Battle of Beroia (1122)

The battle of Beroia was according to the chronicler Niketas Choniates “one of the most frightful & terrifying battles ever fought.” It was 1122AD – Barbarian Pechenegs had crossed the Danube into Roman territory. John II Komnenos, like his father before him, now had to fight the nomads. The Romans thus set out for war!

The battle of Beroia, where the Varangians were decisive.

John Komnenos was not an Emperor who sat idly in the palace, he frequently left Constantinople with his army to implement his will. After succeeding the legendary Alexios Komnenos he began campaigning against the Empire’s enemies as soon as he had stabilized his rule. After a successful offensive in Anatolia against the Seljuks, John had to march to Bulgaria to deal another enemy!

An Emperor gathering his army outside the walls of Constantinople

He marched to the Balkans not to fight the Bulgarians, who had been subjugated by Basil II, but the nomad Pechenegs. A lot was at stake here. The Pechenegs had done serious harm to the Romans in the past century, and if they were allowed to embed themselves in the Balkans once more it could become a huge strategic issue for the Romans. John had plans in the east, and thus he needed to secure the western half of his realm.

When picturing this Pecheneg horde it is important to remember nomad tactics were some of the most effective in medieval warfare. Horse archers were very successful against Roman armies. This was inevitable going to be a tough battle. But the Emperor was not afraid, and John set out from Constantinople with his army, and he made sure he brought a contingent of Varangians.

Pechenegs and other Steppe nomads were highly effective warriors.

When arriving in the vicinity, the Emperor began implementing his strategies. First, he used diplomacy. According to Choniates, the Emperor sent diplomats with gifts. But “while diverting the attention of the Pechenegs with such bait, he knew he must not delay in bringing his forces intact battle array before the chiefs could make up their minds…” Hope for peace but prepare for war.

The barbarians were allegedly overconfident because of previous victories over the Romans. Although, Alexios had also defeated them before. Overall, the Pechenegs had a good record of war against the Romans. It is possible the Pecheneg chiefs received gifts from John and took it as a sign that he did not want to fight, or was afraid of them. Instead of waiting for the barbarians to start the battle John decided to test their confidence and sent his forces in to engage in what Choniates labeled as “one of the most frightful and terrifying battles ever fought.”

A Roman / Byzantine army advancing in formation. The Komnenian army was highly effective.

Choniates tells us that the Pechenegs fought bravely with “cavalry charges, discharges of missiles, and war cries.” John was active managing the battle: “The Emperor, escorted by his companions and bodyguards, provided assistance all the while to his beleaguered troops.” The Romans were winning, at a high cost, men were falling to the hails of arrows.

As the Romans sustained their disciplined pressure the Pechenegs decided to fall back to a circle of wagons they had formed as makeshift fortification. This allowed the nomads to have a safe place to retreat to, but also to sally out with cavalry charges and shoot arrows from. The Roman army was at a halt and unable to advance…The Pechenegs could fire on them, but they could not easily land a blow on them in hand-to-hand combat.

Moments like this require leadership, and John II Komnenos stepped in to provide it! The Emperor “devised a cunning plan for his troops; not only was he a valiant and a cunning tactician by nature but he was also the first to execute the instructions he gave his generals and soldiers.” The wagons had to be overcome.

John Komnenos was a leader who the men of the Roman army wanted to follow, and trusted his orders.

The Emperor looked upon an icon of the Theotokos, seeking the wisdom of his protector, as he devised a plan. Then he called up the Varangians! “Taking with him his bodyguards, who were armed with long shields, and single-edged axes, John went forth like an unbreakable wall to meet the Pechenegs.” They could demolish the wagon-wall.

Varangian battle charge, the Varangians were elite shock troops in the Roman army.

The Varangians hacked the wagons apart then the Roman soldiers quickly overran the Pechenegs. It was a bloodbath as the Romans poured in to their camp. “The wagon folk fell by the thousands, and their palisaded camps were seized as plunder. The captives were beyond number.” The strengths of the horse archers now were nullified. The wagon walls hindered their mobility as the Romans, experts in close combat, swarmed into their camp.

The battle of Beroia was among the best battles of the 12th century Komnenian Roman army. John Komnenos did very well as a general here, and his soldiers implemented his tactics perfectly.

John, as was typical of Roman Emperors, recruited some of the survivors: “Eager to defect to our side…not a few were enrolled as allied forces, and many captured divisions were assigned to the army.” But there was one last thing John needed to do!

Many prisoners were captured by the Romans.

“John, having achieved such a glorious victory over the Pechenegs, raised a huge trophy and offered prayers to God and, as remembrance and thanksgiving for these deeds, established what we today call the festival of the Pechenegs.”

John Komnenos was a pious Roman Emperor. He identified with the Theotokos strongly, as did some other Emperors like Basil II. His mosaic shows the Mother of God in a central prominent place for this reason.

SOURCES:

O City of Byzantium: Annals of Niketas Choniates