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BATTLE // January 1, 0680

Battle of Ongal

Source · Wikipedia

Significance

The Battle of Ongal, fought in the summer of 680 in the area of the Danube Delta near Peuce Island in present-day Tulcea County, Romania, was a decisive engagement between the Bulgar forces of Asparukh and the Byzantine Empire under Constantine IV. The Byzantine force, which substantially outnumbered the Bulgars, was defeated. The engagement directly enabled the establishment of the First Bulgarian Empire, making it one of the foundational events in the history of the Balkans and in the longer arc of the Byzantine–Bulgarian Wars that would continue until 1355. The Byzantine failure to repel Asparukh's forces, who had recently invaded the Balkans, allowed the Bulgars to consolidate their position south of the Danube and extract political recognition from Constantinople.

Forces & casualties

Troop strength

  • Bulgars10,000–12,000
    medium
  • Byzantine Empire25,000
    medium

Byzantine Empire fielded a 2.3 : 1 numerical advantage

Commanders (2)

Bulgars

Byzantine Empire

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Last verified July 2026
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