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Battle of Achelous
In the summer of 917, Bulgarian Tsar Simeon I crushed a Byzantine army near Achelous (modern Pomorie, Bulgaria), killing the general Leo Phokas and f…
Timeline
- 917Thrace · ThraceByzantine Emperor Romanos I and the general Leo Phokas led the imperial main force and Pecheneg allies eastward, intending to force Simeon to terms in the Bulgarian heartland.
- 917Achelous · BulgariaSimeon struck the Byzantine line with coordinated cavalry and infantry charges; the coalition routed, Leo Phokas was killed, and Byzantium lost the capacity to launch large-scale counteroffensives in the Balkans.
- 917–918Balkan Peninsula · BalkansAfter the battle Byzantium was forced to sue for peace and acknowledge Bulgarian expansion; Simeon pressed Constantinople further, and the balance of power in the Balkans shifted markedly toward Bulgaria.
Sources
- The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium — Alexander Kazhdan (ed.) (1991)
- A History of the Byzantine State and Society — Warren Treadgold (1997)