Krum the Terrible 💀 Battle of Pliska, 811

Added: 2026-05-09

[00:00:13]Romans, Bulgars, and Total War, a three-way relationship that dominated the Balkans for the past 100 years. In the next half millennia that followed, at the start of the 9th century, the empire of Eastern Romans and that of the early Bulgarians found themselves in the middle of an existential medieval arms race. Both civilizations were fully devoted to dominating each other while simultaneously lacking the resources necessary to do so. While Bulgaria was a brand new and vulnerable nation in the year 700, the four massive victories against the Romans and the eight decades of tribute payments allowed the early Bogar to successfully unite the diverse tribes and seriously threatened the security of Eastern Romans.

[00:00:58]Still, the Bulgars and their Slavic allies, while dominating the Basileas and his Romans on the battlefield, lack the siege warfare expertise required to follow up devastating victories by taking major cities such as the Black Sea fortresses of Membria and Analis, the frontier balcon fortresses of Sterica and Ireneopoulos, the major staging fortress of Adrianople, and finally the queen of cities known as Tarrad to the Slavs. but Constantinople to the native Greeks and Romans.

[00:01:30]On the opposing side, the Eastern Romans, while inheriting the forts, manpower, and institutions of ancient Europe's greatest civilization, lacked the leadership required to harness these resources and apply them in a strategic manner against their northern rival.

[00:01:46]Sedentary life, especially of such a rich and decadent city like Constantinople, produced a soft environment, which in turn produced soft men. Where Bogar leadership constantly patrolled hundreds of kilometers on horseback, ate raw meat and dairy, and slept under the open stars, Roman leadership often took full advantage of palace life, mainly slaves, servants, and rich meals. While not being inherently evil, City Life dulled the human mind, body, and spirit by removing natural hardships meant to strengthen a person's constitution.

[00:02:23]After a mutual period of instability, tensions between these two bitter rivals approached climax in 803. From the Bogar clans rose a capable leader, not only a commander of men, but a speculated descendant of the first Bulgar Khans, Asparoo and later Teravel. The same Teravel who came to the aid of Constantinople during the great Arab siege of 717.

[00:02:47]In the same way that Eastern Romans contended with their semi-nomeatic northern neighbors, the Bogars contended with their own nomadic neighbors, the Avars and Khazars. It was in this year that Krum stormed across the northern border, brushing the Avars that opposed him in unrecorded battles. Having to contend with both the Kingdom of Franks and Denumian Bulgaria, the Avar Kaganate disintegrated. After fully incorporating Eastern Pannonia and subjugating the local Avars and Slavs, Room's Bulgars and the Franks of Charlemagne established diplomatic relations to the dismay of Eastern Romans. Having doubled the Bulgarian domain and secured stability along the northern border, Broom turned south. Constantinople had just exited the divisive but functional rule of the first sole empress of Romans, Augusta Irene of Athens, who was now deposed by her finance minister, Nicaros, and banished to the island of Lesbos. It was the Bulgarian Khan who would be later called the terrible by Roman scribes. Yet, it was Niceros I whose insatiable greed caused greater suffering among the Romans. from his countryman Theophanes the Confessor. I have made a succinct and brief record of these actions, and they are but a small part in order to indicate this man's inventedness in all manner of greed. It would be impossible to describe the misfortunes he inflicted on the Imperial City, on dignitaries, on the middling folk, and the poor. The goes on to explicitly detail some of the emperor's crimes. Nikos promised Irene if she peacefully handed over all of her power and revealed the location of the Roman treasury that she would be allowed to live her life out peacefully on her estate. After she finished handing over all of her power and wealth, Nikos banished her from her home to a nearby island and then to a further island out of fear of a retribution. Nikphos removed the eyes of an imprisoned Roman called Bardanios, then pretended he had nothing to do with the plot. He went as far as crying fake tears. None of the Romans believed his lies or the sincerity of his emotions. Nikos allowed the Arabs to take four forts on the Anatolian border. Then the false emperor fell into despair and agreed to a treaty in which the Romans would pay the Arabs tribute and refrain from rebuilding the forts in exchange for peace.

[00:05:11]Immediately, Nicaros violated the terms by rebuilding the forts, causing the Arabs to not only retake some of the forts, but devastate all of Cyprus and deport the locals. Nicaparos brought maidens from all across his domain under the pretense of marrying his son Stavraios. The Athenian maiden Theophano was chosen, forcing her to break her betrodal. She and two other maidens were violated by Nephos during the very days of the wedding. While everyone ridiculed the detestable man, Nephos rounded up not only refugees and aliens of Anatolia, but also loyal Roman subjects with estates. After forcing them to sell their ancestral homes and abandon their possessions, he forced them to migrate into the balcons while also forcing the poorer ones to enroll in the army at the cost of local communities.

[00:05:59]He raised the taxes of the orphanages, hosts, homes for the elderly, churches, and monasteries, including backay for years that had already passed. He further ordered that any free man who recovered financially from his actions should be identified and have their wealth taken by local officials. He took prosperous estates outright from free men, then forced ship owners and men who had never practiced agriculture to buy the estates from him and work them.

[00:06:27]Lastly, he forced merchants to take out loans from him, then charged them interest and customs dues. I have yet to cover a more despicable ruler on this channel.

[00:06:38]For the affforementioned actions and countless others that escape written record, the Alphanes the Confessor granted the title of universal devourer to the finance minister turned false emperor.

[00:06:51]With both Bulgaria and Constantinople consolidated under new leadership, their rivalry resumed in 808 when Kum ambushed the Eastern Roman army near the river Stream from Theophanes. In the same year, while the army of Dremon was receiving its pay, the Bulgarians fell upon it and seized,00 of gold. They slaughtered many men together with their strategoy and officers. Many garrison commanders of the other Theata were present, and all of them perished there.

[00:07:26]In the same year, the Bulgarian Khan drew up his forces against Seraka, the northernmost frontier city of Eastern Romans.

[00:07:38]Rome took the city by what's described as deceitful capitulation and proceeded to raised the city, slaughtering the 6,000 defenders, not counting the multitude of civilians.

[00:07:49]This was a great calamity for Eastern Romans. Not only did the Bulgarians steal an entire army salary and camp after slaughtering them, destroy a major Roman frontier city, but they also gained Roman experts in siege warfare.

[00:08:03]When Nikoros I refused to pardon the officers of Certica that escaped the massacre. We're told the swordbearer Yumathios, an expert in engines, was forced to desert and join the Bulgarians.

[00:08:15]In 811, Nikaros raised not only the themes of Thrace, the Imperial Tagmata, and forces from the Aiatic themes, but also armies from the previously mentioned forced migrants, many of whom were poor and could only afford to arm themselves with slings and sticks.

[00:08:37]The Bogar Khan, seeing the multitude of Romans drawn against him, asked for peace. The emperor, however, by his own evil designs and the recommendation of his like-minded advisers, refused. After making many detours through impassible country, the rash coward recklessly entered Bulgaria on July 20th.

[00:08:58]A source written by Michael Scalites three centuries later tells us the Bulgarians faced Nikaros I with 12,000 men near the capital.

[00:09:07]The Khan made several attempts at stopping Nikuros, failing to contain the emperor. Engagements between both sides continued over several days. Yet the Romans made it to the Bulgarian capital.

[00:09:18]Being semi-nomads, life had priority over real estate when it came to matters of war. Broom, after partially engaging the enemy, simply retreated further north, bringing as much of the tribe in its herds as possible.

[00:09:36]Still, many bogars and Slavs died in the process, civilians and warriors, and the life of early Bulgaria stood in immediate danger. Nikos burned to the ground and made cinder of Krum's court.

[00:09:50]again from Theophanes. For 3 days after the first encounters, the emperor appeared to be successful, but did not ascribe his victory to God who grant success. He ordered that senseless animals, infants, and persons of all ages should be slain without mercy, and left the corpses of his fellow countrymen unburied. Mindful only of the collection of spoils. On top of killing infants, animals, and those who were not strong enough to flee, the emperor locked away the treasure of Krum and cut off the ears, hands, and other limbs of his own soldiers that attempted to keep some spoils for themselves. This is when the Bulgar Khan did something that Nikapuros I was not capable of. He humbled himself and offered peace in good faith, accepting his defeat.

[00:10:34]Behold, you have won. Take therefore anything you desire and depart Bulgaria in peace. However, the enemy of peace would not approve of peace, whereupon, the Khan became vexed and gave instructions to block the entrances and exits of his country with wooden barriers.

[00:10:51]Faced with an enemy that sought not only to win and insult him, but to destroy his nation completely, the Bulgar Khan adhered to the ancient philosophy of the step, which prescribed the following.

[00:11:03]Number one, refuse battle on the enemy's terms. Number two, create space and destruction of your own territory. Allow the enemy to enter your country even deeper. Destroy your own resources in order to harm the enemy's logistics.

[00:11:17]Number three, continuously harass the enemy, further chipping away at resources, manpower, and morale. And finally, number four, conceal and consolidate the remainder of your forces, choosing an optimal time and place to have one final fight to the death.

[00:11:34]Once the universal devourer's greed and lust for destruction was satisfied, Nikaros turned south, ready to celebrate his victory and continue abusing his subjects. As the Romans approached the middle point of the Barba Pass, they were horrified to find a large and well-built wooden palisade blocking their way. For 2 days, the coward and ledge Nikaros was dumbfounded, not knowing what to do. To his companions, he foretold disaster, saying, "Even if we grow wings, let no one imagine he will escape his doom."

[00:12:08]In those two days, Broom tightened the noose destined for Nephodel's neck as Bulgars and Slavs positioned themselves in the surrounding heights. This time accompanied by Avar Federates and mercenaries, armed peasants, and women equally armed for the purpose of war. In the black of night, howling could be heard all around the Roman camps, not of wolves, but of bloodthirsty Bulgarians.

[00:12:39]>> As the sun welcomed a new day, Broom's forces charged the emperor's tents.

[00:12:44]Contingents of Bulgarians stormed into the imperial camp, reening the mountain path with the blood of Roman leadership.

[00:12:51]Among the deceased were the patricians, Atios, Peter Cinio Trifles and Theodosio Salibaras, the prefect of Constantinople, the Stratagos of Anatolics, the Stratagos of Thrace, the Protopathario and Spathario of the Imperial Guard, the commanders of the Tagmata, including the domestic of Excubators, the Dungarios of the Imperial Watch, many officers of the Theata, and an infinite number of soldiers, so that the flower of Christendom was destroyed. May not Christians experience another time the ugly events of that day for which no lamentation is adequate.

[00:13:30]As for the common soldiers, who were camped a distance away and unaware of the massacre when they saw their leaders brutally battered, the remaining Romans began to flee in panic. They first encountered a swampy and impassible river. Pursued by the enemy and overwhelmed by terror, these men attempted crossing. The first batch of Romans sunk into the swamp along with their horses. The second batch trampled the first, killing man and beast alike.

[00:13:57]The river became so filled with people and horses that the pursuing bulgars could simply ride across in pursuit. The Romans that reached the rampart attempted overcoming it, climbing with hand and foot. These men fell into a deep moat dug on the other side. Some died immediately. Others broke their limbs in the attempt, eventually dying by starvation and thirst. At other places, the wide palisade was set on fire. When this part of the palisade became consumed by flames and undone as Romans rushed across, they fell into the moat on the other side along with the hot coals and embers. These men were cooked alive. Screams of agony mixed with the crackling of burning timber.

[00:14:35]This time from Michael Scalitzes. Thus perished the commander sons, both of the old and of the young ones, who were a whole multitude in the blossom of their youth. and they had beautiful bodies that shined with whiteness, with golden hairs and beards, with handsome faces.

[00:14:50]Some of them had just been engaged to women, distinguished with nobility and beauty. All perished there. Some brought down by the sword, others drowned in the river. Third fell from the rampart, and still others burned in the moat. Only a few of them escaped, but even they, after they arrived in their homes, almost all of them died. Who will not weep when he hears this? Who will not cry? Truly the accounts of Michael's scalites and Theophanes the Confessor read like a horror story. By the vengeful sword, by suffocation of a mountain marsh, by the flame of enemy ramparts, and by broken limb, tens of thousands of Eastern Romans met their end on this day. All due to the insulence of Nikaros. As for the wretched emperor, he became Chrome's cupbearer when the latter removed his head from his shoulders and fitted a silver cup into his skull. Groom and the other leaders of Bulgaria drank from his skull in celebration.

[00:15:43]Thusly Nicapos the first was served a fate worthy of his deeds.

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