On January 31, 1206, an army of Bulgarians and Cumans managed to defeat Thierry de Termonde’s army at Roussillon

After the great victory over the Latin knights at Adrianople on April 14, 1205, and the capture of the cities of Serres and Plovdiv, Tsar Kaloyan (1197-1207) returned to his capital Tarnovo, where he foiled a conspiracy that was being prepared. Kaloyan continued his campaign in 1206. At the very beginning of the new year, on January 31, 1206, a Bulgarian and Cuman army defeated the army of Thierry de Termonde {1} at Rusion (today the city of Keshan in the Republic of Türkiye). Here is how a contemporary, the Byzantine historian Niketas Choniates, describes these events:

“…Enraged with fury, he (Kaloyan) sent swarms of nomadic troops, rivaling [in number] the spring flowers. Some of them, like a swarm of ants, roamed the sacred fields and surrounded Adrianople. Others approached Rusion and challenged the Latin army guarding that city to battle. It was a select unit, distinguished from the others, consisting of tall men, remarkable in military exercises and placed under the command of Thierry, a man of great prominence and nobility. They advanced very quickly after learning from scouts where the Scythians were camped. The Scythians, anticipating the attack of the Latins, secretly slipped into a place near Rusion, and the Latins saw them when they returned. Confused by seeing them suddenly, they thought that the crowd did not bode well for them. A fierce battle ensued, in which both sides distinguished themselves with their bravery, but the Latins were almost all killed, even though they performed many feats… {2}

The leader of the Latins, Thierry de Termonde, was also killed in the battle. Following this victory, the Bulgarian ruler’s troops captured a number of fortresses in Thrace over the following month: Neapolis, Apros, Redesto, Pandor, Heraclea, Chorlu, and Antira.

In Hall No. 3 of the Bulgarian Historical Museum, you can see many exhibits related to the period of the Second Bulgarian Empire.

{1} Thierry de Termonde was a Flemish knight who was part of the aristocracy of the Latin Empire.
{2} Greek sources on Bulgarian history. Vol. XI. Published by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. Sofia: 1983// p. 85


Text: Iliya Stoimenov