The Bulgarian–Croatian War During the Rule of Emperor Simeon I the Great and Dux Tomislav (Part 2)

There is no scholarly consensus regarding the date of the Bulgarian-Croatian war during the reign of Emperor Simeon I the Great (893 – 927). However, the answers should not be sought in the multitude of historians’ opinions, but in the historical sources themselves. Primarily, information about the events in question can be found in the acts of the Second Synod of Split, which have not been fully utilized in Bulgarian historiography due to the lack of a complete translation of the excerpt referring to the mission of Bishop Madelbert and Duke John. Existing conclusions are also largely influenced by the limited familiarity with Croatian research published since the 1960s. According to the Historia Salonitana maior, the Roman envoys departed for Bulgaria two years after the First Synod of Split, that is, in 927. This is most likely also the year of the ill-fated military campaign for the Bulgarians, led by a commander of Emperor Simeon whose name remains unknown. This conclusion is supported by the accounts of Byzantine chroniclers, who also date the campaign to the year 927. It is true that the date May 27 and the 15th indiction are associated both with the military expedition and with reports of Emperor Simeon’s death. However, it is hardly coincidental that all of these events are assigned the same date in the sources. It appears that the military defeat and the death of the Bulgarian ruler occurred within a relatively short time span. Moreover, the sources emphasize a direct causal link between the news of the soldiers’ demise and the emperor’s heart attack. The question here is not whether the military loss was indeed the immediate cause of the heart failure; rather, the more important point is that the chroniclers actively sought this connection, taking advantage of the circumstances. Therefore, the defeat of the Bulgarian army should be dated to the spring of 927, sometime before May 27. It is difficult to accept that these events occurred in 926 or earlier, as this would imply a prolonged military campaign, of which no trace can be found in the sources. It is also important to highlight Emperor Simeon’s intransigence. He had suffered other defeats during his reign – for instance, at the hands of the Hungarians and the Serbs – but he always sought retribution afterward. In addition, the testimonies concerning the Croatian threat at the beginning of the reign of Emperor Peter (927–968; † 30 January 969) must not be overlooked.