In 997, a surprise midnight river crossing ended a decade of Bulgarian expansion
After a decade of relentless conquest, the Bulgarian Empire's expansion was halted in a single night when a Byzantine general led his troops across a flooded river to catch the invaders off guard.
In 997, the Bulgarian Tsar Samuel appeared unstoppable as his armies pillaged deep into Greece. Confident behind the rain-swollen Spercheios River, the Bulgarians failed to set a proper watch, believing the waters impassable. Byzantine general Nikephoros Ouranos discovered a ford upstream and led his troops across in the dead of night.
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