Battle of Anchialus (763)
| date | June 30, 763 |
|---|---|
| place | near Anchialos (today Pomorie in Bulgaria ) |
| output | Victory of the Byzantines |
| Parties to the conflict | |
|---|---|
| Commander | |
|
Emperor Constantine V (Byzantium) |
|
| Troop strength | |
| 9600 horsemen, unknown number of infantry, 800 ships | unknown |
| losses | |
|
heavy |
heavy |
The Battle of Anchialus (763) ( Bulgarian Битката при Анхиало ) was a confrontation in 763 between the Byzantine Empire and the Bulgarian Empire . The battle ended in a clear Byzantine victory.
prehistory
After the victory in the Battle of the Rishki Pass , the Bulgarian Khan Winech withdrew and made the Byzantines an offer of peace. However, due to his hesitant behavior, Winech was murdered and Telez succeeded him to the throne. After the accession to the throne, Telez began to devastate the border areas of the Byzantine Empire with his cavalry. Constantine V then raised an army, loaded it on about 800 ships and landed with this force in Anchialos .
The battle
The Bulgarian Khan blocked the mountain passes around Anchialos with his troops and occupied heights near the city that were easy to defend. However, his impatience and overconfidence allowed the Byzantines to attack. The battle lasted from about ten in the morning until sunset. Both sides suffered heavy casualties, with many Byzantine nobles and leaders dying in the battle. In the end, however, the Byzantines won the day. Telez and his few remaining troops fled the battlefield. Constantine returned to Constantinople after the victory, celebrating his triumph and killing all the prisoners of the battle. Telez was murdered two years after the battle due to his failure on the battlefield.
consequences
However, the Byzantines failed to take advantage of the strategic advantage they had gained after the victory. After a series of other minor border incidents, the Battle of Marcellae took place in 792 , which the Byzantines lost, and the original demarcation of 718 between the two empires was restored.
source
- Nicephorus. Opuscula historia, pp. 69-70