Battle of Ongal

Overview

The Battle of Ongal took place in the summer of 680 in the Ongal area, an unspecified location in and around the Danube Delta near the Peuce Island, present-day Tulcea County, Romania. It was fought between the Bulgars of Asparuh of Bulgaria, who had recently invaded the Balkans, and the Byzantine Empire, which ultimately lost the battle. The battle was crucial for the creation of the First Bulgarian Empire.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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

Commanders (2)