Battle of Boulgarophygon

Battle of Boulgarophygon
Part of the Byzantine-Bulgarian Wars: War of 894–896
The Bulgarians rout the Byzantine army at Boulgarophygon, miniature from the Madrid Skylitzes
Date Summer of 896 Location Boulgarophygon, Thrace Result Bulgarian victory
Belligerents
Bulgarian Empire	Byzantine Empire
Commanders and leaders
Simeon I of Bulgaria	Leo Katakalon
Strength
Unknown	Unknown
Casualties and losses
Light	Almost the entire army

The Battle of Boulgarophygon (Bulgarian: Битка при Булгарофигон; Medieval Greek: Μάχη του Βουλγαρόφυγου) was fought in the summer of 896 near the town of Boulgarophygon (modern Babaeski, Turkey) between the Byzantine Empire and the First Bulgarian Empire. The result was an annihilation of the Byzantine army which determined the Bulgarian victory in the trade war of 894–896.

Despite the initial difficulties in the war against the Magyars, who acted as Byzantine allies, the battle of Boulgarophygon proved to be the first decisive victory of the young and ambitious Bulgarian ruler Simeon I against the Byzantine Empire. Simeon would go on to inflict a number of defeats on the Byzantines in pursuit of his ultimate goal, the throne in Constantinople. The peace treaty that was signed as a result of the battle confirmed the Bulgarian domination in the Balkans.