Battle of Serres (1205)

For Byzantine–Bulgarian conflict, see Battle of Serres (1196).
Battle of Serres
Part of Bulgarian–Latin wars

The Latin Empire (purple) and partition of the Byzantine Empire (c. 1205).
DateJune 1205
Location
Serres, Thrace
41°5′N 23°33′E / 41.083°N 23.550°E / 41.083; 23.550
Result Bulgarian victory
Belligerents
Bulgarian Empire Latin Empire
Commanders and leaders
Kaloyan
  • Hugues de Coligny †
  • Guillaume d'Arles †
Location within Greece

The battle of Serres (Bulgarian: Битка при Сяр) took place in June 1205 in the town of Serres in contemporary Greece where the Bulgarian Empire seized control of the city from the Latin Empire.

In the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade, the Latin Empire struggled to assert control over the former Byzantine territories, facing resistance from the Greek population and the expansionist Bulgarian Tsar Kaloyan. In 1205, after capturing Emperor Baldwin I at Adrianople, Kaloyan turned his forces westward, defeating the Crusaders at Serres and punishing its defenders. The destruction of Serres and later Philippopolis, led the Greek towns to switch their allegiance to the Latin Empire, weakening the Bulgarian influence in the region.

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