The Battle of Ostrovo occurred in 1041 near Ostrovo, an area close to the lake of the same name in modern

Northern Greece Northern Greece ( el, Βόρεια Ελλάδα, Voreia Ellada) is used to refer to the northern parts of Greece, and can have various definitions. Administrative regions of Greece Administrative term The term "Northern Greece" is widely used ...

History

In 1040

Peter Delyan Petar II Delyan (reigned 1040–1041) ( bg, Петър II Делян, Greek: Πέτρος Δελεάνος) was the leader of an uprising against Byzantine rule in the Theme of Bulgaria during the summer of 1040. He was proclaimed Tsar of Bulgaria ...

, an illegitimate relative of Samuel, the Bulgarian Tsar, led an

uprising Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority. A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...

against the Byzantines and was proclaimed Emperor of Bulgaria. He quickly occupied the western Balkan lands from

Belgrade Belgrade ( , ;, ; names in other languages) is the capital and largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and the crossroads of the Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. Nearly 1,166,763 m ...

to Larissa but in the next year he was betrayed by his cousin Alusian, who blinded him with a knife after he got drunk during a feast. Though blind,

remained in command and met the Byzantines near Ostrovo. The battle itself is unclear but the Bulgarians were defeated mainly with the help of the

Varangian Guard The Varangian Guard ( el, Τάγμα τῶν Βαράγγων, ''Tágma tōn Varángōn'') was an elite unit of the Byzantine Army from the tenth to the fourteenth century who served as personal bodyguards to the Byzantine emperors. The Varangi ...

, led by

Harald Hardrada Harald Sigurdsson (; – 25 September 1066), also known as Harald III of Norway and given the epithet ''Hardrada'' (; modern no, Hardråde, roughly translated as "stern counsel" or "hard ruler") in the sagas, was King of Norway from 1046 to ...

. Delyan was captured and was sent to Thessaloniki. Alusian, who initially sought to lead the army against the Byzantines, secretly negotiated a deal with Emperor Michael IV at

Mosynopolis Mosynopolis ( el, Μοσυνόπολις), of which only ruins now remain in Greek Thrace, was a city in the Roman province of Rhodope, which was known until the 9th century as Maximianopolis (Μαξιμιανούπολις) or, to distinguish it ...

and was rewarded with a title of ''

magistros The ''magister officiorum'' (Latin literally for "Master of Offices", in gr, μάγιστρος τῶν ὀφφικίων, magistros tōn offikiōn) was one of the most senior administrative officials in the Later Roman Empire and the early cent ...

''. During the battle, he rode to the safety of enemy lines, leaving the Bulgarian army to be crushed. As a result, the uprising was repulsed and the emperor entered Bulgaria, which remained a Byzantine province until 1185.

References

1041 in Europe 1040s in the Byzantine Empire Ostrovo Ostrovo Ostrovo Medieval Macedonia Conflicts in 1041 Pella (regional unit) Uprising of Peter Delyan {{Byzantine-stub