Battle of Pliska The Battle of Pliska or Battle of Vărbitsa Pass was a series of battles between troops , gathered from all parts of the Byzantine Empire , led by the Emperor Nicephorus I Genik , and Bulgaria , governed by Khan Krum . The Byzantines plundered and burned the Bulgar capital Pliska which gave time for the Bulgarians to block passes in the Balkan Mountains that served as exits out of Bulgaria . The final battle took place on 26 July 811 , in some of the passes in the eastern part of the Balkan , most probably the Vărbitsa Pass . There , the Bulgarians used the tactics of ambush and surprise night attacks to effectively trap and immobilize the Byzantine forces , thus annihilating almost the whole army , including the Emperor . After the battle , Krum encased Nicephorus ' s skull in silver , and used it as a cup for wine - drinking . This is one of the best documented instance of the custom of the skull cup . The Battle of Pliska was one of the worst defeats in Byzantine history . It deterred Byzantine rulers from sending their troops north of the Balkans for more than 150 years afterwards , which increased the influence and spread of the Bulgarians to the west and south of the Balkan Peninsula , resulting in a great territorial enlargement of the First Bulgarian Empire . Initial campaigns . When Nicephorus I became emperor in 802 , he planned to reincorporate Bulgar - held territory back into the empire . In 807 he launched a campaign but only reached Odrin and achieved nothing because of a conspiracy in his capital . That attempted attack , however , gave reason for the Bulgar Khan Krum to undertake military operations against the Byzantine Empire . The main objective was an extension to the south and south - west . In the next year a Bulgar army penetrated the Struma Valley and defeated the Byzantines . The Bulgar troops captured 1 , 100 " litres " of gold and killed many enemy soldiers including all strategos and most of the commanders . In 809 the Khan personally besieged the strong fortress of Serdica and seized the city , killing the whole garrison of 6 , 000 . Preparation for an invasion . In 811 , the Byzantine Emperor organised a large campaign to conquer Bulgaria once and for all . He gathered an enormous army from the Anatolian and European " thema ta " , and the imperial bodyguard ( the " tagmata " ) ; they were joined by a number of irregular troops who expected a swift victory and plunder . The conquest was supposed to be easy , and most of the high - ranking officials and aristocrats accompanied him , including his son Stauracius and his brother - in - law Michael I Rangabe . The whole army consisted of around 80 , 000 soldiers . Sack of Pliska . The army gathered in May , and by 10 July had set up camp at the fortress of Marcelae ( present - day Karnobat ) near the Bulgarian frontier . Nicephorus intended to confuse them and over the next ten days launched several supposed attacks , which were immediately called back . Krum assessed the situation and estimated that he could not repulse the enemy and offered peace , which Nicephorus haughtily rejected . Theophanes wrote that the Emperor , " was deterred from his own ill thoughts and the suggestions of his advisors who were thinking like him " . Some of his military chiefs considered the invasion of Bulgaria to be imprudent and too risky , but Nicephorus was convinced of his ultimate success . In June he invaded the Bulgarian lands and marched through the Balkan passes towards the capital of Pliska . On 20 July Nicephorus divided the army into three columns , each marching by a different route towards Pliska . He met little resistance and after three days he reached the capital where the Byzantines met an army of 12 , 000 elite soldiers who guarded the stronghold . The Bulgarians were defeated and most of them perished . Another hastily assembled army of 50 , 000 soldiers had a similar fate . On 23 July the Byzantines quickly captured the defenseless capital . The city was sacked and the countryside destroyed . Khan Krum attempted once more to negotiate for peace . According to the historian Theophanes , Krum ’ s proclamation stated , " Here you are , you have won . So take what you please and go with peace . " Nicephorus , overconfident from his success , ignored him . He believed that Bulgaria was thoroughly conquered . Michael the Syrian , patriarch of the Syrian Jacobites in the twelfth century , described in his Chronicle the brutalities and atrocities of Nicephorus ' s troops : " Nicephorus , emperor of the Romans , walked in Bulgarians land : he was victorious and killed a great number of them . He reached their capital , took it over and devastated it . His savagery went to such a point that he ordered to bring their small children , got them tied down on earth and made thresh grain stones to smash them . " The Byzantine soldiers looted and plundered ; burnt down the unharvested fields , cut the tendons of the oxen , slaughtered sheep and pigs . " The Emperor took over Krum ' s treasury , locked it and did not allow his troops to reach it . The battle . While Nicephorus and his army were busy plundering the Bulgarian capital , Krum mobilized his people ( including women and Avar mercenaries ) to set traps and ambushes in the mountain passes . Initially Nicephorus intended to march through Moesia and reach Serdica before returning to Constantinople but the news of these preparations for a battle changed his decision and he chose the shortest way to his capital . The overconfident Emperor neglected to scout ahead . On 25 July his army entered the Varbica Pass but his cavalry told him the road was barred with thick wooden walls and Krum ' s detachments watched from the heights around . The Emperor became panicked by the situation and repeatedly stated to his companions " Even if we have had wings we could not have escaped from peril . " Before they could retreat , the Bulgars blocked the valley entrance too . Nicephorus , unable to face attacking one of the palisades , simply set up camp , despite his generals ' misgivings . By the third night Byzantine morale was shattered , while Bulgar troops banged their shields and taunted them . On that night the Bulgarians gathered their troops and tightened the belt around the trapped enemy . At dawn they rushed down and started to kill the panicked and totally confused Byzantines . The " tagmata " were the first to be attacked . The Byzantines fruitlessly resisted for a short time and perished . Upon seeing their comrades ' fate , the next units immediately ran away . On their way south the Byzantine forces hit a muddy river which was difficult to cross . As they could not find a ford quickly enough , many Byzantines fell into the river . The first stalled in the mud with their horses and were trampled by those who came next . The river was filled with so many dead that the chasing Bulgarians easily passed over them and continued the pursuit . Those who passed through the river reached the wooden wall which was high and thick . The Byzantines left their horses and began climbing the wall with hands and legs and hung over the other side . The Bulgarians had dug a deep moat from the inner side and when the Byzantine soldiers were getting across the ramparts , they fell from the high wall , breaking their limbs . Some of them died instantly , others hobbled some time before falling to the ground and dying from thirst and hunger . The Byzantine troops burned the wall at several places but as they were rushing to get across it , they too fell into the moat along with the burning parts of the palisade . Almost everyone perished ; some were killed by the sword , others drowned in the river or were mortally injured after falling from the wall and some of them died in the fire . Among the nobles killed were the patricians Theodosios Salibaras and Sisinnios Triphyllios ; the " strategos " of the Anatolics Romanos and the " strategos " of Thrace ; as well as the commanders of the Excubitors and Vigla " tagmata " . Reportedly , only a few survived the defeat . The most notable person to be killed , however , was Emperor Nicephorus , who according to historians died on a dunghill on the day of the battle . Nicephorus ' s son , Stauracius , was carried to safety by the Imperial bodyguard after receiving a paralyzing wound to his neck . Six months later , his wounds finally killed him . According to tradition , Krum had the Emperor ' s head on a spike , then lined his skull with silver and used it as a drinking cup .