The battle of Salonica occurred in 1040 near the city of Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...

 (Salonica) in contemporary Greece

Greece

Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....

 between the Bulgarians

Bulgarians

The Bulgarians are a South Slavic nation and ethnic group native to Bulgaria and neighbouring regions. Emigration has resulted in immigrant communities in a number of other countries.-History and ethnogenesis:...

 and the Byzantines

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 battle ended with a Bulgarian victory.

Origins of the Conflict

In 1018 the Byzantines conquered Bulgaria after a bitter half-century struggle. In 1040 one Delyan

Peter Delyan

Peter Delyan was the leader of the local Bulgarian uprising against the Byzantine rule, started in the Theme of Bulgaria during summer of 1040. He was proclaimed Tsar of Bulgaria, as Samuel`s grandson in Belgrade...

 who claimed to be a descendant of the Bulgarian Emperor 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...

 led an uprising

Bulgarian uprising against the Byzantine Empire (1040-1041)

The Uprising of Peter Delyan , which took place in 1040-1041, was a major Bulgarian rebellion against the Byzantine Empire. It was the largest and best-organised attempt to restore the former Bulgarian Empire until the rebellion of Ivan Asen I and Petar IV in 1185.-Prerequisites for the...

 against the Byzantine occupation which broke out in Belgrade

Belgrade

Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...

 and was proclaimed Emperor under the name Peter II after the sainted Emperor Peter I

Peter I of Bulgaria

Peter I was emperor of Bulgaria from 27 May 927 to 969.-Early reign:Peter I was the son of Simeon I of Bulgaria by his second marriage to Maria Sursuvul, the sister of George Sursuvul. Peter had been born early in the 10th century, but it appears that his maternal uncle was very influential at...

 (927-969). At the same time local Bulgarians in what is now Albania

Albania

Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...

 revolted under the officer Tihomir

Tihomir of Bulgaria

For other uses, see TihomirTihomir was a 11th century Bulgarian military commander of Dyrrhachium, who had been sent to tackle an uprising in the north, against the Bulgarian Peter II Delyan, but he refused and instead joined him in the revolts...

. The two leaders met and to avoid distraction Peter Delyan was chosen as the only commander of the rebel army and Tihomir was killed.

The battle

After the two armies united Peter II Delyan marched eastwards to Thessaloniki where at that time was the Byzantine Emperor Michael IV. The Byzantines were defeated and Michael IV had to flee for his life leaving his personal tent and large quantity of gold and silver.

Aftermath

Soon the Bulgarian successes continued as they seized the important Adriatic port 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...

. Another army invaded Thessaly

Thessaly

Thessaly is a traditional geographical region and an administrative region of Greece, comprising most of the ancient region of the same name. Before the Greek Dark Ages, Thessaly was known as Aeolia, and appears thus in Homer's Odyssey....

 and seized its northern parts. That caused serious troubles for the government in Constantinople

Constantinople

Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...

which had to act swiftly in order to stop the restoration of the Bulgarian Empire.