A territory in the Balkans, Bulgaria served as both a frontier homeland and a persistent military and political adversary of the Byzantine Empire across several centuries. It was the birthplace of the general Belisarius, the site of Basil II's childhood captivity, and the subject of a prolonged Byzantine effort to secure its Orthodox ecclesiastical allegiance and ultimately its political submission after a thirty-year war culminating in the mass blinding at Kleidion and formal annexation in 1018. A revived Bulgarian Empire emerged in the late twelfth century when nobles rebelled against Byzantine taxation, and subsequent Bulgarian raids reached as far as Macedonian Thrace during a period of imperial weakness.
What each episode says
Episode 8 (1 mention)
Bulgaria is mentioned as the birthplace of Belisarius, described as 'a Romanized Greek born in modern-day Bulgaria,' contextualizing his origins on the Balkan frontier of the empire.
“A Romanized Greek born in modern-day Bulgaria, he served in the Emperor's bodyguard, and so”
Episode 12 (5 mentions)
Basil spent part of his childhood as a Bulgarian prisoner of war before escaping in his mid-twenties. Later, as emperor, he outmaneuvered both Boris I and the pope over Bulgaria's ecclesiastical allegiance, ensuring it fell into the Byzantine Orthodox sphere — where it remains to this day.
“Boris I, king of Bulgaria, had long been playing off Rome”
“Now that Bulgaria had converted to Christianity,”
“that Bulgaria should follow Constantinople.”
Episode 13 (13 mentions)
Brownworth describes the Bulgarian Empire as a long-standing thorn in Constantinople's side, constantly raiding and then retreating into the Balkans. After Nikephoros Phokas' disastrous policy of inviting the Russians to invade it, and Samuel's devastating raids on Thrace and Trajan's Gate ambush, Basil II pursued a methodical thirty-year war that culminated in the mass blinding at Kleidion and Bulgaria's formal submission in 1018 — where it remained part of the empire for almost 200 years.
“saint, and carted them off to Bulgaria to be installed in his capital's cathedral.”
“Meanwhile, his absence in Bulgaria allowed Samuel to regain the offensive.”
“Bulgaria became part of the empire, where it would remain for almost 200 years.”
Episode 15 (3 mentions)
The region where, angered by Isaac II's crushing new taxes, two noblemen announced the revival of the Bulgarian Empire. Isaac's repeated military campaigns to crush the revolt were dismal failures, with commanders either rebelling or being ambushed, and Bulgaria ravaged Byzantine territory as far as Macedonian Thrace during Alexius III's reign.
“The storm broke first in Bulgaria, where, angry at the weight of the new taxes,”
“he announced yet another offensive to retake Bulgaria.”
“Bulgaria ravaged as far as Macedonian Thrace,”
Related