Decline_and_fall First_Bulgarian_Empire

bulgaria under rule of emperor samuel

despite treaty , largely peaceful era followed, strategic position of bulgarian empire remained difficult. country surrounded aggressive neighbours – the magyars north-west, pechenegs , growing power of kievan rus north-east, , byzantine empire south, proved unreliable neighbour. bulgaria suffered several devastating magyar raids between 934 , 965. growing insecurity, expanding influence of landed nobility , higher clergy @ expense of personal privileges of peasantry, led emergence of bogomilism, dualistic heretic sect in subsequent decades , centuries spread byzantine empire, northern italy , southern france (cf. cathars). south, byzantine empire reversed course of byzantine–arab wars against declining abbasid caliphate , in 965 discontinued payment of tribute, leading sharp deterioration of bilateral relations. in 968 byzantines incited kievan rus invade bulgaria. in 2 years kievan prince svyatoslav defeated bulgarian army, captured preslav , established capital @ important bulgarian city of preslavets (meaning little preslav ). in desperate situation ageing peter i abdicated, leaving crown son boris ii (r. 969–971), had little choice cooperate svyatoslav. unexpected success of rus campaigns led confrontation byzantine empire. byzantine emperor john tzimiskes defeated svyatoslav s forces , compelled him leave balkans in 971. in course of campaign byzantines seized preslav , detained boris ii. john i tzimiskes presented himself liberator boris ii promptly forced ritually abdicate in constantinople. although @ time byzantines controlled eastern regions of country, bulgaria proclaimed byzantine province.

samuel s fortress in ohrid

the lands west of iskar river remained free , bulgarians able regroup headed 4 cometopuli brothers. 976, youngest of them, samuel, concentrated power in hands following death of eldest siblings. when in 976 rightful heir throne, boris ii s brother roman (r. 971–997), escaped captivity in constantinople, recognized emperor samuel, remained chief commander of bulgarian army. peace impossible because result of symbolic ending of bulgarian empire following boris ii s abdication, roman , later samuel, seen rebels , byzantine emperor bound enforce imperial sovereignty on them. led more 40 years of increasingly bitter warfare. capable general , politician, @ first samuel managed turn fortunes bulgarians. new byzantine emperor basil ii decisively defeated in battle of gates of trajan in 986 , barely escaped life. byzantine poet john geometres wrote of defeat:

even if sun have come down, have never thought moesian [bulgarian] arrows stronger ausonian [roman, byzantine] spears. ... , when you, phaethon [sun], descend earth gold-shining chariot, tell great soul of caesar: istros [bulgaria] took crown of rome. take arms, arrows of moesians broke spears of ausonians.

above: byzantines defeat samuel @ kleidion, below: death of samuel, manasses chrinicle

immediately after victory samuel pushed east , recovered north-eastern bulgaria old capitals pliska , preslav. in next ten years bulgarian armies expanded country south annexing whole of thessaly , epirus , plundering peloponnese peninsula. major bulgarian military successes , defection of number of byzantine officials bulgarians, prospect of byzantines losing balkan themes quite real. threatened alliance between byzantines , serbian state of duklja, in 997 samuel defeated , captured prince jovan vladimir , took control of serb lands. in 997, following death of roman, last heir of krum s dynasty, samuel proclaimed emperor of bulgaria. established friendly relations stephen of hungary through marriage between son , heir gavril radomir , stephen s daughter gavril radomir expelled wife , in 1004 hungary participated byzantine forces against bulgaria. after 1000 tides of war turned in favor of byzantines under personal leadership of basil ii, launched annual campaigns of methodical conquest of bulgarian cities , strongholds carried out in twelve months of year instead of usual short campaigning of epoch troops returning home winter. in 1001 seized pliska , preslav in east, in 1003 major offensive along danube resulted in fall of vidin after eight-month siege, , in 1004 basil ii defeated samuel in battle of skopje , took possession of city. war attrition dragged on decade until 1014, when bulgarians decisively defeated @ kleidion. 14,000 bulgarians captured; said 99 out of every 100 men blinded, remaining hundredth man left 1 eye lead compatriots home, earning basil ii moniker bulgaroktonos , bulgar killer. when arrived in samuel s residence in prespa, bulgarian emperor suffered heart attack @ grisly sight , died 2 days later, on 6 october. resistance continued 4 more years under ravril radomir (r. 1014–1015) , ivan vladislav (r. 1015–1018) after demise of latter during siege of dyrrhachium nobility surrendered basil ii , bulgaria annexed byzantine empire. bulgarian aristocracy kept privileges, although many noblemen transferred asia minor, depriving bulgarians of natural leaders. although bulgarian patriarchate demoted archbishopric retained sees , enjoyed privileged autonomy. despite several major attempts @ restoring independence, bulgaria remained under byzantine rule until brothers asen , peter liberated country in 1185, establishing second bulgarian empire.