Battle of Ostrovo
Battle of Ostrovo (1041)
The battle happened near Ostrovo Lake in what is now northern Greece. In 1040, Peter Delyan led a Bulgarian uprising against the Byzantines and was proclaimed Emperor of Bulgaria, quickly gaining control of western Balkans from Belgrade to Larissa. In 1041 his cousin Alusian betrayed him by blinding him with a knife after a drunken feast. Despite being blinded, Delyan still commanded the Bulgarian army. The Byzantines, helped by the Varangian Guard led by Harald Hardrada, defeated the Bulgarians. Delyan was captured and sent to Thessaloniki. Alusian had secretly made a deal with Emperor Michael IV and fled to the enemy lines, leaving the Bulgarians crushed. After the battle, the uprising failed and the Byzantine Empire reasserted control over Bulgaria, which remained Byzantine until 1185.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 17:31 (CET).