Battle of Peritheorion
| Battle of Peritheorion | |
|---|---|
| Part of the Peritheorion, Greece | |
| Result | Kantakouzenist victory |
Emirate of Aydin
The Battle of Peritheorion on 7 July 1345 was between the forces of
Origins of the conflict
From 1341, a civil war had been going on in the Byzantine Empire between the regency for the infant
In the same year,
Battle
In late spring of 1345, Umur arrived again at Thrace with a force of reputedly 20,000 men. He and Kantakouzenos then proceeded to subdue Momchil. The two armies met outside Peritheorion on 7 July. The right flank is command by Umur and the left flank by byzantine noble John Asen, brother of empress Irene Asanina and son of Andronikos Asen. Momchil tried to avoid the far larger enemy force by retreating within the walls of Peritheorion, but its citizens shut the gates against him.[3] The ensuing battle was a rout, as the far more numerous Turks crushed Momchil's army and killed him in the process.[1]
Aftermath
After his death, Kantakouzenos' forces regained the Merope region.[3] However, the role played by the Turks in this battle presaged late events, as the Ottoman conquest of the Balkans would begin barely a few years later. Momchil's colourful career and his perceived role as a defender against the Turks secured him an important place in the epic folklore of the region.[3]
References
Sources
- ISBN 0-472-08260-4.