Byzantine–Bulgarian war of 913–927 in the context of "Krum's dynasty"

The Battle of Pegae (Bulgarian: битка при Пиги, Greek: Μάχη των Πηγαίων) was fought between 11 and 18 March 921 in the outskirts of Constantinople between the forces of the Bulgarian Empire and the Byzantine Empire during the Byzantine–Bulgarian war of 913–927. The battle took place in a locality called Pegae (i.e. "the spring"), named after the nearby Church of St. Mary of the Spring. The Byzantine lines collapsed at the very first Bulgarian attack and their commanders fled the battlefield. In the subsequent rout most Byzantine soldiers were killed by the sword, drowned or were captured.

In 922 the Bulgarians continued their successful campaigns in Byzantine Thrace, capturing a number of towns and fortresses, including Adrianople, Thrace's most important city, and Bizye. In June 922 they engaged and defeated yet another Byzantine army at Constantinople, confirming the Bulgarian domination of the Balkans. However, Constantinople itself remained outside their reach, because Bulgaria lacked the naval power to launch a successful siege. The attempts of the Bulgarian emperor Simeon I to negotiate a joint Bulgarian–Arab assault on the city with the Fatimids were uncovered by the Byzantine and countered.

The siege of Constantinople was fought in June 922 at the outskirts of the capital of the Byzantine Empire, Constantinople, between the forces of the First Bulgarian Empire and the Byzantines during the Byzantine–Bulgarian war of 913–927. In the summer the Byzantine Emperor Romanos I Lekapenos sent troops under the commander Saktikios to repel another Bulgarian raid at the outskirts of the Byzantine capital. The Byzantines stormed the Bulgarian camp but were defeated when they confronted the main Bulgarian forces. During his flight from the battlefield Saktikios was mortally wounded and died the following night.

The Bulgarians, who by 922 were in control of most of the Balkans, continued to ravage the Byzantine countryside virtually unopposed. However, they lacked the maritime power to conduct a successful siege of Constantinople. The subsequent attempts to negotiate a Bulgarian–Arab alliance for a joint assault of Constantinople were discovered by the Byzantines and successfully countered. The strategic situation in the Balkans remained unchanged until both sides signed a peace treaty in 927, which recognized the imperial title of the Bulgarian monarchs and the complete independence of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church as an autocephalous Patriarchate.

The Bulgarian–Serbian wars of 917–924 (Bulgarian: Българо–сръбски войни от 917–924) were a series of conflicts fought between the Bulgarian Empire and the Principality of Serbia as a part of the greater Byzantine–Bulgarian war of 913–927. After the Byzantine army was annihilated by the Bulgarians in the battle of Achelous, the Byzantine diplomacy incited the Principality of Serbia to attack Bulgaria from the west. The Bulgarians dealt with that threat and replaced the Serbian prince with a protégé of their own. In the following years the two empires competed for control over Serbia. In 924 the Serbs rose again, ambushed and defeated a small Bulgarian army. That turn of events provoked a major retaliatory campaign that ended with the annexation of Serbia in the end of the same year.

The Aheloy (Bulgarian: Ахелой), also known as the Achelous, is a river in eastern Bulgaria. It is 40 km long. The river is famous for being the site of the Battle of Achelous that took place on 20 August 917 between Bulgarian ruler Simeon I and the Byzantines under Leo Phocas during the Byzantine–Bulgarian war of 913–927. It was one of the largest battles in the Middle Ages and among the greatest military successes of the First Bulgarian Empire.

The main stem is the Arnautska reka, which springs from the Aytoska Planina division of the eastern Balkan Mountains east of the village of Dryankovets. The river proper is formed from the confluence of the Arnautska reka with the Mangarska reka at an altitude of 166 m, about three kilometers east of the village of Belodol. The Aheloy flows eastwards in a wide alluvial valley until the village of Aleksandrovo, where it turns southeast for the remainder of its length. It flows into the Gulf of Burgas of the Black Sea near a campsite some 1.2 km south of the town of Aheloy.

The Byzantine–Bulgarian Treaty of 927 was peace treaty between Bulgarian Empire and Byzantine Empire of 927 was a significant agreement that concluded a decade-long war between the two empires. It was signed in 927, marking the end of hostilities and ushering in a period of relative peace and stability in the region. The treaty was a testament to the diplomatic efforts of both sides, particularly the Bulgarian Emperor Peter I and the Byzantine Emperor Romanos I Lekapenos.

The treaty had several important provisions. Firstly, it formally recognized the title of "Emperor" (Tsar, and/or Basileus) for the Bulgarian monarch, a significant concession from Byzantine Empire, which had previously only acknowledged the title of "Archon" for Bulgarian rulers. This recognition affirmed Bulgaria's status as an independent and equal power in the region. Secondly, the treaty established the Bulgarian Orthodox Church as an independent Patriarchate, further solidifying Bulgaria's autonomy and cultural identity. This was a major achievement for the Empire, who had long sought religious independence from Constantinople.

The following is a list of patriarchs of All Bulgaria, heads of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church was recognized as an autocephalous archbishopric in 870. In 918 or 919 the Bulgarian monarch Simeon I (r.  893–927) summoned a church council to raise the Bulgarian Archbishopric to a completely independent patriarchate. With the Byzantine–Bulgarian Treaty of 927, which affirmed the victory of the First Bulgarian Empire over the Byzantine Empire in the War of 913–927, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople recognized the Bulgarian Patriarchate.