Battle of Versinikia The Battle of Versinikia ( , ) was fought in 813 between the Byzantine Empire and the Bulgarian Empire , near the city of Adrianople ( Edirne ) in contemporary Turkey . Despite being vastly outnumbered the Bulgarians were victorious , resulting in the dethroning of Michael I Rangabe ( 811 - 813 ) by Leo V the Armenian . The battle was a major success and further strengthened the Bulgarian position after their decisive victory over Nicephorus I two years earlier . In fact , after the battle they " de facto " took control of the whole of Eastern Thrace ( until the Treaty of 815 ) with the exception of a few castles that remained in Byzantine control . For the first time in the Bulgarian history , the way to Constantinople was opened . Unfortunately for them , the great Khan Krum died in the height of the preparation for the final siege of the Byzantine capital on 13 April 814 . Prelude . After the great victory over the Byzantine army of emperor Nicephorus I in the battle of Pliska in 811 , the Byzantine Empire found itself in a really difficult situation . Nicephorus ' son ( and legitimate heir ) Staurakios , who was seriously wounded in the battle , was deposed in the autumn of the same year , after a palace coup d ’ état . Michael I Rangabe , curopalates ( supervisor of the palace ) during the reign of Nicephorus I , was proclaimed emperor . Bulgaria , which also suffered heavy losses and great material damage during Nicephorus ' campaign , also had to reorganize its army and resources and was not able to advance until next year . The Bulgarian attacks were concentrated mainly in Thrace but also along the valley of Strymōn ( Struma ) river . Many towns were seized and their population was sent far to the north in " Bulgaria across the Danube " . The attack created such panic among the Byzantine population that several towns were emptied even without being attacked by the Bulgarians . The attempts of Michael I to resist were fruitless - he organized an army but soon after he set off from Constantinople he had to go back due to a conspiracy . In the meantime the Bulgarians continued to strike Thrace but in the autumn of 812 they were offered peace . The Bulgarian delegation was led by Dobromir but the Byzantine Emperor refused to conclude peace due to " his foul advisors ' suggestions " as Theophanes says . However the real reason was most probably Item 3 in the Treaty of 716 which says " The refugees [ emigrants , deserters ] from both sides shall be mutually surrendered , if they are plotting against the authorities . " That item was important for the Byzantines during the 8th century because the authority of their Emperors was weakened but , after the crisis in Bulgaria in the mid 8th century , it became inconvenient for them . In response to the refusal the Bulgarians besieged Mesembria ( Nessebar ) . They had excellent siege machine s built by an Arab emigrant and soon captured the town where they found 36 copper siphons used to throw the famous Greek fire and a large quantity of gold and silver . Preparations for battle . Despite the loss of Mesembria , the Byzantines were unwilling to settle peace . During the winter of 812 - 813 Khan Krum started intense preparations for an attack against Byzantium and Michael I was preparing for defense . In February 813 Bulgarian forces made several investigation raids in Thrace but quickly pulled back after several clashes with the Byzantines . The retreat was considered by the Byzantine Emperor as a victory " according to God ' s providence " and encouraged him to counter - attack . The Byzantines again summoned an enormous army gathered from all themes of their Empire including the guards of the Syrian passes . Due to an unrest in the army , the campaign was delayed but finally they set off from Constantinople in May . The departure was a celebration and the population of the city including the Empress accompanied the troops outside the city wall . They even gave presents to the military commanders and invoked them to guard the Emperor and fight for the Christians . The battle . The Byzantine army marched to the north but did not take any actions to take back Mesembria . On 4 May there was a solar eclipse which frightened the Byzantine soldiers and lowered their morale . They encamped in the vicinity of Adrianople where the army looted and robbed its own country . In May Khan Krum also headed to Adrianople . In June both armies set their camps close to each other near the small fortress Versinikia to the north of Adrianople . Historical account ( John Skylitzes in " Synopsis Historion " , etc . ) stated that the Byzantine army was 10 times ( some historians stated even 20 times ) bigger than the Bulgarian hosts . That was probably overestimated but undoubtedly the Byzantine army was significantly larger than the Bulgarian . Therefore , the Bulgarians kept on a defensive position . Despite the numerical , logistic and strategic superiority the Byzantine army did not confront the adversary . Both armies got tense and anxious having waited in full armor for 13 days in the hot summer of Thrace . At the end the nerves of the Byzantine commanders failed the test of nerve and stamina . Some of them were eager to attack and on 22 June the " strategos " of Macedonia John Aplakes addressed Michael and said : " How much are we going to wait and die ? I will attack first in the name of God and you will follow me bravely . And victory shall be ours because we are ten times more than them [ the Bulgarians ] . " The battle was short : in the morning of the same day the Byzantines attacked and the squad of Aplakes engaged the Bulgarians first . It managed to inflict some casualties to the Bulgarians but since the very beginning most of the Byzantines were so frightened that they did not even engage their enemy . The Byzantines could not withstand even the first Bulgarian counter - attack and when Khan Krum advanced with the Bulgarian heavy cavalry against the left flank of Byzantines they immediately ran away . The Anatolian squad was the first to flee followed by the entire army . The soldiers of Aplakes were left behind and most of them perished , including their commander . The battle took place in a valley and when the Bulgarians saw the retreating enemy which was in the higher positions they at first suspected a trap . In fact they also did not expect to achieve success so quickly and at first did not chase them . But when the Bulgarians were certain that the enemy is fleeing in panic their heavy cavalry rushed after the Byzantines . Many of them perished during the flight , others hid in different fortresses which were taken by the Bulgarians one by one and the rest managed to reach Constantinople . The chief commanders of Byzantine army , including the Emperor Michael I Rangabe and Leo the Armenian , were the first to abandon the battlefield . The Bulgarians took the Byzantine camp and a rich prize including gold and weaponry . Later Byzantine chronographers Genesius and Theophanes Continuatus accused Leo the Armenian as primarily responsible for the defeat , claiming that he deliberately ordered the flight of the units that were still not engaged in the battle . This view is accepted by a large number of scholars ( J . B . Bury , Steven Runciman , George Ostrogorsky , R . J . H . Jenkins , Warren Treadgold et al . ) , while others ( Vasil Zlatarski and a number of Greek scholars ) reject Leo ' s responsibility , pointing to an alternative story Genesius and Theophanes Continuatus also included in their texts . Aftermath . The victory at Versinikia further worsened the grim situation of Byzantium and gave the Bulgarian Khan an opportunity to launch attacks in the vicinity of the Byzantine capital itself . It also sealed the fate of Michael I Rangabe who was forced to abdicate and withdraw to a monastery . The Byzantine throne was taken by Leo V the Armenian ( 813 - 820 ) who was distinguished from his predecessor as a strong - charactered and energetic man . He immediately took hasty precautions for the defense of Constantinople because he expected a Bulgarian assault . The way to Constantionople was clear and the Bulgarian army headed straight to the city without facing any resistance . There were still several fortresses in Thrace which remained in Byzantine hands , particularly Adrianople which was besieged by Krum ' s brother . On 17 July 813 Krum himself reached the walls of Constantinople and set his camp without hindrance . Within the sight of the citizens of Constantinople , Krum who was also the high priest made a sacrifice to the Bulgar god Tangra , performed some pagan rituals , then the Bulgarians built trenches along the whole length of the city ' s walls and then suddenly Krum offered peace . Leo V agreed to negotiations but he intended to treacherously kill Khan Krum and eliminate the threat over the Byzantine Empire . During the negotiations , the Byzantines fired arrows on the Bulgarian delegation killing some of them , including the kavkhan or other high official , but Krum himself remained intact . Infuriated by the treachery of the Byzantines , Krum ordered all churches , monasteries and palaces outside Constantinople to be destroyed , the captured Byzantines were slain and the riches from the palaces were sent to Bulgaria on carts . After that all enemy fortresses in the surroundings of Constantinople and Marmara Sea were seized and razed to the ground . The castles and settlements in the interior of Eastern Thrace were looted and the whole region devastated . Then Krum returned to Adrianople and strengthened the besieging forces . With the help of mangonel s and battering ram s he forced the city to surrender . The Bulgarians captured 10 , 000 people who were resettled in " Bulgaria across the Danube " . Further 50 , 000 from other settlements in Thrace were deported there . During the winter Krum returned to Bulgaria and launched serious preparation for the final assault on Constantinople . The siege machines had to be transported to Constantinople by 5 , 000 iron - covered carts hauled by 10 , 000 oxen . However , he died during the height of the preparations on 13 April 814 . Location of the battle . The exact location of the Versinikia fortress is unknown . According to Teophanes that castle was located at 60 km from Michael Rangabe ' s camp at Adrianople . At that distance from the north is located the village of Malomirovo in whose surrounding was discovered an ancient Bulgarian inscription from the reign of Khan Krum . It is about the division of the Bulgarian army during the campaign in 813 - the left flank under " kavkhan " Irtais was concentrated on the coast at Anchialus ( Pomorie ) and Sozopol and the right flank ' s headquarters were in the area of Beroe ( Stara Zagora ) under the command of the " ichirgu - boil " Tuk . The center under the personal command of Krum was probably located in the area of contemporary town of Elhovo which is close to Malamirovo . It likely that the Byzantine army took position along the Derventski Heights which are situated on the contemporary Bulgarian - Turkish border .