Battle of Bitola (1015)
Encyclopedia
The battle of Bitola took place near the town of Bitola
, in Bulgaria
n territory, between a Bulgarian army under the command of the voivoda Ivats
and a Byzantine
army led by the strategos George Gonitsiates. It was one of the last open battles between the First Bulgarian Empire
and the Byzantine Empire
. The Bulgarians were victorious and the Byzantine Emperor Basil II
had to retreat from the Bulgarian capital Ohrid
, whose outer walls were by that time already breached by the Byzantines. However, the Bulgarian victory only postponed the fall of Bulgaria to Byzantine rule in 1018.
on 29 July 1014 the bulk of the Bulgarian army was destroyed. The death of Tsar
Samuil
soon after that (6 October) further weakened the state. In the autumn of 1014 Basil II penetrated deep into Bulgarian territory and burned the palaces of Samuil's successor Gavril Radomir
in the vicinity of Bitola. The hostilities were renewed in the spring of 1015. The Byzantine Emperor headed towards the heart of Bulgaria (around Lake Ohrid
and Lake Prespa
) and systematically seized every town or fortress on his way. The immediate reason for that campaign was the secession of Voden
and its reincorporation to Bulgaria in the beginning of 1015. Basil II swiftly seized the town in the spring and resettled its inhabitants. In the summer the Byzantines conquered another important town, Moglena. During its siege they captured kavkhan
Dometian and many soldiers.
Gavril Radomir's attempts to settle peace failed. Basil II continued the war and simultaneously encouraged a successful conspiracy of Ivan Vladislav
to murder his cousin Radomir and take the throne. After Ivan Vladislav took the crown in August 1015, he pretended to agree to surrender to the Byzantines. Basil II did not trust him and prepared another plot to murder the new Bulgarian Tsar. The new conspiracy failed and led the negotiations to an end.
he left a large army under the command of the strategoi George Gonitsiates and Orestes to pillage the region and guard the Byzantine rear between Ohrid
and Bitola. Basil himself reached Ohrid and managed to overrun most of the city except for the citadel where the royal palaces were located.
However his initial intention to march west to Dyrrhachium
failed after unexpected difficulties in the Byzantine rear. The army which was led by Gonitsiates was ambushed by the Bulgarian commander Ivats and was completely destroyed. That defeat forced Basil II to pull back swiftly. The rest of the Byzantine army entered Pelagonia, but Ivats avoided engaging it, and Basil II retreated undisturbed to Thesaloniki.
Bitola
Bitola is a city in the southwestern part of the Republic of Macedonia. The city is an administrative, cultural, industrial, commercial, and educational centre. It is located in the southern part of the Pelagonia valley, surrounded by the Baba and Nidže mountains, 14 km north of the...
, in Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n territory, between a Bulgarian army under the command of the voivoda Ivats
Ivats of Bulgaria
Ivats was a Bulgarian noble and military commander in the late 10th and early 11th century. He served three Bulgarian Emperors - Samuil ; Gavril Radomir and Ivan Vladislav ....
and a Byzantine
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
army led by the strategos George Gonitsiates. It was one of the last open battles between the First Bulgarian Empire
First Bulgarian Empire
The First Bulgarian Empire was a medieval Bulgarian state founded in the north-eastern Balkans in c. 680 by the Bulgars, uniting with seven South Slavic tribes...
and the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
. The Bulgarians were victorious and the Byzantine Emperor Basil II
Basil II
Basil II , known in his time as Basil the Porphyrogenitus and Basil the Young to distinguish him from his ancestor Basil I the Macedonian, was a Byzantine emperor from the Macedonian dynasty who reigned from 10 January 976 to 15 December 1025.The first part of his long reign was dominated...
had to retreat from the Bulgarian capital Ohrid
Ohrid
Ohrid is a city on the eastern shore of Lake Ohrid in the Republic of Macedonia. It has about 42,000 inhabitants, making it the seventh largest city in the country. The city is the seat of Ohrid Municipality. Ohrid is notable for having once had 365 churches, one for each day of the year and has...
, whose outer walls were by that time already breached by the Byzantines. However, the Bulgarian victory only postponed the fall of Bulgaria to Byzantine rule in 1018.
Prelude
In the battle of KleidionBattle of Kleidion
The Battle of Kleidion took place on July 29, 1014 between the Bulgarian Empire and the Byzantine Empire...
on 29 July 1014 the bulk of the Bulgarian army was destroyed. The death of Tsar
Tsar
Tsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...
Samuil
Samuil of Bulgaria
Samuel was the Emperor of the First Bulgarian Empire from 997 to 6 October 1014. From 980 to 997, he was a general under Roman I of Bulgaria, the second surviving son of Emperor Peter I of Bulgaria, and co-ruled with him, as Roman bestowed upon him the command of the army and the effective royal...
soon after that (6 October) further weakened the state. In the autumn of 1014 Basil II penetrated deep into Bulgarian territory and burned the palaces of Samuil's successor Gavril Radomir
Gavril Radomir of Bulgaria
Gavril Radomir , normally rendered as Gabriel Radomir in English and Gavriil Romanos in Greek, was the ruler of the First Bulgarian Empire from October 1014 to August or September 1015. He was the son of Samuel of Bulgaria. During his father's reign, his cousin Ivan Vladislav and Ivan's entire...
in the vicinity of Bitola. The hostilities were renewed in the spring of 1015. The Byzantine Emperor headed towards the heart of Bulgaria (around Lake Ohrid
Lake Ohrid
Lake Ohrid straddles the mountainous border between the southwestern Macedonia and eastern Albania. It is one of Europe's deepest and oldest lakes, preserving a unique aquatic ecosystem with more than 200 endemic species that is of worldwide importance...
and Lake Prespa
Lake Prespa
Prespa is the name of two freshwater lakes in southeast Europe, shared by Greece, Albania, and Macedonia. Of the total surface area, belongs to Macedonia, to Greece and to Albania...
) and systematically seized every town or fortress on his way. The immediate reason for that campaign was the secession of Voden
Edessa, Greece
Edessa , is a city in northern Greece and the capital of the Pella regional unit, in the Central Macedonia region of Greece. It was also the capital of the defunct province of the same name.-Name:...
and its reincorporation to Bulgaria in the beginning of 1015. Basil II swiftly seized the town in the spring and resettled its inhabitants. In the summer the Byzantines conquered another important town, Moglena. During its siege they captured kavkhan
Khan (title)
Khan is an originally Altaic and subsequently Central Asian title for a sovereign or military ruler, widely used by medieval nomadic Turko-Mongol tribes living to the north of China. 'Khan' is also seen as a title in the Xianbei confederation for their chief between 283 and 289...
Dometian and many soldiers.
Gavril Radomir's attempts to settle peace failed. Basil II continued the war and simultaneously encouraged a successful conspiracy of Ivan Vladislav
Ivan Vladislav of Bulgaria
Ivan Vladislav ruled as emperor of Bulgaria from August or September 1015 to February 1018. The year of his birth is unknown, but he was born at least a decade before 987, but probably not much earlier than that....
to murder his cousin Radomir and take the throne. After Ivan Vladislav took the crown in August 1015, he pretended to agree to surrender to the Byzantines. Basil II did not trust him and prepared another plot to murder the new Bulgarian Tsar. The new conspiracy failed and led the negotiations to an end.
Campaign to Ohrid and the battle
As he did not trust the proposal of Ivan Vladislav, Basil II immediately launched a new campaign via Ostrovo. The Byzantines blinded every captured Bulgarian. In PelagoniaPelagonia
This is about the geographical plain between Greece and the Republic of Macedonia. For the political unit in Macedonia, go to Pelagonia Statistical Region....
he left a large army under the command of the strategoi George Gonitsiates and Orestes to pillage the region and guard the Byzantine rear between Ohrid
Ohrid
Ohrid is a city on the eastern shore of Lake Ohrid in the Republic of Macedonia. It has about 42,000 inhabitants, making it the seventh largest city in the country. The city is the seat of Ohrid Municipality. Ohrid is notable for having once had 365 churches, one for each day of the year and has...
and Bitola. Basil himself reached Ohrid and managed to overrun most of the city except for the citadel where the royal palaces were located.
However his initial intention to march west to Dyrrhachium
Durrës
Durrës is the second largest city of Albania located on the central Albanian coast, about west of the capital Tirana. It is one of the most ancient and economically important cities of Albania. Durres is situated at one of the narrower points of the Adriatic Sea, opposite the Italian ports of Bari...
failed after unexpected difficulties in the Byzantine rear. The army which was led by Gonitsiates was ambushed by the Bulgarian commander Ivats and was completely destroyed. That defeat forced Basil II to pull back swiftly. The rest of the Byzantine army entered Pelagonia, but Ivats avoided engaging it, and Basil II retreated undisturbed to Thesaloniki.