Battle of Marcellae
Map of the Battle of Marcellae
| date | July 792 |
|---|---|
| place | Markeli , near Karnobat , Bulgaria |
| output | Bulgarian victory |
| Parties to the conflict | |
|---|---|
| Commander | |
| Troop strength | |
| unknown | unknown |
| losses | |
|
heavy |
unknown |
The Battle of Marcellae ( Bulgarian Битка при Маркели / Bitka pri Markeli) was a battle between the Bulgarian and Byzantine Empires that took place in AD 792 near Markeli (Latin Marcellae, now Karnobat , in southeastern Bulgaria ) .
prehistory
In April 791, the Byzantine Emperor Constantine VI began. a campaign against the first Bulgarian empire. This campaign was previously thought in response to an attack by the Bulgarians two years than this in the Struma valley under their leader Kardam the Thracian Strategos suggested Filites. In addition, the campaign was a diversionary maneuver from other border conflicts between the empire and Bulgaria.
The battle
On July 20, 792, the Byzantine troops met the Bulgarian army near the town of Marcellae. Constantine hesitated to attack and began to set up camp. Meanwhile, the Bulgarians prepared ambushes in the swamps of the area. After Constantine's astrologers identified a favorable constellation of stars, the emperor attacked the Bulgarian army. Already at the beginning of the battle the Byzantine order of battle got mixed up due to tactical errors and parts of the imperial army got into the prepared ambushes of the Bulgarians. They also used a new weapon. This Arkani -called weapon was a kind of lasso , which was attached to a long pole. With this weapon the Byzantine armored riders were pulled from their horses and killed in close combat. The Bulgarians were finally able to flee the Byzantines with heavy losses, conquer the imperial tent and take servants of the imperial court prisoner.
consequences
After the victory, the Bulgarian Empire was able to consolidate itself, also through tribute payments now received from Byzantium, and the Byzantine-Bulgarian wars were initially over with the defeat of Byzantium. Constantine VI was confronted domestically with a revolt of the Tagmata , which had the goal of bringing the former emperor Nikephoros or the strategos Alexios Musele to the throne, but ultimately remained unsuccessful.
literature
- Васил Н. Златарски: История на българската държава през средните векове. Част I, II изд., Наука и изкуство, София 1970.
- Атанас Пейчев и колектив: 1300 години на стража. Военно издателство, София 1984.
- Йордан Андреев, Милчо Лалков: Българските ханове и царе. Велико Търново, 1996.