The siege of Constantinople in 813 () by Khan

Krum Krum (, ), often referred to as Krum the Fearsome () was the Khan of Bulgaria from sometime between 796 and 803 until his death in 814. During his reign the Bulgarian territory doubled in size, spreading from the middle Danube to the Dnieper a ...

() was a failed attempt to take the city during the Bulgarian-Byzantine wars.

The siege

After the

Battle of Versinikia Bulgarian Battle of Versinikia (; ) was a battle fought in 813 AD between the Byzantine Empire and the Bulgarian Empire, near the city of Adrianople (Edirne), in modern-day Turkey. The Bulgarian army, led by Krum of Bulgaria, defeated the Byzan ...

(or Second Battle of Adrianople) on 22 June 813, which was a defeat for the Byzantines, Krum's cavalry pursued them and taking advantage of this defeat, Krum advanced towards the walls of Constantinople.

Michael I Rangabe Michael I Rangabe (also spelled Rhangabe; ; c. 770 – 11 January 844) was Byzantine emperor from 811 to 813. A courtier of Emperor Nikephoros I (), he survived the disastrous campaign against the Bulgars and was preferred as imperial successo ...

was forced to abdicate and become a monk, becoming the third Byzantine emperor removed by Krum since 811. Krum arrived at the city on 17 July 813, and performed a pagan sacrificial ritual involving animals and people in order to impress and force the defenders to surrender. But it was a failure and when Krum saw that the walls were impregnable, he decided to propose peace to the new Byzantine emperor

Leo V the Armenian Leo V the Armenian (, ''Léōn ho Arménios''; 775 – 25 December 820) was the Byzantine emperor from 813 to 820. He is chiefly remembered for ending the decade-long war with the First Bulgarian Empire, Bulgars, as well as initiating the second ...

. Krum proposed a meeting, but the Byzantines had set a trap, and he was wounded by archers but managed to flee.
Furious, Krum ravaged the environs of Constantinople on the way home, then took Adrianople and deported its inhabitants (including the parents of the future

Basil I Basil I, nicknamed "the Macedonian" (; 811 – 29 August 886), was List of Byzantine emperors, Byzantine emperor from 867 to 886. Born to a peasant family in Macedonia (theme), Macedonia, he rose to prominence in the imperial court after gainin ...

) across the Danube. Despite the arrival of winter, Krum took advantage of the good weather to send 30,000 men to

Thrace Thrace (, ; ; ; ) is a geographical and historical region in Southeast Europe roughly corresponding to the province of Thrace in the Roman Empire. Bounded by the Balkan Mountains to the north, the Aegean Sea to the south, and the Black Se ...

. This army occupied Arcadiopolis and captured 50,000 prisoners. The sack of Thrace enriched Krum and his aristocracy, and allowed the use of those architectural elements looted from the cities in the rebuilding of his capital

Pliska Pliska ( , ) was the first capital of the First Bulgarian Empire during the Middle Ages and is now List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, a small town in Shumen Province, on the Ludogorie plateau of the Danubian Plain (Bulgaria), Danubian Plain, 20 ...

. The deported artisans also dedicated themselves to rebuilding the city. Krum spent the winter preparing a major attack on Constantinople, where a rumor reported the creation of multiple artillery pieces carried on five thousand wagons. But Krum died on 13 April 814, and his son Omurtag succeeded him. The new attack on Constantinople came to nothing and Omurtag signed the Byzantine–Bulgarian treaty of 815.

Sources

The Early Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Sixth to the Late Twelfth Century by John Van Antwerp Fine Jr. Page 98-99
*RYCHLÍK, Jan a kol. Dějiny Bulharska. Praha : Nakladatelství Lidové noviny, 2000. ISBN 80-7106-404-1. page 46. *DRŠKA, Václav; PICKOVÁ, Dana. Dějiny středověké Evropy. Praha : Nakladatelství Aleš Skřivan ml., 2004. ISBN 80-86493-11-3. page 69. {{coord missing, Turkey 813 810s conflicts 810s in the Byzantine Empire 9th century in Bulgaria Battles involving the First Bulgarian Empire

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

Battles of the Middle Ages Sieges of Constantinople