The main prerequisites for the uprising were the weakness of Byzantium after the invasions of the
Pechenegs in the lower
Danube, the
Byzantine–Hungarian War in the same area, the great defeat at the hands of the
Seljuk Turks in the
Battle of Manzikert (1071) and the
invasion of the Normans from southern Italy as well as the rising taxes during the reign of
Michael VII. The uprising was prepared by the Bulgarian nobility in
Skopje led by
Georgi Voyteh. They chose the son of Serbian Prince of
Duklja Michael,
Constantine Bodin as their leader, as he was a descendant of the Bulgarian Emperor
Samuil. In the autumn of 1072 Constantine Bodin arrived at
Prizren where he was proclaimed Emperor of the Bulgarians under the name Peter III. The Serbian Prince sent 300 soldiers led by
Vojvoda Petrilo. An army under
Damianos Dalassenos was immediately sent from
Constantinople to help the
strategos of the
Theme of Bulgaria,
Nikephoros Karantenos. In the battle that followed the Byzantine army was completely defeated. Dalassenos and other Byzantine commanders were captured and Skopie was taken by the Bulgarians troops. After that success the rebels tried to expand the area under their control. Constantine Bodin headed north and reached Naissus (modern
Niš). Because some Bulgarian towns with Byzantine garrisons did not surrender, they were burned down. Petrilo marched southwards and captured Ochrid (modern
Ohrid) and
Devol. However, near the town of
Kastoria his large army was defeated by the Byzantines and some Bulgarian commanders who did not want to acknowledge Peter III as their ruler. Another army was sent from Constantinople under Michael Saronites. Saronites seized Skoupoi and in December 1072 he defeated the army of Constantine Bodin at a place known as Taonios (in the southern parts of
Kosovo Polje). Constantine Bodin and Georgi Voyteh were captured. The army which Prince Michael sent to relieve his son did not achieve anything because its commander, a
Norman mercenary defected to the Byzantines. The rebellion was finally crushed in 1073 by
doux Nikephoros Bryennios. == References ==