Atlas of Battles

battle, major, medieval

Battle of Anchialus

Battle of Anchialus was a battle fought in AD 708 at Pomorie, in what is now Bulgaria. It was part of the Byzantine–Bulgarian Wars, which ran from AD 680 to 1355. The recorded result: Bulgarian victory. Recorded strength: Unknown against Unknown.

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Battle of Anchialus (708)
Battle of Anchialus (708). Kandi, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
FoughtAD 708
WherePomorie, Bulgaria42.550N, 27.650E
OutcomeBulgarian victory
BelligerentsBulgarian EmpireagainstByzantine Empire
Casualties and lossesUnknownandHeavy
Part ofByzantine–Bulgarian WarsAD 680 to 1355

Where it sits in the Byzantine–Bulgarian Wars

Battle of Ongal, AD 680Battle of Anchialus, AD 708Battle of Marcellae, AD 756Bulgarian campaigns of Constantine V, AD 756Battle of the Rishki Pass, AD 759Battle of Anchialus, AD 763Battle of Berzitia, AD 774Battle of Marcellae, AD 792Siege of Serdica (809), AD 809Battle of Pliska, AD 811Siege of Adrianople (813), AD 813Battle of Versinikia, AD 813Battle of Mesembria, AD 814Battle of Adrianople, AD 914Fall of Great Preslav, AD 971Battle of Spercheios, AD 997Battle of Thessalonica, 1004Battle of Kreta, 1009Battle of Thessalonica, 1014Battle of Strumica, 1014Battle of Bitola, 1015Battle of Setina, 1017Battle of Dyrrhachium, 1018Battle of Thessalonica, 1040Battle of Thessalonica, 1040Siege of Lovech, 1187Battle of Arcadiopolis, 1194Battle of Serres, 1196Siege of Varna (1201), 1201Battle of Adrianople, 1205Battle of Klokotnitsa, 1230Siege of Constantinople, 1235Battle of Adrianople, 1254Battle of Rhoupelion, 1255Battle of Bizye, 1256Battle of Devina, 1279Battle of Skafida, 1304Battle of Adrianople, 1331Battle of Rusokastro, 1332Battle of Adrianople, 1341AD 6801341Battle of Anchialus, AD 708
40 placed engagements of the Byzantine–Bulgarian Wars in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

DateAD 708 (year precision)
PlacePomorie, Bulgaria
42.550N, 27.650E
KindBattle, medieval
StrengthUnknownUnknown
Casualties and lossesUnknownHeavy
Commanders
  • Tervel
  • Justinian II
Battle of AnchialusBattle of AnchialusBattle of AnchialusBattle of AchelousAction of 6 December 1941Battle of SkafidaSiege of DebeltosAction of 6 December 1941Battle of SkafidaSiege of DebeltosVarnaEdirneDobrichKhaskovoTurnovoSlivenLüleburgazShumen100 km42.550N, 27.650E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

The ground today

Relief of the ground around the site of Battle of Anchialus
Relief within about 10.0 km of the site, contours every 5 m. Copernicus DEM GLO-30, ESA.
Satellite view of the site of Battle of Anchialus today
The same ground from Sentinel-2 on 2025-06-25. Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2025.

The recorded site stands at about 0 m; within 10.0 km the ground runs from 0 to 36 m, 36 m of relief, flat country and today it is 93% water, 5% built-up.

water: 93%built-up: 5%water 93%built-up 5%
west to east, 10.0 km0 to 1 mnorth to south, 10.0 km0 to 8 m
Elevation from the Copernicus DEM GLO-30 (ESA, Airbus); land cover from ESA WorldCover 2021 (CC BY 4.0), within about 5 km of the recorded site. Computed, not recorded.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in AD 708

Battle of Anchialus is one of 158 engagements of the 8th century in the atlas and one of 126 in present-day Bulgaria.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q602880, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Anchialus (708), revision 1370431989, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.