Ambush of Skopia (Premysloides Dynasty)

Background
Many people make mistake when confuse Skopia in Greece and Skopje in Macedonia. Ambush of Skopia was short and bloody victory of Manuel Angelos with disputed long-term consequences. Skopia is very small settlement in Larissa imperial county with about dozen permanent dwellers, all of them farmers. As this remote location, Constantine Argyros designed Skopie to gathering point of reinforcements from Achaea and Greece provinces.

Manuel Angelos had corrupted agents in Constantine Argyros commanding staff and obtained information about this plan. Argyros wanted to assembly reinforcements and attack flanks of Manuel Army, when Manuel will besiege Thessaloniky, in very similar conditions as happend to Latin League during Imperial Restoriation.

Ambush
From May to July 1270, imperial forces gathered in Skopia and in same period, Manuel Angelos separate about 9,000 light and archer cavalry with best and fastest horses and grant them to his son, Prince Andreas, to raid Skopie and destroy imperial reinforcements.

Raid occured in midnight from 25 - 26 July 1270. Not only Manuel Forces outnumbered Imperial Forces, but also unexpected presence of Manuel Army, destroyed all reinforcements. Encampment was massacred in few hours and any chance to gain reinforcements from Greece to Imperial defense vanished.

Aftermath
At this point, ambush could be decisive and undisputed victory. However, among killed was Emperess Tarakai, who went to Greece to improve morale and loyality of imperial reinforcements. Her dead body was tied to Prince Andreas horse and drag from Skopia to Mitrovice. Manuel Angelos was shocked and beaten his son for this disgrace and ordered send mutilated corpse to Emperor Romanos with apology.

However, news of Emperess death and mutilation of her body, very soon reached her brother and ruler of Il Khanate, Abaqa Khan, who was enraged and swear vengeance on Manuel Angelos. He sent from his port cities of Ascalon and Tyre fleet of 100 war ships to reinforce imperial navy and also 15,000 cavalry and infantry. This reinforcements played vital role in Siege of Thessaloniky. Also, death of beloved Emperess Tarakai, very popular among common people, led to large surge of conscription of volunteers to imperial army and auxiliary corps.