Battle of Boruy

The battle of Boruy (Битка при Боруй) took place in June 1208 near the city of Stara Zagora, Bulgaria between the Bulgarians and the Latin Empire. It resulted in a Bulgarian victory.

Origins of the conflict
In the summer of 1208 the new Emperor of Bulgaria Boril who continued the war of his predecessor Kaloyan against the Latin Empire invaded Eastern Thrace. The Latin Emperor Henry gathered an army in Silivri and headed to Odrin.

The battle
Upon the news of the Crusader's march the Bulgarians retreated to better positions in the area of Boruy (Stara Zagora). In the night they sent the captured Byzantines and the spoil to the north of the Balkan mountains and moved in a battle formation near the Latin camp which was not fortified. At dawn they suddenly attacked the enemy. The Crusaders who were in duty started a fierce fight to give time for the rest to prepare for battle. While most of the Latins formed their squads they suffered heavy casualties inflicted by the numerous and well-experienced Bulgarian archers before putting their armour. In the mean time the cavalry managed to go round the Latin flangs and attacked their main forces. In the battle that followed the Crusaders lost many men and Emperor Henry himself was lariated and barely escaped from captivity - a knight managed to cut the rope with his sword and protected Henry with his heavy-armoured body from the Bulgarian arrows. In the end the Crusaders forced by Bulgarian cavalry to pull back and then the Latin army began to retreat to Plovdiv in battle formation.

Aftermath
The retreat continued for 12 days in which the Bulgarians closely followed and harassed their opponents inflicting casualties mainly to the Latin rear-guard which was saved several times from complete collapse by the main Crusader forces. However, near Plovdiv the Crusaders finally accepted the battle and the Bulgarians were defeated.