Battle of Spercheios
Part of the Byzantine-Bulgarian Wars
Date 16 July, 996 Location The Spercheios river, Greece Result Byzantine victory
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. The Spercheios (Greek: Σπερχειός, Latin: Spercheus) is a river in Thessaly, Greece. ... The Byzantine Empire in 1265 (William R. Shepherd, Historical Atlas, 1911). ... July is the seventh month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... Events March/April - Pope John XV dies before being being able to coronate Otto III, King of Germany as Holy Roman Emperor. ... The Spercheios (Greek: Σπερχειός, Latin: Spercheus) is a river in Thessaly, Greece. ... First Bulgarian Empire Second Bulgarian Empire This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated with the same title. ... Byzantine Empire at its greatest extent c. ... It has been suggested that Samuils Inscription be merged into this article or section. ... The Byzantine Empire in 1265 (William R. Shepherd, Historical Atlas, 1911). ... Combatants Bulgaria 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 southern Ukraine, slightly to the north of the Danube delta. ... 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 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. ... Combatants First Bulgarian Empire Byzantine Empire Commanders Krum Unknown Strength Unknown c. ... Combatants Byzantine Empire Bulgaria Commanders Nicephorus I† Krum Strength aroud 80,000 Unknown Casualties almost the whole army, including the emperor Unknown The Battle of Pliska (Battle of Vărbica pass) took place on July 26, 811, between the Byzantine Empire and Bulgaria, resulting in one of the worst defeats... 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. ... 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 Bulgarian Empire Byzantine Empire Commanders Samuil of Bulgaria Basil II Strength Unknown Unknown Casualties Light Very few survivors The battle of Trayanovi Vrata (Bulgarian: Битка при Траянови Врата) was a battle between Byzantine and Bulgarian forces in the year 986. ... Combatants Bulgarian Empire Byzantine Empire Commanders Samuil of Bulgaria Dukas Gregorius† Ashot Strength Unknown Unknown Casualties Light Heavy The battle of Solun (Bulgarian: битка при Солун) occured in 996 near the city of Solun, present-day 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 Republic of Macedonia in 1004. ... 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. ... 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. ... Combatants Bulgarian Empire Despotate of Epirus, Greeks Commanders Ivan Asen II Theodore Komnenos Doukas Strength Unknown Much larger force 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... 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: | | ... Events March/April - Pope John XV dies before being being able to coronate Otto III, King of Germany as Holy Roman Emperor. ...

Origines of the conflict

After the major success of the Bulgarians in the battle of Trayanovi Vrata, Byzantium descented in a civil war. Samuil of Bulgaria took advantage of the situation and assumed the control of virtually the whole Balkan Peninsula excluding some parts of Thrace and Achea. He attacked the Byzantines each year and regularily plunderred the areas out of Bulgarian control. In 991 the Byzantines managed to capture the Emperor Roman of Bulgaria but this did not stop Samuil who was now de facto the only Emperor. In 996 he defeated the Byzantines in the battle of Solun and marched to the south eventually reaching Korinth. On his way back he met a Byzantine army on the opposite side of the Spercheios river. Combatants Bulgarian Empire Byzantine Empire Commanders Samuil of Bulgaria Basil II Strength Unknown Unknown Casualties Light Very few survivors The battle of Trayanovi Vrata (Bulgarian: Битка при Траянови Врата) was a battle between Byzantine and Bulgarian forces in the year 986. ... Byzantium, present day Istanbul, was an ancient Greek city-state, which according to legend was founded by Greek colonists from Megara in 667 BC and named after their king Byzas or Byzantas (Βύζας or Βύζαντας in Greek). ... It has been suggested that Samuils Inscription be merged into this article or section. ... The Balkans is the historic and geographic name used to describe southeastern Europe (see the Definitions and boundaries section below). ... Thrace (Bulgarian: , Greek: , Latin: , Turkish: ) is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. ... Events Battle of Maldon Sweyn I of Denmark recovers his throne Births Deaths Theophanu, empress, mother of Otto III Emperor Enyu of Japan Categories: 991 ... Roman or Romans may refer to: A thing or person of or from the city of Rome. ... Events March/April - Pope John XV dies before being being able to coronate Otto III, King of Germany as Holy Roman Emperor. ... Combatants Bulgarian Empire Byzantine Empire Commanders Samuil of Bulgaria Dukas Gregorius† Ashot Strength Unknown Unknown Casualties Light Heavy The battle of Solun (Bulgarian: битка при Солун) occured in 996 near the city of Solun, present-day Greece. ... Temple of Apollo at Corinth Corinth, or Korinth (Κόρινθος) is a Greek city, on the Isthmus of Corinth, the original isthmus, the narrow stretch of land that joins the Peloponnesus to the mainland of Greece. ...

The battle

Due to the heavy rain several days ago the river had flooded a large area on both shores. As the night approached Samuil camped on the right shore without taking any serious measures for the defence of the camp. He was convinced that the enemy could not find a ford to cross the river but this was exactly what the Byzantines did. In the early morning they hit the camp and overran the unprepared Bulgarian soldiers, most of whom perished. Samuil himself was woulded in the arm and his capture seemed inevitable but his resoursefulness saved him: he and his son Gavril Radomir mingled with the death and pretended to have been killed. After nightfall they set off to Bulgaria and due to the difficult 400 km journey to Ochrid his arm healed at an angle of 140°. The Byzantine commander did not dare to chase the rest, so the survivors successfully made they way to Bulgaria. Gavril Radomir was the ruler of Bulgaria from October 1014 to August or September 1015. ... Ohrid is a city in western Macedonia, on the eastern shore of Lake Ohrid. ...

Aftermath

The battle was the first major defeat of the Bulgarian army. Although Samuil managed to recover and conquer Serbia, the Byzantines gradually took the lead in the war. In 1014 they decisively defeated the Bulgarians and four years later the country was throughly conquerred. Events February 14 - Pope Benedict VIII recognizes Henry of Bavaria as King of Germany July 29 - Battle of Kleidion: Basil II inflicts not only a decisive defeat on the Bulgarian army, but his subsequent savage treatment of 15,000 prisoners reportedly causes Tsar Samuil of Bulgaria to die of shock...

References

• Йордан Андреев, Милчо Лалков, Българските ханове и царе, Велико Търново, 1996.