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Nothing like some rock and roll and ancient history. In the Battle of Acheloos of 20 August 917, one of the largest in medieval history, the Bulgarians completely routed the Byzantines and killed many of their commanders. The Aheloy victory did make Bulgaria a domineering power in Southeastern Europe.
My Kingdom for a Horse – The Battle of Achelou
In 917 C.E., the Byzantine Empire sent an experienced leader named Leo Phokas ‘the Elder’ to defeat and punish Symeon of Bulgaria. The Christian Tsar Symeon had been persistently pressuring the Byzantine Empire to join with him through marriage, bringing all of the Byzantine and Bulgarian territory under one Christian dominion. Of course, Symeon wanted to be the emperor of his own envisioned empire. Leo Phokas and approximately thirty thousand men under his command invaded Bulgaria to deliver Byzantium’s resounding “no” to Symeon’s proposition.
The forces of Leo Phokas and Tsar Symeon met at the Achelous River (also spelled Acheloos or Anchialos), the namesake of the battle. It is known today as the Aheloj River. While it is uncertain how many soldiers Symeon had with him when he faced the 30,000 Byzantine troops, the battle was undoubtedly enormous.
The Bulgarians and Byzantines deployed their troops and engaged in combat. The battle quickly turned in the favor of the Byzantines. The first engagement was very costly for the Bulgarians, with Tsar Symeon’s forces taking heavy losses. Symeon recognized that he needed to regroup his men and rethink the situation. He managed to execute a slow and orderly withdrawal from the battlefield.
Some stories suggest that Leo Phokas, having looked out over the battlefield to see his enemies falling back, and that the advantages were in favor of Byzantium, dismounted to drink from a nearby creek. While his back was turned, his horse wandered off and ran into the open. To the Byzantine troops, it must have appeared that their commander had been slain.
Whether or not the story with the horse, as recorded in John Haldon’s The Byzantine Wars, is the exact truth, something certainly did happen to create rumors of the commander’s death. Word spread quickly, and panic moved with it.
Immediately the Byzantine line began to waver with uncertainty. Tsar Symeon realized that something was awry with the Byzantine army, and quickly turned his orderly withdrawal into a brutal counter-attack. The unexpected Bulgarian advance disintegrated the order and cohesion of the Byzantine army, resulting in all of Leo Phokas’ men fleeing in disarray.
Symeon took advantage of the chaos and chased down the routed Byzantines, leaving the battlefield littered with corpses. The Battle of Achelous was one of the worst and most unexpected defeats the Byzantine Empire ever suffered.
The Battle of Achelous is a story that explains the importance of never letting down your guard and never underestimating your opponent. By some strange twist of fate, Leo Phokas saw his victory turn into defeat – possibly over something as mundane as a single spooked horse.
https://www.warhistoryonline.com/guest-bloggers/battle-achelous-917-kingdom-horse.html
http://thecompletepilgrim.com/battle-of-achelous-achelous-battlefield/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Achelous_(917)
http://visit.guide-bulgaria.com/a/1020/monument_-_the_victory_of_simeon_the_great_in_917.htm
@ col mikel COL Mikel J. Burroughs @ ltc stephen LTC Stephen C. @ ltc stephen LTC Stephen F. @ ltc frank LTC (Join to see) @ ltc john LTC John Mohor @ ltc bill LTC Bill Koski @ maj william Maj William W. "Bill" Price @ maj stephen LTC (Join to see) @ maj ivan LTC Ivan Raiklin, Esq. @ capt marty Maj Marty Hogan @ smsgt doc SMSgt Minister Gerald A. "Doc" Thomas @ tsgt joe TSgt Joe C. @ sra christopher SrA Christopher Wright @ msg andrew MSG Andrew White @ sfc joe SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL @ sfc mary SFC (Join to see) @ sgt david SGT (Join to see) @ sgt david SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth @ sp5 mark SP5 Mark Kuzinski SCPO Morris Ramsey
My Kingdom for a Horse – The Battle of Achelou
In 917 C.E., the Byzantine Empire sent an experienced leader named Leo Phokas ‘the Elder’ to defeat and punish Symeon of Bulgaria. The Christian Tsar Symeon had been persistently pressuring the Byzantine Empire to join with him through marriage, bringing all of the Byzantine and Bulgarian territory under one Christian dominion. Of course, Symeon wanted to be the emperor of his own envisioned empire. Leo Phokas and approximately thirty thousand men under his command invaded Bulgaria to deliver Byzantium’s resounding “no” to Symeon’s proposition.
The forces of Leo Phokas and Tsar Symeon met at the Achelous River (also spelled Acheloos or Anchialos), the namesake of the battle. It is known today as the Aheloj River. While it is uncertain how many soldiers Symeon had with him when he faced the 30,000 Byzantine troops, the battle was undoubtedly enormous.
The Bulgarians and Byzantines deployed their troops and engaged in combat. The battle quickly turned in the favor of the Byzantines. The first engagement was very costly for the Bulgarians, with Tsar Symeon’s forces taking heavy losses. Symeon recognized that he needed to regroup his men and rethink the situation. He managed to execute a slow and orderly withdrawal from the battlefield.
Some stories suggest that Leo Phokas, having looked out over the battlefield to see his enemies falling back, and that the advantages were in favor of Byzantium, dismounted to drink from a nearby creek. While his back was turned, his horse wandered off and ran into the open. To the Byzantine troops, it must have appeared that their commander had been slain.
Whether or not the story with the horse, as recorded in John Haldon’s The Byzantine Wars, is the exact truth, something certainly did happen to create rumors of the commander’s death. Word spread quickly, and panic moved with it.
Immediately the Byzantine line began to waver with uncertainty. Tsar Symeon realized that something was awry with the Byzantine army, and quickly turned his orderly withdrawal into a brutal counter-attack. The unexpected Bulgarian advance disintegrated the order and cohesion of the Byzantine army, resulting in all of Leo Phokas’ men fleeing in disarray.
Symeon took advantage of the chaos and chased down the routed Byzantines, leaving the battlefield littered with corpses. The Battle of Achelous was one of the worst and most unexpected defeats the Byzantine Empire ever suffered.
The Battle of Achelous is a story that explains the importance of never letting down your guard and never underestimating your opponent. By some strange twist of fate, Leo Phokas saw his victory turn into defeat – possibly over something as mundane as a single spooked horse.
https://www.warhistoryonline.com/guest-bloggers/battle-achelous-917-kingdom-horse.html
http://thecompletepilgrim.com/battle-of-achelous-achelous-battlefield/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Achelous_(917)
http://visit.guide-bulgaria.com/a/1020/monument_-_the_victory_of_simeon_the_great_in_917.htm
@ col mikel COL Mikel J. Burroughs @ ltc stephen LTC Stephen C. @ ltc stephen LTC Stephen F. @ ltc frank LTC (Join to see) @ ltc john LTC John Mohor @ ltc bill LTC Bill Koski @ maj william Maj William W. "Bill" Price @ maj stephen LTC (Join to see) @ maj ivan LTC Ivan Raiklin, Esq. @ capt marty Maj Marty Hogan @ smsgt doc SMSgt Minister Gerald A. "Doc" Thomas @ tsgt joe TSgt Joe C. @ sra christopher SrA Christopher Wright @ msg andrew MSG Andrew White @ sfc joe SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL @ sfc mary SFC (Join to see) @ sgt david SGT (Join to see) @ sgt david SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth @ sp5 mark SP5 Mark Kuzinski SCPO Morris Ramsey
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Posted >1 y ago
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Thanks for sharing a video focused on the 10th century battle of Achelous, Bulgaria of 20 August 917 near the Black Sea Coast SGT John " Mac " McConnell where Muslim forces were suarily defeated
Image: Tzar Simeon the Great at the battle of Achelous - 20 August 917 Painted by Vasil
Interesting to me there was another Battle of Achelous in 1359, (Albanian: Beteja e Akelout) which took place in 1359 near the river Achelous, in Aetolia, Greece that was +fought between Albanian troops, under Peter Losha and John Spata, and forces of the Despotate [FYI Despotate is ruled by a Despot] of Epirus, under Nikephoros II Orsini.
The Albanians defeated Orsini's army, which suffered massive casualties during the battle. The battle established two despotates from regions previously part of the Despotate of Epirus: the Despotate of Arta and the Despotate of Angelokastron and Lepanto.
This reminds me that place names are not unique and that Despot was a title which has since become synonymous with a bad leader :-).
FYI COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen C. Capt Seid Waddell Capt Tom Brown SFC William Farrell SSgt Robert Marx Maj Marty Hogan PO1 William "Chip" Nagel SPC Margaret Higgins SSG William Wall MSgt Jason McClish AN Christopher Crayne LTC Bill Koski Sgt Trevor Barrett SPC Tom DeSmet SGT Charles H. Hawes LTC Wayne Brandon SGT (Join to see)
Image: Tzar Simeon the Great at the battle of Achelous - 20 August 917 Painted by Vasil
Interesting to me there was another Battle of Achelous in 1359, (Albanian: Beteja e Akelout) which took place in 1359 near the river Achelous, in Aetolia, Greece that was +fought between Albanian troops, under Peter Losha and John Spata, and forces of the Despotate [FYI Despotate is ruled by a Despot] of Epirus, under Nikephoros II Orsini.
The Albanians defeated Orsini's army, which suffered massive casualties during the battle. The battle established two despotates from regions previously part of the Despotate of Epirus: the Despotate of Arta and the Despotate of Angelokastron and Lepanto.
This reminds me that place names are not unique and that Despot was a title which has since become synonymous with a bad leader :-).
FYI COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen C. Capt Seid Waddell Capt Tom Brown SFC William Farrell SSgt Robert Marx Maj Marty Hogan PO1 William "Chip" Nagel SPC Margaret Higgins SSG William Wall MSgt Jason McClish AN Christopher Crayne LTC Bill Koski Sgt Trevor Barrett SPC Tom DeSmet SGT Charles H. Hawes LTC Wayne Brandon SGT (Join to see)
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Used to love poking around Byzantine ruins in Turkey, but didn't have music to go along with it!
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SGT John " Mac " McConnell
Right ! Sometimes its better with some music . Have a great day @ Lt Col John Christensen.
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SGT John " Mac " McConnell
Hope your yesterday turned out good David. Good morning and have a great day.
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