Battle of Pliska

The 811 battle in which Bulgarian forces ambushed and destroyed much of Emperor Nikephoros I’s Byzantine army near Pliska, killing the emperor.

Khan Krum: The Bulgarian ruler from about 803 to 814 who expanded his realm and defeated Byzantine forces. Krum commanded the Bulgarian forces that trapped Nikephoros’s army.
First Bulgarian Empire: A medieval state founded in the late seventh century that ruled territories in southeastern Europe until Byzantine conquest in 1018. Its growing power brought Krum into conflict with the Byzantine Empire.
Staurakios: Byzantine emperor for a few months in 811, succeeding his father Nikephoros I after the Pliska campaign. Wounded in the defeat, he inherited the throne but soon abdicated.
Chronicle of Theophanes the Confessor: A Byzantine chronicle covering events from the late third century to 813. Its account is a major source for Nikephoros’s campaign and death.
Pliska: The first capital of the Danube Bulgars, located in northeastern present-day Bulgaria. The Byzantine army captured and burned Pliska before retreating into the surrounding passes.
Byzantine–Bulgarian wars: A series of conflicts between the Byzantine Empire and Bulgarian states over territory and political dominance. The 811 campaign was one episode in this prolonged rivalry.
Michael I Rangabe: Byzantine emperor from 811 to 813 who succeeded Staurakios. His accession followed the succession crisis caused by the deaths and injuries at Pliska.
Nikephoros's skull cup: A tradition that Khan Krum had Nikephoros I’s skull made into a drinking cup after the battle. The story became the most vivid and contested image associated with the defeat.
Battle of Varbitsa Pass: The decisive ambush in a Balkan mountain pass during the Byzantine retreat from Pliska in 811. The retreat ended in this pass, where Bulgarian forces blocked and destroyed the Byzantine army.
Byzantine Empire: The medieval continuation of the Roman Empire, centered on Constantinople and lasting until 1453. Nikephoros’s attempt to assert imperial power against Bulgaria triggered the campaign.

Linked from 1 page