Byzantine Army Destroyed at Trajan's Gate: Bulgaria Wins
Emperor Basil II walked into an ambush. A Bulgarian army under brothers Samuel and Aron destroyed his force at Trajan's Gate in 986, a mountain pass the Romans had cut through the Balkans centuries before. Byzantine soldiers died by the thousands. Basil barely escaped alive. He'd remember. Fifteen years later, he captured 15,000 Bulgarian prisoners and blinded 99 out of every 100. The hundredth man in each group got one eye left, so they could lead the rest home. Samuel is said to have died of shock when he saw them coming.
August 17, 986
1040 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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