page_title: Peter Delyan
section_title: Uprising
hierarchical_section_title: Peter Delyan / Uprising
caption_attribution_description: Deljan and Tihomir, miniature, en:Madrid Skylitzes, fol. 215v, detail Text (Chronicle of en:John Skylitzes): English: "...Then, fearing the Emperor, they rose up in revolt and proclaimed as Tsar of Bulgaria a soldier from among themselves, named Tihomir, whose bravery and common sense had already been tested. In this manner, two camps of Bulgarian rebels were formed, one of which recognized Delyan and the other - Tihomir. Delyan, however, wrote a friendly letter to Tihomir in which he invited him to join in concerted actions and per­suaded him to come. When the two Bulgarian armies united, Delyan assembled them all and called upon them to remove Tihomir if they were convinced that he himself was descended from Samuil, and wanted him to reign over them. If, however, this was undesirable to them, let them drive him away and be governed by Tihomir..." (Macedonia - Documents And Materials, I., 19. (html)) Deutsch: "...Da machten sich sie aus Furcht vor dem Kaiser einen Aufstand und riefen zum Zaren von Bulgarien einen Soldaten aus der eigenen Mitte namens Tichomir aus, der Mut und Verstand bewiesen hatte. So entstanden zwei Lager von bulgarischen Aufständischen, von denen das eine Deljan anerkannte, das andere Tichomir. Aber Deljan schrieb Tichomir einen freundschaftlichen Brief, in dem er ihn zu gemeinsamen Handeln aufforderte, und überredete ihn, zu ihm zu kommen. Als die beiden bulgarischen Heere sich vereint hatten, versammelte Deljan alle und rief sie auf, Tichomir abzusetzen, wenn sie in der Tat überzeugt wären, daß er selbst von Samuil abstammte, und wenn sie wollten, daß er über sie herrsche. Wenn ihnen das dagegen nicht genehm wäre, sollten sie ihn absetzen und sich von Tichomir regieren lassen..." Български: "...Тогава те от страх пред императора вдигнали въстание и провъзгласили за цар на България един войник измежду свойте хора на име Тихомир, изпитан по храброст и разум. И тъй, образували се два въстанически лагера от българи, единият от които признавал Делян, а другият Тихомир. Но Делян писал на Тихомир приятелско писмо, с което го канел за задружни действия и го склонил да дойде. Когато двете български войски се съединили, Делян събрал всички и ги призовал да отстранят Тихомир, ако наистина са уверени, че самият той води потеклото си от Самуил, и искат да царува над тях. Ако ли пък това за тях е нежелателно - да премахнат него и да бъдат управлявани от Тихомир..." (Македония - сборник от документи и материали, I., 19. (html)) References: Ioannis Scylitzae Synopsis Historiarum. Editio Princeps. Rec. Ioannes Thurn, in: Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae 5, Berlin and New York 1973, 410, 20-33 Bozhinov V., Panayotov L., Macedonia - Documents And Materials, 1978 Tsamakda V., The illustrated chronicle of Ioannes Skylitzes in Madrid Божков А., Миниатюри от Мадридския ръкопис на Йоан Скилица
context_page_description: Petar II Delyan was the leader of an uprising against Byzantine rule in the Theme of Bulgaria during the summer of 1040. He was proclaimed Tsar of Bulgaria, as Samuel's grandson in Belgrade, then in the theme of Bulgaria. His original name may have been simply Delyan, in which case he assumed the name Petar II upon his accession, commemorating the sainted Emperor Petar I, who had died in 970. The year of his birth is uncertain, but probably not long after 1000, and before 1014. He probably died in 1041.
context_section_description: Peter Delyan was a leader of an uprising that broke out in the summer of 1040 in the Theme of Bulgaria against the Byzantine Empire. There were two main causes:
  The replacement of the Bulgarian Archbishopric of Ohrid with Greek (1037) and the beginning of the process of Hellenisation
  Imposition of taxes in coin for local people by the Byzantine government
  The uprising spread and rebels very quickly took control over the northern part of Pomoravlje and liberated Belgrade. Delyan was proclaimed emperor (Tsar) of Bulgaria there and took the name Petar II after being raised atop a shield by leaders of the resistance. He had been proclaimed legitimate as the grandson of Samuel. He perhaps enjoyed some support from the Kingdom of Hungary.
  Peter II Delyan took Niš and Skopje, first co-opting and then eliminating another potential leader in the person of one Tihomir, who had led a rebellion in the region of Dyrrhachium. After this Petar II marched on Thessalonica, where the Byzantine Emperor Michael IV was staying. Defeated, he fled, leaving his treasury to a certain Michael Ivač. The latter, who was probably a son of Ivač, a general under Samuel of Bulgaria, promptly turned over the bulk of the treasury to Peter outside the city. Thessalonica remained in Byzantine hands, but Macedonia, Dyrrachium, and parts of northern Greece were taken by Petar II's forces. This inspired further Slavic revolts against Byzantine rule in Epirus and Albania.
  Petar II Delyan's successes ended, however, with the interference of his cousin Alusian. Alusian, whose father Ivan Vladislav had murdered Peter's father Gavril Radomir in 1015, joined Petar II's ranks as an apparent deserter from the Byzantine court, where he had been disgraced. Alusian was welcomed by Peter II, who gave him an army with which to attack Thessalonica. The siege, however, was raised by the Byzantines, and the army was defeated. Alusian barely escaped and returned to Ostrovo.
  In 1041, one night during dinner, while Delyan was drunk, Alusian cut off his nose and blinded him with a kitchen knife. Since Alusian was of the blood of Samuel of Bulgaria, he was quickly proclaimed emperor in Petar II's place by his troops, but he conspired to defect to the Byzantines. As the Bulgarian and Byzantine troops were preparing for battle, Alusian deserted to the enemy and headed for Constantinople, where his possessions and lands were restored to him, and he was rewarded with the high court rank of magistros.
  Meanwhile, though blind, Petar II Delyan resumed command of the Bulgarian forces, but the Byzantine Emperor Michael IV determined to take advantage of the situation and advanced against them. In an obscure battle of Ostrovo, the Byzantines defeated the Bulgarian troops and Petar II Delyan was captured and taken to Constantinople, where he was perhaps executed. According to some legends he was later exiled to a monastery in Iskar Gorge, in the Balkan Mountains, where he died.
  Norse sagas refer to the participation of the future Norwegian King Harald Hardrada, who allegedly cut down Peter II in the field of battle as a member of the Varangian Guard. This tradition may be supported by a laconic reference in  the so-called "Bulgarian Apocryphal Chronicle". In either case, Peter II Delyan might have perished in 1041.
caption: Peter Delyan, Tihomir and the Bulgarian rebels.
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