Corinth Catastrophe (Premysloides Dynasty)

Ambush of Skopia
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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 happened to Latin League during Imperial Restoration.

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 occurred 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, worst fate happend to Empress Tarakai, who went to Greece to improve morale and loyalty of imperial reinforcements. She was raped and still living, she was tied to Prince Andreas horse and drag from Skopia to Mitrovice. After few hours of incredible suffering, Empress died. Manuel Angelos was shocked and nearly beaten his son to death for this disgrace and ordered send mutilated corpse to Emperor Romanos with not just apology, but also with Andreas left hand, which he personally cut off as punishment.

However, news of Empress 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 Empress Tarakai, very popular among common people, led to large surge of conscription of volunteers to imperial army and auxiliary corps.