Byzantine Battles: Battle of Pelacanon

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4 th century

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15 th century

Battle of Pelacanon (Pelecanum)	year: 1329 10-11 June 1329
A costly defeat by the Turks and the final loss of Asia Minor for Byzantium	★ ★ ★ ★ ★

enemy: Ottoman Turks	location: East of Nicomedia (modern Izmit), in northwestern Asia Minor	accuracy: ●●●●●
battle type: Pitched Battle	war: Byzantine-Ottoman Wars	modern country: Turkey

	▼ The Byzantines(emperor: Andronikos III Palaiologos)	▼ The Enemies
Commander:	Emperor Andronicos III	Sultan Orhan I
Forces:	4,000	8,000
Losses:	heavy

Background story:

By the accession of Andronikos III on the throne of Byzantium in 1328, the Byzantine territories in Anatolia had dramatically shrunk from almost all of the west of modern Turkey half a century earlier to a few scattered outposts along the Aegean Sea and a small area around Nicomedia, about 150 km east of Constantinople.
Everywhere the Turks were attacking and taking land from the Byzantines. Andronikos decided to relieve the important besieged cities of Nicomedia and Nicaea and hopefully restore the frontier to a more advanced position. Together with the Grand Domestic John Kantakouzenos, Andronikos led an army of about 4,000 men (which was the greatest he could muster), along the Sea of Marmara towards Nicomedia.

The Battle:

Andronikos III Paleologos

At Pelekanon, near Nicomedia, an Ottoman Turkish army blocked the advance of the Byzantine army. Parts of each army clashed and the Turks were driven off. However, the bulk of the Turkish army withdrew into the hills north of the battlefield and Andronikos could advance no further. Further skirmishes resulted in the emperor sustaining light wounds.
The next day, June 11th, Andronikos decided to retreat. On the way back, a rumor was spread that the emperor was mortally wounded . The morale of the army plummeted, resulting in panic. The Turks attacked the Byzantines, causing them heavy casualties. Most of them found refuge in the nearby fortified town Philokrini.
Later, Kantakouzenos was able to organize the return of the army to Constantinople by sea.

Aftermath:

It was not a terrible defeat but it was a turning point. Never again did a Byzantine army attempt to regain any Asian territory. The historic cities of Nicomedia and Nicaea were soon captured and Byzantine control across the Bosporus was lost for ever.

Byzantine Battles

Battle of Pelacanon

1329