Battle of Berzitia

Infobox Military Conflict


caption=
conflict=Battle of Berzitia
partof=the Byzantine-Bulgarian Wars
date=Oktober 774
place=Berzitia, Macedonia
result=Byzantine victory
combatant1=Bulgarian Empire
combatant2=Byzantine Empire
commander1=Unknown
commander2=Unknown
strength1=12,000 [Йордан Андреев, Милчо Лалков, Българските ханове и царе, Велико Търново, 1996, c. 41]
strength2=80,000 [Йордан Андреев, Милчо Лалков, Българските ханове и царе, Велико Търново, 1996, c. 41]
casualties1=Heavy
casualties2=UnknownThe battle of Berzitia ( _bg. Битката при Берзития) occurred in the fall of 774 near the town of Berzitia, Macedonia. The result was a Byzantine victory.

Origins of the conflict

After an unsuccessful campaign of the Byzantine Emperor Constantine V earlier that year, the Bulgarian Khan Telerig decided to strike back to the southwest and sent a small raiding army of 12,000 to capture Berzitia.

The battle

The Byzantine emperor was informed for the raid in due time by his spies in Pliska and gathered an enormous force. Near the town the Byzantines surprised the Bulgarian Army and after a long fight they managed to defeat them due to their much larger superiority in troops.

Aftermath

Constantine V was eager to use his success and lead another campaign against the Bulgarians but once again it failed. Telerig knew that all his plans became known to his enemy and that the Byzantines have spied in his palaces. He dicided to despose them once and for all and sent a message to Constantine V that he is going to flee to Constantinople. In letter Telerig asked the emperor to tell him his friends in Pliska for safety. As Telerig was not to be the first ruler to flee in Byzantium, Constantine was deceived and sent the Bulgarian Khan a list of his spies. When Telerig learned their names he killed them all and secured his capital.

Footnotes