Battle of Skafida

The Battle of Skafida took place near Poros (Burgas), Bulgaria, in 1304. After being proclaimed tsar in 1300, Theodore Svetoslav turned his attention to avenging the Tatar attacks against the country over the previous 20 years. First, traitors were punished, including Patriarch Joachim III, who was accused of supporting the enemies of the crown. Svetoslav then turned against Byzantium, which was behind the Tatar attacks and had captured many fortresses in Thrace. In 1303, his army advanced south, capturing many towns. The following year, the Byzantines counterattacked under Emperor Michael IX, co-emperor with his father Andronikos II and father of Andronikos III, and the two sides clashed near the Skafida River.

 Bulgaria overcame the crisis of the late thirteenth century and achieved internal stability, regaining most of Thrace. After this period, Byzantium no longer posed a serious threat to Bulgaria.