Battle of Thessalonica (996)

For other battles that took place at Thessalonica, see Battle of Thessalonica (disambiguation).

Battle of Thessalonica
Part of the Byzantine-Bulgarian Wars
Date 996 Location near Thessalonica, Greece Result Bulgarian victory
Belligerents
Bulgarian Empire	Byzantine Empire
Commanders and leaders
Samuil of Bulgaria	Gregory Taronites† Ashot Taronites
Strength
Unknown	Unknown
Casualties and losses
Light	Heavy

The Battle of Thessalonica (Bulgarian: Битката при Солун) occurred in 996, near the city of Thessalonica, Greece.

Origins of the conflict

After the great victory in the Battle of Trayanovi Vrata, and the subsequent civil war in the Byzantine Empire, Samuil was free to attack the Byzantine strongholds all over the Balkan peninsula. After having secured his rule over most of the northern Balkans, in 996 he led a campaign against Thessalonica, Byzantium's second largest city.

The battle

Samuil was a skillful military commander and organised a brilliant ambush. He ordered his soldiers to dig ditches, pitfalls and other traps outside the town and left most of his army there. Next, Samuil assaulted the fortress with a small, detached force. The Byzantine governor, dux Gregory Taronites, sent part of his forces under his son, Ashot, to drive them away. Samuil then staged a deceptive retreat, drawing the Byzantines into the trap he had prepared. Surrounded and cut off, the Byzantine detachment was devastated. When Gregory learned about his son's peril, he and his troops attempted to rescue him, but they were also defeated and the governor killed, while his son was captured.

Aftermath

Despite this victory, Samuil did not attempt to besiege Thessalonica, and instead ventured south, into the thema of Hellas for a plundering expedition. He captured Larissa and reached Corinth, after which he learned about the approach of a Byzantine army under Nikephoros Ouranos and returned north. The two armies met at the Spercheios river, where Samuil was defeated. The long Byzantine-Bulgarian conflict, however, would go on until the final defeat of Bulgaria in 1018.

References

• Йордан Андреев, Милчо Лалков, Българските ханове и царе, Велико Търново, 1996.