на Българската академия на науките, София 1994, ISBN 954-430-200-X
- Николов, Георги, Централизъм и регионализъм в ранносредновековна България (края на VІІ - началото на ХІ в.), Академично издателство "Марин Дринов", София 2005, ISBN 954-430-787-7
- Пириватрич, Сърджан, Самуиловата държава. Обхват и характер, Изд. група "АГАТА-А", София 2000, ISBN 954-540-020-X
- Подбрани извори за българската история, Том II: Българските държави и българите през Средновековието, Изд. "ТАНГРА ТанНакРа ИК", София 2004, ISBN 954-9942-40-6