Mieszko I, a duke of the
Piast Dynasty, becomes prince (de facto ruler) of
Poland on the death of his father
Siemomysł. Mieszko continues to subdue the neighbouring tribes under his control. Two obstacles to this plan are the
Western Slav tribal group, the
Veleti (also known as the Wilzi or "Wolf people") who are raiding Mieszko's lands for plunder; and the
Saxon border dukes, who are pushing eastwards in search of new lands to conquer.[2]
Harald Bluetooth, king of
Denmark, consolidates his rule over
Jutland and
Zealand. He adopts
Christianity, erecting a
carved stone at
Jelling to honour his parents. It features a runic inscription (best-known in Denmark) and an image of
Christ surrounded by interlace. The other
Scandinavian kingdoms slowly convert to Christianity (approximate date).
Autumn –
Oberto I, margrave of the
Obertenghi family, takes refuge in
Germany. He travels with influential Italian leaders to the Saxon court of Otto I to intervene in
Italy to protect him from Berengar II.
February 4 – The
Song Dynasty is established at
Kaifeng by the 33-year-old military leader
Zhao Kuangyin. He begins to unify the empire by conquering other lands and becomes the first emperor, called as Taizu of Song. The Song Dynasty will rule northern
China for over 300 years (until
1279).
Summer – Otto I leads an expeditionary force into northern
Italy through the
Brenner Pass at
Trento, to assist the beleaguered young Pope
John XII. He proceeds towards
Pavia – King
Berengar II sends his son and co-ruler
Adalbert II from
Rome at the head of a large army to seize control of the
Upper Adige and contest Otto's entry.
The
Lombard army under Adalbert II refuses to fight Otto I unless Berengar II abdicates in favor of Adalbert. Berengar refuses, and the armies retreat to their strongholds. Berengar and his family take whatever loyal soldiers remain and disperse themselves – Berengar retreats to the fortress at
Montefeltro (in the
Pentapolis).
Armenia
King
Ashot III of Armenia (the Merciful) moves his capital from
Kars eastward to
Ani (modern
Turkey). Located on a major east-west
caravan route, Ani will become larger than any European city, with a population of about 100,000 that will rival
Baghdad,
Cairo, and Constantinople. Ani also becomes the site of the royal
mausoleum of the
Bagratuni kings.[4]
December –
Arab–Byzantine wars –
Sack of Aleppo: A Byzantine expeditionary force under General
Nikephoros Phokas invades northern
Syria, and sacks
Aleppo, capital of the
Hamdanid emir
Sayf al-Dawla. In late December Aleppo is taken by storm, with the population killed or enslaved; the city is razed. The Byzantine army takes possession of 390,000 silver
dinars, 2,000 camels and 1,400 mules.
Otto I proceeds to lay siege to
Lake Garda, where the sons of Berengar II,
Guy of Ivrea and
Adalbert II (co-ruler of Italy), and their supporters are holed up. Finding severe resistance, Otto gives up the enterprise and returns to
Pavia, the capital of
Lombardy.
Fall – Otto I receives news that John XII has betrayed him and entered into intrigues with Berengar II, but also with the
Byzantine Empire. The letters are intercepted by
Pandulf I (Ironhead), Lombard prince of Benevento.
November – Otto arrives at
Rome; Pope
John XII and
Adalbert II (co-ruler of
Italy) flee to
Campania, taking with them most of the Papal treasury. Otto is warmly received by the Roman citizens as 'liberator'.
December – King
Berengar II (the father of Adalbert II) surrenders at the fortress of
Montefeltro to German forces. He and his wife
Willa are taken prisoner, and dispatched to
Bamberg.
The Chinese government of the
Song Dynasty attempts to ban the practice of
cremation; despite this decree, the lower and middle classes continue to cremate their dead, until the government resolves the problem in the
12th century, by establishing public
graveyards for
paupers.
The
Nanping State, one of the
Ten Kingdoms in south-central
China, is forced to surrender, when invaded by armies of the Song Dynasty.
December 6 – Pope
Leo VIII is appointed to the office of
Protonotary and begins his papacy as
antipope of Rome – a reign with the concurrently deposed John XII.
October 24–
25 –
Siege of Rometta: Nikephoros II sends an expedition to
Sicily. The Byzantine army (40,000 men) is sent to break the Muslim siege at
Rometta, and to regain Sicily for the
Byzantine Empire. For two days a battle takes place in the area between the beach and the besieged citadel of Rometta. The
Saracens (under
Al-Hasan ibn Ammar) manage to defeat the Byzantine relief force.
Europe
Spring – King
Adalbert II returns to the mainland of
Italy, and occupies the environs of
Spoleto. Emperor
Otto I ('the Great') leaves
Rome with his army, and lays
siege to the fortress city of
Spoleto.
Otto I proceeds on campaign in Italy, remaining in the environs of
Lucca. In the fall he leaves plague-wracked
Tuscany, and is forced to retreat to
Liguria. His rearguard is attacked by Adalbert II.
By topic
Religion
February – Pope
John XII returns with his supporters to Rome. He convenes a synod that deposes Antipope
Leo VIII who finds refuge at the court of Otto I. John dispatches a delegation under
Otgar, bishop of
Speyer, to negotiate an agreement.
May 14 –
Pope John XII dies (rumoured to be by apoplexy, or at the hands of a cuckolded husband, during an illicit sexual liaison) after a 9-year reign. The Romans elect
Benedict V, who is acclaimed by the city militia. He begins his
pontificate as the 131st
pope of the
Catholic Church.
June 23 – Benedict V is deposed and ecclesiastically degraded after Otto I besieges Rome. He starves the Romans into submission and restores Leo VIII to the papal
throne.
Spring – King
Lothair III exploits the succession crisis in
Flanders and captures many cities, but is eventually repulsed by the supporters of
Arnulf II — the son of
Baldwin III and former co-ruler of Flanders. Lothair attempts to increase his influence in
Lotharingia, once held by the
Carolingian dynasty. Emperor
Otto I (the Great) encourages resistance to Lothair's overtures.[12]
The
Khazar fortress city of
Sarkel, located on the Lower
Don River, is captured by
Kievan Rus' under Grand Prince
Sviatoslav I. The city is renamed Belaya Vezha (White Fortress) and settled by
Slavs.
April 14 –
Mieszko I, first duke and prince of
Poland, is
baptized a
Christian, which is usually considered the
foundation of the Polish state. Mieszko's baptism, under the influence of his wife
Dobrawa, brings his territories into the community of Christian countries. The lands ruled by Mieszko cover about 250,000 km², and are inhabited by about 1,2 million people around this time.[15]
Fall – Otto I departs for a third expedition in Italy and fights in
Lombardy against the partisans under
Adalbert II of Ivrea. In November an imperial counter-coup in
Rome takes control of
Castel Sant'Angelo.
Winter – Otto I enters Rome and has the twelve principal militia leaders (the Decarcones) hanged. Other plotters of the coup are either executed or blinded. Otto is declared 'liberator of the Church'.
February 9 –
Ono no Michikaze (Ono no Tōfū), Japanese
calligrapher, dies after having established the foundations of the 'Waystyle' of calligraphy while serving the imperial court at
Heian-kyō (modern-day
Kyoto).
Spring – Emperor
Otto I (the Great) calls for a council at
Rome, to present the new government under Pope
John XIII. He asserts his rights in the city, and insists on the occasional presence of an imperial
judge, alongside the
papal court. The era of Roman independence is over.
Grado becomes the patriarchal and metropolitan church of the whole of the
Veneto.[18]
Otto I dispatches an imperial delegation (led by a Venetian named Domenico) to
Constantinople with assurances of his friendship and a request for Princess
Theophano (a daughter of the late Emperor
Romanos II) for his 12-year-old son
Otto II. As
dowry Otto demands the
Byzantine holdings in southern Italy.
The imperial delegation arrives in
Macedonia, but goes nowhere with Nikephoros II. Far from offering
Byzantine Italy as dowry for Theophano, Nikephoros refuses to accept the claims of Otto I.
Otto I renews the imperial treaty with
Pietro IV Candiano, doge of
Venice. He grants him commercial privileges, and protection for Venetian citizens (also the possessions of Venetian bishops).
Winter – Otto I returns to Rome. On
Christmas day, John XIII crowns Otto II as co-emperor of the
Holy Roman Empire. Although Otto II is nominated as co-ruler, he exercises no real authority.[20]
July 5 – Emperor
Murakami dies after a 21-year reign. He is succeeded by his 17-year-old son
Reizei, who is insane and becomes the 63rd emperor of
Japan.
By topic
Religion
Otto I completes and dedicates a
new cathedral at
Magdeburg in
Saxony. Like other imperial churches of the period, it includes a
westwork – a structure attached to the entrance wall and outfitted with galleries. Otto makes Magdeburg a base for
missionary efforts to convert the
Slavs to the east. The patron saint of the city is
Mauritius, who, as a military leader fighting for
Christianity against pagan armies, shares affinities with Otto himself.
Emperor
Nikephoros II receives a Bulgarian embassy led by Prince
Boris (the son of Tsar
Peter I of Bulgaria), with a plea for help against the invading
Kievan Rus'. Nikephoros, occupied in the East, is unable to support him. Instead he sends envoys to summon the
Pechenegs to aid Boris. They
besiege Kiev, but Grand Prince
Sviatoslav I (on campaign in Bulgaria) returns with a Kievan relief force, and defeats the Pechenegs. He drives them out into the
Steppe, and sets up
viceroys to rule his Rus' territory.[22]
Europe
Spring – Emperor
Otto I (the Great) travels to
Capua to meet there with
ambassadors of Nikephoros II, who again reiterate their friendship, but refuse to consent to his
dowry demands (see
967). Otto invades the Byzantine
Theme of Langobardia with a
Lombard expeditionary force. With the assistance of
Benevento-
Capua and naval support from
Pisa, Otto attempts to take
Bari by assault, but Byzantine resistance is stiff, and Otto withdraws back to
Ravenna.
Battle of Silistra: A Kievan army (60,000 men) led by Sviatoslav I crosses the
Lower Danube and defeats the Bulgarians at
Silistra. He occupies most of the
Dobruja by seizing 80 fortresses in northeastern Bulgaria. They are looted and destroyed but not permanently occupied. During the winter, Sviatoslav transfers the capital from Kiev to
Pereyaslavets.
Pandulf I (Ironhead), a Lombard prince, takes over the territory of Benevento and Capua after the death of his brother
Landulf III. He appoints his son
Landulf IV as co-prince of Benevento, and disinherits
Pandulf II (a son of Landulf III) as lord of
Sant'Agata (located northeast of
Naples).
Peter I, emperor (tsar) of the
Bulgarian Empire, suffers a
stroke and abdicates the throne in favour of his eldest son
Boris II. He arrives (after being an honorary
hostage at Constantinople) in
Preslav and is proclaimed as the new ruler. Boris regains lost territory from the
Kievan Rus' and recaptures
Pereyaslavets, an important trade city at the mouth of the
Danube.[25]
Summer – Grand Prince
Sviatoslav I invades Bulgaria at the head of a Kievan army, which includes
Pecheneg and
Hungarian auxiliary forces. He defeats the Bulgarians in a major battle and retakes Pereyaslavets. Boris II capitulates and impales 300 Bulgarian
boyars for disloyalty. Sviatoslav assigns garrisons to the conquered fortresses in Northern Bulgaria.[26]
Pandulf Ironhead, duke of
Benevento and
Capua, leads the siege of
Bovino. He is captured by the Byzantines and taken in chains to
Bari, and jailed in Constantinople. Neapolitan forces under
Marinus II, duke of
Naples, invade Benevento-Capua, capture the city of
Avellino and then lay siege to
Capua.[27]
Otto I 'the Great', Holy Roman Emperor, assembles a large expeditionary force at
Pavia, joined by
Spoletan troops. He counter-attacks, relieves the siege of Capua and devastates the area around Naples. Otto enters Benevento, where he is received as 'liberator' by
Landulf IV and in the cities of
Apulia (Southern
Italy).
^Romane, Julian (2015). Byzantium Triumphant. Barnsley: Pen and Sword Books. p. 5.
ISBN978-1473845701.
^Richard Brzezinski (1998). History of Poland: Old Poland, King Mieszko I, p. 14.
ISBN83-7212-019-6.
^Romane, Julian (2015). Byzantine Triumphant. Barnsley: Pen and Sword Books. p. 6.
ISBN978-1473845701.
^Manuk-Khaloyan, Armen (2013). "In the Cemetery of their Ancestors: The Royal Burial Tombs of the Bagratuni Kings of Greater Armenia (890–1073/79)". Revue des Études Arméniennes: pp. 147–155.
^Timothy Reuter (1999). The New Cambridge Medieval History, Volume III, p. 248.
ISBN978-0-521-36447-8.
^W. Treadgold. A History of the Byzantine State and Society, p. 948.
^W. Treadgold. A History of the Byzantine state and Society, p. 948.
^Jim Bradbury (2007). The Capetians: Kings of France, 987–1328, p. 43 (London: Hambledon Continuum).
^Richard Brzezinski (1998). History of Poland: Old Poland, King Mieszko I, p. 15.
ISBN83-7212-019-6.
^Jim Bradbury (2007). The Capetians: Kings of France, 987–1328, p. 42 (London: Hambledon Continuum).
^Richard Brzezinski (1998). History of Poland: Old Poland, King Mieszko I, p. 15.
ISBN83-7212-019-6.
^Bóna, Istvá (2000). The Hungarians and Europe in the 9th-10th centuries. Budapest: Historia - MTA Történettudományi Intézete, p. 34.
ISBN963-8312-67-X.
^Steven Runciman (1987). A History of the Crusades, Vol. 1. The First Crusade, p. 30 (Cambridge University Press).
^The Papacy: An Encyclopedia, Ed. Philippe Levillain, p. 841 (Routledge, 2002).
^W. Treadgold. A History of the Byzantine State and Society, p. 509.
^Reuter, Timothy (1991). Germany in the Early Middle Ages: 800–1056. Addison Wesley Longman.
ISBN978-0-582-49034-5.
^Reuter, Timothy (1999). The New Cambridge Medieval History, Volume III, p. 584.
ISBN978-0-521-36447-8.
^Gay, Jules (1904). L'Italie méridionale et l'empire Byzantin: Livre II. New York: Burt Franklin.
^Brett, Michael (2002). "The Fatimid Revolution (861-973) and its aftermath in North Africa". The Cambridge History of Africa, Vol. 2 ed. J. D. Fage; Roland Anthony Oliver. Cambridge University Press. p. 622.
Mieszko I, a duke of the
Piast Dynasty, becomes prince (de facto ruler) of
Poland on the death of his father
Siemomysł. Mieszko continues to subdue the neighbouring tribes under his control. Two obstacles to this plan are the
Western Slav tribal group, the
Veleti (also known as the Wilzi or "Wolf people") who are raiding Mieszko's lands for plunder; and the
Saxon border dukes, who are pushing eastwards in search of new lands to conquer.[2]
Harald Bluetooth, king of
Denmark, consolidates his rule over
Jutland and
Zealand. He adopts
Christianity, erecting a
carved stone at
Jelling to honour his parents. It features a runic inscription (best-known in Denmark) and an image of
Christ surrounded by interlace. The other
Scandinavian kingdoms slowly convert to Christianity (approximate date).
Autumn –
Oberto I, margrave of the
Obertenghi family, takes refuge in
Germany. He travels with influential Italian leaders to the Saxon court of Otto I to intervene in
Italy to protect him from Berengar II.
February 4 – The
Song Dynasty is established at
Kaifeng by the 33-year-old military leader
Zhao Kuangyin. He begins to unify the empire by conquering other lands and becomes the first emperor, called as Taizu of Song. The Song Dynasty will rule northern
China for over 300 years (until
1279).
Summer – Otto I leads an expeditionary force into northern
Italy through the
Brenner Pass at
Trento, to assist the beleaguered young Pope
John XII. He proceeds towards
Pavia – King
Berengar II sends his son and co-ruler
Adalbert II from
Rome at the head of a large army to seize control of the
Upper Adige and contest Otto's entry.
The
Lombard army under Adalbert II refuses to fight Otto I unless Berengar II abdicates in favor of Adalbert. Berengar refuses, and the armies retreat to their strongholds. Berengar and his family take whatever loyal soldiers remain and disperse themselves – Berengar retreats to the fortress at
Montefeltro (in the
Pentapolis).
Armenia
King
Ashot III of Armenia (the Merciful) moves his capital from
Kars eastward to
Ani (modern
Turkey). Located on a major east-west
caravan route, Ani will become larger than any European city, with a population of about 100,000 that will rival
Baghdad,
Cairo, and Constantinople. Ani also becomes the site of the royal
mausoleum of the
Bagratuni kings.[4]
December –
Arab–Byzantine wars –
Sack of Aleppo: A Byzantine expeditionary force under General
Nikephoros Phokas invades northern
Syria, and sacks
Aleppo, capital of the
Hamdanid emir
Sayf al-Dawla. In late December Aleppo is taken by storm, with the population killed or enslaved; the city is razed. The Byzantine army takes possession of 390,000 silver
dinars, 2,000 camels and 1,400 mules.
Otto I proceeds to lay siege to
Lake Garda, where the sons of Berengar II,
Guy of Ivrea and
Adalbert II (co-ruler of Italy), and their supporters are holed up. Finding severe resistance, Otto gives up the enterprise and returns to
Pavia, the capital of
Lombardy.
Fall – Otto I receives news that John XII has betrayed him and entered into intrigues with Berengar II, but also with the
Byzantine Empire. The letters are intercepted by
Pandulf I (Ironhead), Lombard prince of Benevento.
November – Otto arrives at
Rome; Pope
John XII and
Adalbert II (co-ruler of
Italy) flee to
Campania, taking with them most of the Papal treasury. Otto is warmly received by the Roman citizens as 'liberator'.
December – King
Berengar II (the father of Adalbert II) surrenders at the fortress of
Montefeltro to German forces. He and his wife
Willa are taken prisoner, and dispatched to
Bamberg.
The Chinese government of the
Song Dynasty attempts to ban the practice of
cremation; despite this decree, the lower and middle classes continue to cremate their dead, until the government resolves the problem in the
12th century, by establishing public
graveyards for
paupers.
The
Nanping State, one of the
Ten Kingdoms in south-central
China, is forced to surrender, when invaded by armies of the Song Dynasty.
December 6 – Pope
Leo VIII is appointed to the office of
Protonotary and begins his papacy as
antipope of Rome – a reign with the concurrently deposed John XII.
October 24–
25 –
Siege of Rometta: Nikephoros II sends an expedition to
Sicily. The Byzantine army (40,000 men) is sent to break the Muslim siege at
Rometta, and to regain Sicily for the
Byzantine Empire. For two days a battle takes place in the area between the beach and the besieged citadel of Rometta. The
Saracens (under
Al-Hasan ibn Ammar) manage to defeat the Byzantine relief force.
Europe
Spring – King
Adalbert II returns to the mainland of
Italy, and occupies the environs of
Spoleto. Emperor
Otto I ('the Great') leaves
Rome with his army, and lays
siege to the fortress city of
Spoleto.
Otto I proceeds on campaign in Italy, remaining in the environs of
Lucca. In the fall he leaves plague-wracked
Tuscany, and is forced to retreat to
Liguria. His rearguard is attacked by Adalbert II.
By topic
Religion
February – Pope
John XII returns with his supporters to Rome. He convenes a synod that deposes Antipope
Leo VIII who finds refuge at the court of Otto I. John dispatches a delegation under
Otgar, bishop of
Speyer, to negotiate an agreement.
May 14 –
Pope John XII dies (rumoured to be by apoplexy, or at the hands of a cuckolded husband, during an illicit sexual liaison) after a 9-year reign. The Romans elect
Benedict V, who is acclaimed by the city militia. He begins his
pontificate as the 131st
pope of the
Catholic Church.
June 23 – Benedict V is deposed and ecclesiastically degraded after Otto I besieges Rome. He starves the Romans into submission and restores Leo VIII to the papal
throne.
Spring – King
Lothair III exploits the succession crisis in
Flanders and captures many cities, but is eventually repulsed by the supporters of
Arnulf II — the son of
Baldwin III and former co-ruler of Flanders. Lothair attempts to increase his influence in
Lotharingia, once held by the
Carolingian dynasty. Emperor
Otto I (the Great) encourages resistance to Lothair's overtures.[12]
The
Khazar fortress city of
Sarkel, located on the Lower
Don River, is captured by
Kievan Rus' under Grand Prince
Sviatoslav I. The city is renamed Belaya Vezha (White Fortress) and settled by
Slavs.
April 14 –
Mieszko I, first duke and prince of
Poland, is
baptized a
Christian, which is usually considered the
foundation of the Polish state. Mieszko's baptism, under the influence of his wife
Dobrawa, brings his territories into the community of Christian countries. The lands ruled by Mieszko cover about 250,000 km², and are inhabited by about 1,2 million people around this time.[15]
Fall – Otto I departs for a third expedition in Italy and fights in
Lombardy against the partisans under
Adalbert II of Ivrea. In November an imperial counter-coup in
Rome takes control of
Castel Sant'Angelo.
Winter – Otto I enters Rome and has the twelve principal militia leaders (the Decarcones) hanged. Other plotters of the coup are either executed or blinded. Otto is declared 'liberator of the Church'.
February 9 –
Ono no Michikaze (Ono no Tōfū), Japanese
calligrapher, dies after having established the foundations of the 'Waystyle' of calligraphy while serving the imperial court at
Heian-kyō (modern-day
Kyoto).
Spring – Emperor
Otto I (the Great) calls for a council at
Rome, to present the new government under Pope
John XIII. He asserts his rights in the city, and insists on the occasional presence of an imperial
judge, alongside the
papal court. The era of Roman independence is over.
Grado becomes the patriarchal and metropolitan church of the whole of the
Veneto.[18]
Otto I dispatches an imperial delegation (led by a Venetian named Domenico) to
Constantinople with assurances of his friendship and a request for Princess
Theophano (a daughter of the late Emperor
Romanos II) for his 12-year-old son
Otto II. As
dowry Otto demands the
Byzantine holdings in southern Italy.
The imperial delegation arrives in
Macedonia, but goes nowhere with Nikephoros II. Far from offering
Byzantine Italy as dowry for Theophano, Nikephoros refuses to accept the claims of Otto I.
Otto I renews the imperial treaty with
Pietro IV Candiano, doge of
Venice. He grants him commercial privileges, and protection for Venetian citizens (also the possessions of Venetian bishops).
Winter – Otto I returns to Rome. On
Christmas day, John XIII crowns Otto II as co-emperor of the
Holy Roman Empire. Although Otto II is nominated as co-ruler, he exercises no real authority.[20]
July 5 – Emperor
Murakami dies after a 21-year reign. He is succeeded by his 17-year-old son
Reizei, who is insane and becomes the 63rd emperor of
Japan.
By topic
Religion
Otto I completes and dedicates a
new cathedral at
Magdeburg in
Saxony. Like other imperial churches of the period, it includes a
westwork – a structure attached to the entrance wall and outfitted with galleries. Otto makes Magdeburg a base for
missionary efforts to convert the
Slavs to the east. The patron saint of the city is
Mauritius, who, as a military leader fighting for
Christianity against pagan armies, shares affinities with Otto himself.
Emperor
Nikephoros II receives a Bulgarian embassy led by Prince
Boris (the son of Tsar
Peter I of Bulgaria), with a plea for help against the invading
Kievan Rus'. Nikephoros, occupied in the East, is unable to support him. Instead he sends envoys to summon the
Pechenegs to aid Boris. They
besiege Kiev, but Grand Prince
Sviatoslav I (on campaign in Bulgaria) returns with a Kievan relief force, and defeats the Pechenegs. He drives them out into the
Steppe, and sets up
viceroys to rule his Rus' territory.[22]
Europe
Spring – Emperor
Otto I (the Great) travels to
Capua to meet there with
ambassadors of Nikephoros II, who again reiterate their friendship, but refuse to consent to his
dowry demands (see
967). Otto invades the Byzantine
Theme of Langobardia with a
Lombard expeditionary force. With the assistance of
Benevento-
Capua and naval support from
Pisa, Otto attempts to take
Bari by assault, but Byzantine resistance is stiff, and Otto withdraws back to
Ravenna.
Battle of Silistra: A Kievan army (60,000 men) led by Sviatoslav I crosses the
Lower Danube and defeats the Bulgarians at
Silistra. He occupies most of the
Dobruja by seizing 80 fortresses in northeastern Bulgaria. They are looted and destroyed but not permanently occupied. During the winter, Sviatoslav transfers the capital from Kiev to
Pereyaslavets.
Pandulf I (Ironhead), a Lombard prince, takes over the territory of Benevento and Capua after the death of his brother
Landulf III. He appoints his son
Landulf IV as co-prince of Benevento, and disinherits
Pandulf II (a son of Landulf III) as lord of
Sant'Agata (located northeast of
Naples).
Peter I, emperor (tsar) of the
Bulgarian Empire, suffers a
stroke and abdicates the throne in favour of his eldest son
Boris II. He arrives (after being an honorary
hostage at Constantinople) in
Preslav and is proclaimed as the new ruler. Boris regains lost territory from the
Kievan Rus' and recaptures
Pereyaslavets, an important trade city at the mouth of the
Danube.[25]
Summer – Grand Prince
Sviatoslav I invades Bulgaria at the head of a Kievan army, which includes
Pecheneg and
Hungarian auxiliary forces. He defeats the Bulgarians in a major battle and retakes Pereyaslavets. Boris II capitulates and impales 300 Bulgarian
boyars for disloyalty. Sviatoslav assigns garrisons to the conquered fortresses in Northern Bulgaria.[26]
Pandulf Ironhead, duke of
Benevento and
Capua, leads the siege of
Bovino. He is captured by the Byzantines and taken in chains to
Bari, and jailed in Constantinople. Neapolitan forces under
Marinus II, duke of
Naples, invade Benevento-Capua, capture the city of
Avellino and then lay siege to
Capua.[27]
Otto I 'the Great', Holy Roman Emperor, assembles a large expeditionary force at
Pavia, joined by
Spoletan troops. He counter-attacks, relieves the siege of Capua and devastates the area around Naples. Otto enters Benevento, where he is received as 'liberator' by
Landulf IV and in the cities of
Apulia (Southern
Italy).
^Romane, Julian (2015). Byzantium Triumphant. Barnsley: Pen and Sword Books. p. 5.
ISBN978-1473845701.
^Richard Brzezinski (1998). History of Poland: Old Poland, King Mieszko I, p. 14.
ISBN83-7212-019-6.
^Romane, Julian (2015). Byzantine Triumphant. Barnsley: Pen and Sword Books. p. 6.
ISBN978-1473845701.
^Manuk-Khaloyan, Armen (2013). "In the Cemetery of their Ancestors: The Royal Burial Tombs of the Bagratuni Kings of Greater Armenia (890–1073/79)". Revue des Études Arméniennes: pp. 147–155.
^Timothy Reuter (1999). The New Cambridge Medieval History, Volume III, p. 248.
ISBN978-0-521-36447-8.
^W. Treadgold. A History of the Byzantine State and Society, p. 948.
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^Jim Bradbury (2007). The Capetians: Kings of France, 987–1328, p. 43 (London: Hambledon Continuum).
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^Jim Bradbury (2007). The Capetians: Kings of France, 987–1328, p. 42 (London: Hambledon Continuum).
^Richard Brzezinski (1998). History of Poland: Old Poland, King Mieszko I, p. 15.
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^Bóna, Istvá (2000). The Hungarians and Europe in the 9th-10th centuries. Budapest: Historia - MTA Történettudományi Intézete, p. 34.
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^Steven Runciman (1987). A History of the Crusades, Vol. 1. The First Crusade, p. 30 (Cambridge University Press).
^The Papacy: An Encyclopedia, Ed. Philippe Levillain, p. 841 (Routledge, 2002).
^W. Treadgold. A History of the Byzantine State and Society, p. 509.
^Reuter, Timothy (1991). Germany in the Early Middle Ages: 800–1056. Addison Wesley Longman.
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^Reuter, Timothy (1999). The New Cambridge Medieval History, Volume III, p. 584.
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^Gay, Jules (1904). L'Italie méridionale et l'empire Byzantin: Livre II. New York: Burt Franklin.
^Brett, Michael (2002). "The Fatimid Revolution (861-973) and its aftermath in North Africa". The Cambridge History of Africa, Vol. 2 ed. J. D. Fage; Roland Anthony Oliver. Cambridge University Press. p. 622.