The Battle of Dorostolon was fought in 971 between the Byzantine Empire and forces of Kievan Rus. The Byzantines, led by John I Tzimisces, were victorious. Events Births Deaths Culen of Scotland Categories: 971 ... Byzantine Empire (native Greek name: - Basileia tōn Romaiōn) is the term conventionally used since the 19th century to describe the Greek-speaking Roman Empire of the Middle Ages, centered at its capital in Constantinople. ... Kievan Rus′ (Ки́евская Ру́сь, Kievskaya Rus in Russian; Київська Русь, Kyivs’ka Rus’ in Ukrainian) was the early, mostly East Slavic¹ state dominated by the... Ioannes, protected by God and the Virgin Mary. ...

In the course of the Russo-Bulgarian war, Svyatoslav I of Kiev overran the eastern part of the First Bulgarian Empire and established his capital at Pereyaslavets on the Danube. Once John I usurped the throne, the Byzantines launched a counteroffensive. After they defeated the united Russo-Bulgarian forces at Arcadiopolis and recaptured Pereyaslavets, Svyatoslav was forced to flee to the northern fortress of Dorostolon (Drustur/Dorostorum). ... The First Bulgarian Empire was founded in 681 AD in the lands near the Danube delta and disintegrated in 1018 AD by annexion to the Byzantine Empire. ... Trade city located at the mouth of the Danube. ... The Danube bend at Visegrád is a popular destination of tourists The Danube (ancient Danuvius) is Europes second-longest river (after the Volga). ... Silistra (Bulgarian: , historically Bulgarian Дръстър (Drastar, ) and Romanian Dârstor) is a port city of northeastern Bulgaria, lying on the southern side of the lower Danube at the countrys border with Romania. ...

Emperor John proceeded to lay siege to Dorostolon, which lasted for sixty five days. His army was reinforced by a squadron equipped with Greek fire. There were several engagements before the walls of the city; they demonstrated to the Greeks that the Rus' lack the skills of cavalry warfare. Among the casualties were the Emperor's relative, Ioannes Kourkouas (whose severed head was demonstrated by the Russians from one of the towers) and the second-in-command in Svyatoslav's army, a certain Ikmor (he was killed by Anemas, a son of the Cretan emir, in revenge for Ikmor's assassination of his father during the Byzantine siege of Crete). Greek fire was a burning-liquid weapon used by the Byzantine Empire, typically in naval battles to great effect as it could continue burning even on water. ...

Boris Chorikov. Svyatoslav's council of war.

The Rus and their Bulgarian allies were reduced to extremities by famine. In order to appease their gods, they drowned babies and chicken in the Danube, but the sacrifices failed to improve their position. As their hardships became intense, two thousand Russian warriors (including some women) sallied out at night, defeated a Greek force and went in search of supplies to the Danube; they later rejoined the besieged. Boris Artemyevich Chorikov (Russian: Борис Артемьевич Чориков) (1802 - 1866) was a Russian graphic artist. ... A council of war is a term in military science that describes a meeting held to decide on a course of action, usually in the midst of a battle. ... The Danube bend at Visegrád is a popular destination of tourists The Danube (ancient Danuvius) is Europes second-longest river (after the Volga). ...

The Russians felt they could not break the siege and agreed to sign a peace treaty with the Byzantine Empire, whereby they renounced their interests towards the Bulgarian lands and the city of Chersonesos in Crimea. Svyatoslav bitterly remarked that all his allies (Magyars, Pechenegs) betrayed him during this decisive moment. He was allowed to evacuate his army to Berezan Island, while the Greeks entered Dorostolon and renamed it Theodoropolis, after the reigning empress. Byzantine Empire (native Greek name: - Basileia tōn Romaiōn) is the term conventionally used since the 19th century to describe the Greek-speaking Roman Empire of the Middle Ages, centered at its capital in Constantinople. ... The remains of the city of Chersonesos Chersonesos (Greek: , Latin: , Ukrainian: , Russian: ; see also List of traditional Greek place names) also known as Chersonese, Chersonesos, Cherson, Khersones and Korsun was an ancient Greek colony founded approximately 2500 years ago in the southwestern part of Crimea, known then as Taurica. ... Motto: Процветание в единстве - Prosperity in unity Anthem: Нивы и горы твои волшебны, Родина - Your fields and mounts are wonderful, Motherland Capital Simferopol Largest cities Simferopol, Eupatoria, Kerch, Theodosia, Yalta Official language Ukrainian. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Pechenegs or Patzinaks, also known as Besenyők, were a semi-nomadic steppes people of Central Asia that spoke a Turkic language. ... Berezan Island is a small island in the Black Sea at the Dnieper-Buh estuary, 850m in length, 200–850m in width. ...

The siege is described in detail by John Skylitzes and Leo the Deacon, although some of their assertions (e.g., Sveneld's death during the siege) appear to be apocryphal. Characteristically, Leo the Deacon attributes the victory to Saint Theodore Stratelates, who purportedly led the Greek army under the walls of Dorostolon. John/Ioannes Skylitzes/Scylitzes (Ιωάννης Σκυλίτζης, 1081) was a Byzantine historian of the late 11th century. ...

References

• Andrey Nikolayevich Sakharov. Svyatoslav's Diplomacy. Moscow: Mezhdunarodnye otnosheniya, 1982.
• Fyodor Uspensky. The History of the Byzantine Empire, vol. 2. Moscow: Mysl, 1997.