Battle of Pliska
Part of the Byzantine-Bulgarian Wars
Ruins of Pliska
Date July 26, 811 Location Pliska and Vărbitsa Pass Result Decisive Bulgarian victory
Combatants
Bulgarian Empire	Byzantine Empire
Commanders
Krum	Nicephorus I†
Strength
Unknown	around 80,000
Casualties
Light	almost the whole army, including the emperor

The Battle of Pliska (Battle of Vărbitsa pass) (Bulgarian: битката при Върбишкия проход) took place on July 26, 811, between the Byzantine Empire and Bulgaria, resulting in one of the worst defeats in Byzantine history. The Byzantine Empire in 1265 (William R. Shepherd, Historical Atlas, 1911). ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2272x1704, 748 KB) Ruins of the medieval capital of Bulgaria, Pliska. ... is the 207th day of the year (208th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events July 26 - Battle of Pliska: Nicephorus I is defeated by the Bulgar khan Krum, and is succeeded by Stauracius as Byzantine emperor. ... Pliska (Bulgarian. ... Imperial Emblem Bulgarian Empire at its greatest extent c. ... Byzantine redirects here. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Krum (died April 13, 814) was a Khan of Bulgaria, of the Dulo clan, from 802 to 814. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Nicephorus I and his son and successor, Stauracius. ... The Byzantine Empire in 1265 (William R. Shepherd, Historical Atlas, 1911). ... Combatants Bulgarian Empire Byzantine Empire Commanders Asparukh Constantine IV Strength at least 80,000 80,000 Casualties Light Almost the whole army The battle of Ongala took place in the summer of 680 in the Ongala area, an unspecified location in South-Western Ukraine or North-Eastern Romania around the... Combatants Bulgaria Byzantine Empire Commanders Tervel Justinian II Strength Unknown Unknown Casualties Unknown Heavy The battle of Anchialus occurred in 708 near the town of Pomorie, Bulgaria. ... Combatants Bulgaria Byzantine Empire Commanders Khan Vinekh Constantine V Strength Unknown Very large army Casualties Light Heavy The battle of the Rishki Pass took place in the pass of the same name, Stara Planina, Bulgaria in 759. ... Combatants Bulgaria Byzantine Empire Commanders Telets Constantine V Strength Unknown 9,600 cavalrymen and unknown number of infantry Casualties Heavy Heavy The battle of Anchialus (Bulgarian: ) occurred in 763, near the town of Pomorie on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast. ... Combatants Bulgaria Byzantine Empire Commanders Unknown Unknown Strength 12,000 80,000 Casualties Heavy Unknown The battle of Berzitia (Bulgarian: битка при Берзития) occurred in the fall of 774 near the town of Berzitia, Macedonia. ... Combatants Bulgarian Empire Byzantine Empire Commanders Kardam Constantine VI Strength Unknown Unknown Casualties Unknown Heavy The battle of Marcelae (Bulgarian: битка при Маркели) took place in 792 near the town of Karnobat in south eastern Bulgaria. ... Krum (Bulgarian: ) (died April 13, 814) was ruler of Bulgaria, from after 796/ before 803 to 814. ... Combatants First Bulgarian Empire Byzantine Empire Commanders Krum Unknown Strength Unknown c. ... During the Battle of Adrianople the Bulgarian emperor Krum led his army south towards Adrianople and pitched camp near Versinikia. ... The Battle of Versinikia was fought in 813 between the Byzantine Empire and the Bulgarians. ... Simeon (also Symeon)[1] I the Great (Bulgarian: , transliterated Simeon I Veliki;[2] IPA: ) ruled over Bulgaria from 893 to 927,[3] during the First Bulgarian Empire. ... Combatants Byzantine Empire Bulgaria Commanders Unknown Simeon I of Bulgaria Strength Unknown Unknown Casualties Almost the whole army Unknown The battle of Bulgarophygon occurred in the summer of 896 near the town of Babaeski in modern Turkey. ... This article refers to the Battle of Anchialus fought in 917. ... Combatants Bulgaria Byzantine Empire Commanders Simeon I of Bulgaria Leo Phokas Strength Unknown Unknown Casualties Unknown Heavy The battle of Katasyrtai occurred in the fall of 917, shortly after the striking Bulgarian triumph at Anchialus near the village of the same names close to the Byzantine capital Constantinople, now Istambul. ... Combatants Bulgarian Empire Byzantine Empire Commanders Theodore Sigritsa Potas Argirus Alexios Musele † Strength Large army Unknown Casualties Unknown Heavy The battle of Pigae occurred between 11 and 18 March 922 in the outskirts of Constantinople. ... Samuil redirects here. ... Combatants Bulgarian Empire Byzantine Empire Commanders Samuil of Bulgaria Basil II Strength Unknown Unknown Casualties Light c. ... Combatants Bulgarian Empire Byzantine Empire Commanders Samuil of Bulgaria Gregory Taronites† Ashot Taronites Strength Unknown Unknown Casualties Light Heavy The battle of Solun (Bulgarian: битка при Солун) occurred in 996 near the city of Thessalonica, Greece. ... Combatants Bulgarian Empire Byzantine Empire Commanders Samuil of Bulgaria Nicephorus Uranos Strength Unknown Unknown Casualties Heavy Unknown The battle of Spercheios (Bulgarian: битка при Сперхей) took place in 996, on the shores of the river of the same name in present-day central Greece. ... Combatants Bulgarian Empire Byzantine Empire Commanders Samuil of Bulgaria Basil II Strength Unknown Unknown Casualties Unknown Unknown The battle of Skopie (Bulgarian: битка при Скопие) occurred in the vicinity of Skopie, present-day Skopje in 1004. ... Combatants Bulgarian Empire Byzantine Empire Commanders Samuil of Bulgaria Basil II Strength Unknown Unknown Casualties Unknown Unknown The battle of Kreta occurred in 1009 near the village of Kreta to the east of Thessaloníki. ... Combatants Byzantine Empire Bulgaria Commanders Basil II Nicephorus Xiphias Theophylactus Botaniates † Tsar Samuil of Bulgaria Strength Unknown 20 000 Casualties Unknown At least 14 000 The Battle of Kleidion (also Clidium and Klyuch, (the) key, or Belasitsa) took place on July 29, 1014 between Bulgaria and the Byzantine Empire. ... The Byzantine Empire in 1265 (William R. Shepherd, Historical Atlas, 1911). ... Combatants Bulgarian Empire Byzantine Empire Commanders Peter Delyan Michael IX Strength Unknown Unknown Casualties Unknown Unknown The Battle of Ostrovo occurred in 1041 near Ostrovo, an area close to the lake of the same name in modern northern Greece. ... Imperial Emblem (under the Shisman Dynasty) Bulgarian Empire c. ... Combatants Bulgarian Empire Despotate of Epirus Commanders Ivan Asen II Theodore Komnenos Doukas Strength 25,000 85,000 Casualties Light Almost the whole army was killed or captured The Battle of Klokotnitsa (Bulgarian: , Bitka pri Klokotnitsa) occurred on 9 March 1230 near the village of Klokotnitsa (today in Haskovo Province... The Battle of Adrianople was fought in 1254 between the Byzantine Empire and the Bulgarians. ... Combatants Bulgarian Empire Byzantine Empire Commanders Ivailo of Bulgaria Unknown Strength Smaller force 10,000 Casualties Unknown Unknown The battle of Devnya occurred on 17 July 1279 near Devnya, Varna Province, Bulgaria. ... Combatants Bulgarian Empire Byzantine Empire Commanders Theodore Svetoslav Michael IX Palaiologos Strength Unknown Unknown Casualties Unknown Unknown The battle of Skafida(Bulgarian: Битка при Скафида) occurred in 1304 near Sozopol, Bulgaria. ... Combatants Bulgarian Empire Byzantine Empire Commanders Ivan Alexander Andronikos III Palaiologos Strength 11,000 3,000 Casualties Light Heavy Categories: | | ... is the 207th day of the year (208th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events July 26 - Battle of Pliska: Nicephorus I is defeated by the Bulgar khan Krum, and is succeeded by Stauracius as Byzantine emperor. ... Byzantine redirects here. ...

Initial campaigns

When Nicephorus I became emperor in 802, he planned to reincorporate Bulgarian-held territory back into the empire. In 807 he launched a campaign but only reached Odrin and achieved nothing because of a conspiracy in his capital. ^[1] That attempted attack, however, gave reason for the Bulgarian Khan Krum to undertake military operations against the Byzantine Empire. The main objective was an extension to the south and south-west. In the next year a Bulgarian army penetrated the Struma valley and defeated the Byzantines. The Bulgarian troops captured 1,100 litres of gold and killed many enemy soldiers including all strategos and most of the commanders. ^[2] In 809 the Khan personally besieged the strong fortress of Serdica and seized the city, killing the whole garrison of 6,000. ^[3] Nicephorus I and his son and successor, Stauracius. ... This is a list of Byzantine Emperors. ... Events 31 October - Irene deposed as Emperoress of Byzantium and replaced by Nicephorus I. She is banished to Lesbos. ... Events After the death of Cuthred, king Coenwulf of Mercia takes control over Kent himself. ... Selimiye Mosque, built by Sinan in 1575 Edirne is a city in Thrace, the westernmost part of Turkey, close to the borders with Greece and Bulgaria. ... Krum (Bulgarian: ) (died April 13, 814) was ruler of Bulgaria, from after 796/ before 803 to 814. ... Struma was a ship chartered to carry Jewish refugees from Romania to British-controlled Palestine. ... Events Saga succeeds Heizei as emperor of Japan. ... National Theatre, Sofia Alexander Nevski Cathedral The city of Sofia (Bulgarian: София), at the foot of the Vitosha mountain, has a population of 1,208,930 (2003), and is the capital of the Republic of Bulgaria. ... Combatants First Bulgarian Empire Byzantine Empire Commanders Krum Unknown Strength Unknown c. ...

Preparation for an invasion

In 811, the Byzantine Emperor organised a large campaign to conquer Bulgaria once and for all. His preparations were long and careful; troops were collected from throughout the Empire. There was no danger from the Saracens at the moment; so he gathered an enormous army from the Anatolian and European themata with their strategi, and the imperial bodyguard (the tagmata); they were joined by a number of irregular troops, armed with slings and clubs, who expected a swift victory and plunder. The conquest was supposed to be easy, and most of the high-ranking officials and aristocrats accompanied him, including his son Stauracius and his brother-in-law Michael I Rangabe. ^[4] The whole army consisted of around 80,000 soldiers. For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... The themata in 950. ... A Tagma (plural tagmata) was a military unit in the Byzantine Empire. ... Nicephorus I and Stauracius. ... Michael I on a contemporary coin Michael I Rangabe (Greek: Μιχαήλ Α΄ Ραγγαβέ, Mikhaēl I Rangabe), (died January 11, 844) was Byzantine Emperor (811 - 813). ...

Sack of Pliska

In May 811, the great expedition left Constantinople, led by the Emperor himself and his son, Stauracius, and by July 10 had set up camp at the fortress of Marcelae (present-day Karnobat) near the Bulgarian frontier where it stopped for several days to gather the various detachments coming from different places of the Empire. At this time, a courtier close to Nicephorus, by the name of Byzantios, escaped from Marcelae for unknown reasons, and went to Krum, taking with him part of the imperial wardrobe and 100 litres of gold; many considered this as a bad omen for Nicephorus. Nicephorus intended to confuse the Bulgarians and over the next ten days launched several supposed attacks, which were immediately called back. Krum assessed the situation and estimated that he could not repulse the enemy and offered peace which Nicephorus haughtily rejected. Theophanes wrote that the Emperor "was deterred from his own ill thoughts and the suggestions of his advisors who were thinking like him". ^[5] Some of his military chiefs considered the invasion of Bulgaria to be imprudent and too risky but Nicephorus was convinced of his ultimate success counting mainly on the luck and wisdom of his son Stauracius. is the 191st day of the year (192nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Karnobat, a city in the Bourgaska State, Karnobat Municipality of Bulgaria. ... Nicephorus I and Stauracius. ...

In June^{[verification needed]} he invaded the Bulgarian lands and marched through the Balkan passes towards the capital Pliska. On July 20 Nicephorus divided the army into three columns, each marching by a different route towards Pliska. He met little resistance ^[6] and for three days he reached the capital where the Byzantines met a 12,000 army of elite soldiers who guarded the stronghold. The Bulgarians were defeated and most of them perished. Another hastily assembled army of 50,000 soldiers had a similar fate. ^[7] On 23 July the Byzantines quickly captured the defenseless capital. The city was sacked and the countryside destroyed. ^[8][9] Khan Krum attempted once more to negotiate for peace. According to the historian Theophanes, Krum’s proclamation stated "Here you are, you have won. So take what you please and go with peace." Nicephorus, overconfident with his success ignored him. He believed that Bulgaria was thoroughly defeated and conquered. Pliska (Bulgarian. ...

Michael the Syrian, patriarch of the Syrians Jacobites in XIIth century described in his Chronicle the brutalities and atrocities of the Roman Emperor Nikephoros I Genik. “Nicephorus, emperor of the Romans, walked in Bulgarians land: he was victorious and killed a great number of them. He reached their capital, took it over and devastated it. His savagery went to such a point that he ordered to bring their small children, got them tied down on earth and made thresh grain stones to smash them.” The Byzantine soldiers looted and plundered; burnt down the unharvested fields, cut the tendons of the oxes, slaughtered sheep and pigs. ^[10] The Emperor took over Krum's treasury, locked it and did not allow his troops to reach it at the same time cutting noses and other appendages of soldiers who touched the trophies. ^[11] Michael the Syrian (also known as Michael the Great; or Michael Syrus) (d. ...

The battle

While Nikephoros I and his army were busy plundering the Bulgarian capital, Krum mobilized his people (including the women) to set traps and ambushes in the mountain passes. ^[12] Initially Nicephorus intended to march through Moesia and reach Serdika before returning to Constantinople but the news of these preparations for a battle changed his decision and he chose the shortest way to his capital. ^[13] On 25 July his army entered the Vărbitsa Pass but the road was barred with thick wooden walls and Krum's detachments watched from the heights around. ^[14] The emperor became panicked by the situation and repeatedly stated to his companions "Even if we have had wings we could not have escaped from peril." ^[15] Moesia (Greek: , Moisia; Bulgarian: Мизия, Miziya; Serbian: Мезија, Mezija) is an ancient province situated in the areas of modern Serbia and Bulgaria. ... The back side of the Central Bus Station Serdica (Bulgarian: ) is an urban municipality located in the northern parts of the capital Sofia. ...

The Bulgarian army annihilates the Byzantines at the Varbitsa Pass.

On that night the Bulgarians gathered their troops and tightened the belt around the trapped enemy. At dawn they rushed down and started to kill the panicked and totally confused Byzantines. The Byzantines fruitlessly resisted for a short time and perished. Upon seeing their comrades' fate, the next units immediately ran away. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

On their way south the Byzantine forces hit a muddy river which was difficult to cross. As they could not find a ford quick enough, many Byzantines fell into the river. The first stalled in the mud with their horses and were trampled by those who came next. The river was filled with so many dead that the chasing Bulgarians easily passed over them and continued the pursuit. Those who passed through the river reached the wooden wall which was high and thick. The Byzantines left their horses and began climbing the wall with hands and legs and hung over the other side. The Bulgarians had dug a deep moat from the inner side and when the Byzantine soldiers were getting across the ramparts, they fell from the high wall, breaking their limbs. Some of them died instantly, others hobbled some time before falling to the ground and dying from thirst and hunger. The Byzantine troops burnt the wall at several places but as they were rushing to get across it, they too fell into the moat along with the burning parts of the palisade. Almost everyone perished; some were killed by sword, others drowned in the river or were mortally injured after falling from the wall and some of them burnt into the fire. Among the killed nobles were the patricius Theodosius Salivara; the strategos of the Eastern armies Romanos and the strategos of Thrace. The term strategos (plural strategoi; Greek στρατηγός) is used in Greek to mean general. In the hellenistic and Byzantine Empires the term was also used to describe a military governor. ... Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak  Thrace (Bulgarian: , Greek: , Attic Greek: ThrāíkÄ“ or ThrēíkÄ“, Latin: , Turkish: ) is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. ...

Khan Krum feasts after the victory over Nicephorus I Genik. Manassias Chronicle, 1335-1340. Apostolic Library. The Vatican. Photo: Rossen Kolev. Inscription (in Old Bulgarian Slavic): " Krum Kniaz encased the head of tsar Nicephores and drank to the health of Bulgarians."

Only a few survived the defeat but the majority of them died shortly after they arrived in their homes. The most notable person to be killed, however, was Emperor Nicephoros, who according to historians died on a dunghill on the day of the battle. ^[16] Nicephoros' son Stauracius was carried to safety by the imperial bodyguard after receiving a paralyzing wound to his neck. ^[17][18] According to tradition, Krum had the Emperor's skull lined with silver and used it as a drinking cup. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Kniaz’ or knyaz (князь in Russian and Ukrainian; cneaz in Romanian fem. ... Nicephorus I and Stauracius. ...

Aftermath

The defeat was the worst the empire had faced since the Battle of Adrianople over 400 years previously. Nicephorus' skull was turned into a drinking cup by Krum. Stauracius, the new emperor, had been wounded and was ineffectual as emperor; he was deposed and succeeded by his brother-in-law Michael I Rangabe a month later. ^[19] For Bulgaria, this victory had tremendous importance: it not only saved it from the great threat from Byzanthium and returned all the lands taken from them, but strengthened all Bulgarian conquests to the West together with Serdika and secured them from future attacks by Byzantine emperors for whom Bulgaria became a permanent threat. For a long time, all through until the reign of John I Tzimiskes, Byzantines were afraid to pass the Balkan Mountains. Moreover, this victory elevated the image of the Bulgarian Khan in the eyes of Macedonian Slavs and with this opened a way for extension of the Bulgarian state to the Southwest. This pride of Krum is most clearly evident in the story about Nicephorus's head: " As he cut the head of Nicephorus, Krum put it on a stake for several days to show it to the tribes coming to him to our disgrace. After that he took it, plated it with silver from the outside and proudly made the Slav knyazes [princes] drink from it."^[20] Over the next two years, Krum was able to attack the empire in the vicinity of Constantinople itself, although he was never able to take the city. Michael attempted to recover from the loss, but was defeated in 813 at the Battle of Versinikia; the danger did not subside until Krum himself died in 814. For other uses, see Battle of Adrianople (disambiguation). ... Sebastian Münster Cosmographia (Basel, 1550) page 193, concerning Lombards and imaginatively illustrating the notorious skull cup. ... Michael I on a contemporary coin Michael I Rangabe (Greek: Μιχαήλ Α΄ Ραγγαβέ, Mikhaēl I Rangabe), (died January 11, 844) was Byzantine Emperor (811 - 813). ... The back side of the Central Bus Station Serdica (Bulgarian: ) is an urban municipality located in the northern parts of the capital Sofia. ... Ioannes, protected by God and the Virgin Mary. ... Kniaz’ or knyaz is a word found in some Slavic languages, denoting a nobility rank. ... This article is about the city before the Fall of Constantinople (1453). ... Events June 22 - Byzantine Emperor Michael I is defeated in a war against the Bulgarians. ... The Battle of Versinikia was fought in 813 between the Byzantine Empire and the Bulgarians. ... Events Louis the Pious succeeds Charlemagne as king of the Franks and Emperor. ...

Unresolved issues^[21]

A description of Krum's victory in Manassias Chronicle in an Old Bulgarian Slavic transcription.^[22] The translation is given in the text.

Although historians are unanimous about the timing of the last battle, in which Nicephorus I Genik was killed (July 26, 811), there is some disagreement about the exact circumstances of his death and location of the battle. Theophanes writes: " Some say that the Christians (that is, the Byzantians) killed him with stones after he fell down while his effeminate [literally: woman-like] servants with whom he slept together, died either in the fire of the burning ramparts [τω της σούδας πυρί] or were killed with swords " ^[23]. Zonaras records the following: " They say that he [Nicephorus] was killed by his people: either they killed him themselves or, when the barbarians started to kill him, the Romeans [Byzantians] finished the killing of the torturer " ^[24]. The above sources leave the impression that Nicephorus was killed by his own soldiers because they hated him. However, old Bulgarian sources are explicit and inequivocal with the opposite statement: that Nicephorus was killed by the Bulgarians, even by Krum himself. Thus, in the old-Bulgarian translation of the Manassias Chronicle, writing in general about the Nicephorus catastrophe in 811, one reads: " This tsar Nicephorus came into the Bulgarian land during Kniaz Krum['s reign] and at first he apparently vanquished him, and plundered the estate bearing his [Krum's] name. After this, Krum gathered those who were left after the defeat, and he attacked the tsar during the night, and not only defeated the Greeks, but he [Krum] himself cut the head of the tsar, and he cased his head in silver, and poured wine in it, and he gave it to the Bulgarians to drink from it." ^[25]. Further in this chronicle, under two miniatures, illustrating the above text, it is written: " Kniaz Krum caught tsar Nicephorus and cut his head. "^[26] In the Arabian Synaxarium (Prologue), that had copied the description of the said battle almost literally from the Greek Synaxarium, under the month of Temmus (July) day 23, it is written: " In this day, we mention our Christian brothers, who died in the Bulgarian lands in the days of tsar Nicephorus who set out with his Army during the ninth year of his reign against the Bulgarians, attacked them suddenly, and was deigned with victory at first, and [Nicephorus] won a great victory. But what came to pass after this, is not to be muted but deserves a cry and weeping. It happened so, that one night, the Bulgarians taking advantage of the carelessness of the Greeks, attacked their army, killed the tsar and many other commanders. Those who received lethal blows, transcended immediately from our world; those for whom the blows were not lethal hid in the wooded and overgrown places; those who were captured alive suffered numerous tortures because they refused to deny Our Lord Jesus Christ; for some of them their heads were cut with sword; others were deprived of their present life with strangling; thirds were wounded with numerous arrows and transcended from this life. As for the rest, they were imprisoned in dungeons and sentenced to hunger and thirst. In this way, they freed themselves from this world and were wreathed with martyrs' wreaths. " ^[27] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... is the 207th day of the year (208th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events July 26 - Battle of Pliska: Nicephorus I is defeated by the Bulgar khan Krum, and is succeeded by Stauracius as Byzantine emperor. ... Krum (died April 13, 814) was a Khan of Bulgaria, of the Dulo clan, from 802 to 814. ... Synaxarium, Synaxarion, Synexarium, Synexarion, pl. ...

A map of Bulgaria during Khan Krum and Omurtag and movements of armies in the major battles.

As for the issue over the place of this catastrophe, it must be noted that although Theophanes writes about this event in great detail as a contemporary and also according to the narratives of participants, he does not give any topographic names that can pinpoint the place of the catastrophe; therefore, this place is pointed differently by different authors. Thus, Jireček^[28] thinks that the invasion of Nicephorus as well as his defeat happened in the Veregava and Vărbitsa Passes because the latter had been opened until 8th or 9th century at the latest. Brothers V. and K. Škorpil^[29] tried to prove that the catastrophe happened in the Kotel Pass, and they even tried to point the Bulgarian and Romean positions. They based their opinion on a local legend that " here Bulgarians and Greeks fought, and there was a maiden named Vida, who by discerning the rampart on the near peak, facilitated the Bulgarian army " and that in "Greek Glen" (between the Vid Peak (Kăstepe) and Razboyna Mountain) fell 16,000 Greeks together with their tsar. Later, K. Škorpil softened his earlier opinion by suggesting that Nicephoras army was returning from Aboba (Pliska) towards Vărbitsa and in Vărbitsa Pass they were repulsed by Krum towards the Kotel Pass where the fighting took place in the so-called "Greek Glen". But immediately after this, he writes: "According to legend, the fighting between Bulgarians and Greeks took place in the locality "Razboy" between the villages Krumovo (Chatalar) and Divdyadovo (on the southern slopes of the Shumen Plateau) in the vicinity of Aboba (Pliska). We think, however, that a more probable location for the fight between Krum and Nicephorus is the Rish Valley, which, being surrounded by mountains, corresponds to Nicephorus's words. Krum could retreat to Marcelae through Veregava Pass and the said valley."^[30] The last paragraph shows that K. Škorpil has abandoned his earlier opinion and maintains that the catastrophe occurred in the Veregava (=Chalăka) or Rish Passes. Bury, however, thinks that Veregava Pass is not the right location of the fight: "As far as we can judge, Nicephorus came into the trap laid by his enemy who lured him in the nearby Vărbitsa Pass: a narrow gorge, jammed with wooden ramparts such that small garrisons could defend against multitudinous army. Maybe on this place, which today is known as "Greek Glen" where according to legend many Greeks found their death, the army seemed caught in a cage."^[31] As we see, Bury accepts the earlier opinion of K. Škorpil; however, he mistakes Vărbitsa Pass with Kotel Pass in ascribing the location of "Greek Glen". Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ...

The following objections can be raised against the opinion of Kotel Pass being the location of the battle: First of all, it is too risky to rely on local legends for determining topography of historic events, if those are not supported, at least in part, by literature data. Such precaution is necessary especially on the issue at hand, first, because such legends for Nicephorus's defeat exist in many places throughout Eastern Bulgaria (around Shumen and Preslav), not only among Bulgarian but also among the Turkish population there, and second, because those legends cannot be considered going back to old times: they were created relatively recently, during Bulgarian Renaissance and rediscovery of Bulgarian history. This is best exemplified by the name "Greek Glen". This name in the mouth of old Kotel citizens sounds "Grăshki" and according to some "Grishki" or "Grashki" (=Pea Glen) so that etymology can have completely different sense.

Without doubt, however, the best evidence can be found in the chronological data in Theophanes' account. As we saw above, Nicephorus entered the Bulgarian territory through the border fortress Marcelae on July 20. The first 3 days he spent on the move in skirmishes with the Bulgarians, and when he entered the mountain pass, he chose steep paths, so that on the fourth day, July 23, he could enter into the residence of the Bulgarian Khan. One cannot believe the words of Theophanes that Nicephores plundered and killed the population of the town, and then burned Krums' palaces only in one day, and immediately went back; because, as we saw, Krum even after the plunder negotiated for peace, probably to gain time while blocking the entrances and the exits of the pass, which happened on the 5th and the 6th day (Thursday and Friday) while Nicephorus was still in Pliska. Evidently, he left on the 6th day because on the 7th day (Saturday) on July 26 at dawn the Bulgarians were already attacking Nicephorus's tent. It is hardly conceivable that in such short time the Byzantians would reach the peaks Vetrila and Vid in the Kotel Pass and take good strategical positions, and Nicephorus make a military camp in the locality "Karenika" in the Kotel Pass. Moreover, Nicephorus learned for the Bulgarian fortifications while he was on the move and was already inside the pass, and this happened in the night of the 7th day, because if he knew before that he wouldn't want "to have wings" but would seek another way to retreat. The confusion and panic in the Byzantine army show that it was attacked without warning, so that it is unconceivable that Nicephorus would have time to fortify and choose "important positions" and, in general, to prepare for battle. All this shows that the defeat of Nicephorus happened not far from Krum's residence and this can be in Chalăka or Vărbitsa Passes. It is hard to say which one; however, if we take into account that Nicephorus chose the shortest way for retreat, it is more probable that Nicephorus chose the Vărbitsa pass through which he also entered in Bulgaria.^[32]

Sources

• Michael the Syrian, patriarch of the Syrian Jacobites, published by J.–B. Chabot Chronique de Michel le Syrien (in French). Paris, (1905). vol. 3, p. 17.
• Васил Н. Златарски, История на българската държава през средните векове, Част I, I изд. София 1918; II изд., Наука и изкуство, София 1970, под ред. на Петър Хр. Петров. (Zlatarski, Vasil N. (1970). Prof. Dr. (Bulgarian). Medieval History of the Bulgarian State. Science and Arts Publishers, Sofia, 2nd Edition (Petar Petrov, Ed.). Retrieved on 2007-08-05.)
• John Skylitzes, Synopsis Historion, translated by Paul Stephenson.
• Nikephoros Patriarch of Constantinople, Short History, C. Mango, ed., Dumbarton Oaks Texts 10, 1990.
• Theophanes the Confessor, Chronicle, Ed. Carl de Boor, Leipzig.
• Zonarae Ioannis. Epitome historiarum, ed. L. Dindorfii, 6 vol., Lipsiae (BT), 1858—75.
• Runciman, Steven (1930). A History of the First Bulgarian Empire (English). G. Bell & Sons, London. Retrieved on 2007-08-05.)

Michael the Syrian (also known as Michael the Great; or Michael Syrus) (d. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 217th day of the year (218th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 217th day of the year (218th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Footnotes