Battle of Stephaniana
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Stephaniana was a small-scale battle between the forces of the Serbian Empire
Serbian Empire
The Serbian Empire was a short-lived medieval empire in the Balkans that emerged from the Serbian Kingdom. Stephen Uroš IV Dušan was crowned Emperor of Serbs and Greeks on 16 April, 1346, a title signifying a successorship to the Eastern Roman Empire...

 and the Emirate of Aydin, allies of Byzantine emperor John VI Kantakouzenos
John VI Kantakouzenos
John VI Kantakouzenos or Cantacuzenus was the Byzantine emperor from 1347 to 1354.-Early life:Born in Constantinople, John Kantakouzenos was the son of a Michael Kantakouzenos, governor of the Morea. Through his mother Theodora Palaiologina Angelina, he was a descendant of the reigning house of...

. It was the first battle between the Serbs and Turks, an earlier battle in Gallipoli
Battle of Gallipoli (1312)
The Battle of Gallipoli was fought in 1312, between the Byzantine Empire and Serbian Kingdom, against Turcopoles led by Halil Pasha.The Turks were looting and pillaging the countryside. For two years Thrace was in the hands of Halil Pasha, the local inhabitants did not cultivate their lands at the...

 was fought between troops sent by King Milutin and Turcopole
Turcopole
In the Crusades, turcopoles, turcoples, turcopoli or turcopoliers were locally recruited mounted archers employed by the Christian states of the Eastern Mediterranean.-History:...

 Halil Pasha (1312).

The Emirate [Turkish] force, 3,100 strong, and were in the process of returning to Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...

 to defend against a Latin attack
Smyrniote crusades
The Smyrniote crusades were two Crusades sent by Pope Clement VI against the Emirate of Aydin under Umur Beg which had as their principal target the coastal city of Smyrna in Asia Minor.The first Smyrniote crusade was the brainchild of Clement VI...

 on their main harbour, Smyrna
Smyrna
Smyrna was an ancient city located at a central and strategic point on the Aegean coast of Anatolia. Thanks to its advantageous port conditions, its ease of defence and its good inland connections, Smyrna rose to prominence. The ancient city is located at two sites within modern İzmir, Turkey...

. On their way they were attacked by a Serbian army under voivode Gregory Preljub, one of the most capable generals in the service of Stephen Dušan. The battle, which occurred sometime in May 1344, was won by the Turks, but was not able to thwart the ongoing conquest of Byzantine Macedonia
Macedonia (region)
Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of the Balkan peninsula in southeastern Europe. Its boundaries have changed considerably over time, but nowadays the region is considered to include parts of five Balkan countries: Greece, the Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria, Albania, Serbia, as...

by Dušan.
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