Byzantine Battles: Battle of Pangaleia

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15 th century

Battle of Pangaleia (Battle of Amorium)	year: 978 19 June 978
A victory of the forces of the rebel general Vardas Skleros	★ ★ ★ ★ ★

enemy: (Civil War)	location: NE of Amorion, not far from the modern village Hisarköy, in Afyonkarahisar Province in Turkey	accuracy: ●●●●●
battle type: Pitched Battle	war: Military Revolts	modern country: Turkey

	▼ The Byzantines(emperor: Basil II Bulgaroktonos)	▼ The Enemies
Commander:	Bardas Phokas	Bardas Skleros
Forces:	Unknown	Unknown
Losses:

Background story:

After the death of emperor John Tzimisces, the chief of the army Bardas Skleros -the winner in Arcadiopolis- aspired to replace him as an acting emperor. The eunuch Basil Lekapenos, who actually led the imperial government, in the name of Basil II and his brother, had other plans, however, deposing Skleros from his post and appointing him as governor of Mesopotamia.
Skleros, with the support of Armenian, Georgian and even Muslim rulers in the East, rebelled and by the end of 976 became master of the most part of Asia Minor.
Lekapenos recalled from exile Bardas Phokas the Younger, a general who had revolted in the previous reign and was defeated, then, by Bardas Skleros.

The Battle:

Vasiileios II meeting Skleros in Didymoteichon

Phokas left Constantinople marching to Caesarea. Skleros left Nicaea for the East and met Phokas in a battle at Pangaleia, near Amorion, in June 978. Phokas was defeated, but he managed to regroup his forces and continue his march to the East, drawing Skleros away from Constantinople.

note: There is confusion and difference of opinion from historical sources (Psellos, Leon the Deacon, etc.) regarding the revolt of Bardas Skleros, so we cannot be sure about dates and locations. Regarding Pangaleia, it is not entirely certain whether it was the theater of the first battle between V. Fokas and V. Skleros (when Skleros won) or the last, when Skleros was finally defeated. What is certain is that a first battle between Phokas and Skleros took place near Amorion in June 978 and Skleros won. The prevalent - but not certain - version that we adopt is that this battle of 978 near Amorion was the battle of Pangaleia.

Noteworthy:

According to Psellos, Skleros was “a man who was not only a competent planner, but extremely clever, possessed of vast wealth, with the prestige of royal blood and of success in great wars, with all the military caste at his side”.

Aftermath:

Skleros won another battle, the same year, further in the east, but he was defeated finally, the following year, at Aquae Saravenae.