The Byzantines in the service of the Bulgarian rulers in the first half of the 9th century

Apply

The Byzantines in the service of the Bulgarian rulers in the first half of the 9th century

Journal Title: Przegląd Nauk Historycznych - Year 2017, Vol 0, Issue 3

Abstract

The Byzantines who lived in Bulgaria in the first half of the 9th century can be roughly divided into the ones who arrived due to the mass forced displacement and those who came as a result of their own, personal decisions . The first group includes prisoners of war who came under Bulgarian control during armed operations and the people deported to Bulgaria from the seized Byzantine territories. Such situations were recorded during the wars that Khan Krum fought against Nicephorus I and later against his successors: Michael I and Leo V. It is known that a large number of Byzantines found themselves in the hands of Bulgarians in consequence of events such as the conquest of Serdica in 809, the massacre of the Nicephorus I’s army in July 811 or the conquest of Byzantine fortresses – Develtos, Mesembria and Adrianople in the years 812–813 . Some of them returned to Byzantium relatively fast due to the exchange of prisoners between the Empire and Bulgaria. Others, however, were not bought out of captivity or did not manage to escape from it and became subjected to the rule of Bulgarian khans for good. The article shows the profiles of the Byzantines who, for various reasons, provided service to the Bulgarians in number of ways. It was not a particularly large group and consisted of the Byzantines who settled in Bulgaria of their own free will and those who became prisoners of war or were forced to resettle.

Authors and Affiliations

Mirosław J. Leszka

Keywords

EP ID EP327031
DOI 10.18778/1644-857X.16.03.09
Views 46
Downloads 0