Certainty: 2 Pechenegs ravaged Macedonia & Thrace; Bryennios (&/or Michael the akolouthos) sent to fight them
With the Pechenegs ravaging Macedonia and Thrace, Konstantinos IX joined his Frankish and Varangian allies to 20,000 horse-archers whom he summoned from Telouch, the Black Mountain and Karkaros. He appointed commanders under Bryennios, whom he made ethnarches, and sent him against the Pecheneg raids, to join Michael the akolouthos, whom he instructed to avoid a major battle
Certainty: 2 Bryennios & Michael akolouthos won skirmishes, then massacred Pecheneg army at Charioupolis
Michael the akolouthos was sent against the Pechenegs with orders to fight cautiously. He annihilated some Pechenegs at Goloe, then defeated a detachment he met at Toplitzos, and joined Bryennios the ethnarches, who was at the head of Frankish and Varangian mercenaries and 20,000 horse-archers summoned from the East, and had also been sent to defend against Pecheneg raids. Aware that the Pechenegs, fearing this army, had moved from Thrace to Macedonia, Michael and Bryennios left Adrianople quietly at night, and reached Charioupolis with their troops. They decided to take this opportunity for a battle, in spite of the cautious imperial orders. They charged and surprised the unsuspecting Pechenegs when they approached, pursuing them, causing heavy losses, as far as Mt. Rentakion [There is confusion whether Bryennios or Michael was in charge - but the location, Charioupolis, guarantees that we are reading of the same battle]
Certainty: 2 After another victory of Michael the akolouthos, whole area souith of Sidera pass was peaceful
Michael the akolouthos fought several victorious battles against the Pechenegs south of the Sidera and cleared the land from barbarian raids
1053
Certainty: 2 Konstantinos IX ordered Michael akolouthos & Basileios the synkellos to attack north of the Sidera
Konstantinos IX wished to finish with the Pechenegs once and for all. He summoned forces from everywhere, both east and west, placed them under Michael akolouthos, and ordered the synkellos Basileios to gather his Bulgarian troops, and sent them both against the Pechenegs
Certainty: 2 Byzantines advanced & camped at Great Preslav, where they discussed preparations for battle
Michael akolouthos, ordered by Konstantinos IX to attack the Pecheneg camp, gathered all his forces, crossed Mount Zygos (Haimos) and spent a day preparing for war near great Presthlava (Preslav), where he set up a council to debate further action
Certainty: 2 Since Byzantines were besieged & running short of supplies, they all decided to retreat Certainty: 2
Certainty: 2 Byzantines retreated from Preslav; Pechenegs controlled all the roads & massacred them, including Basileios
Basileios the governor of Bulgaria persuaded Michael the akolouthos to abandon plans for a battle and to withdraw, partly because he feared that Michael might steal a common victory. Tyrach, the Pecheneg commander, realising that the Romans had decided to lift their siege of Great Preslav and withdraw, sent troops to the passes they were going to march through, ambushed them, and most were annihilated. Basileios paid with his life, falling from his horse into a ditch and being killed by some Pechenegs. Michael escaped with other survivors to Adrianople
Certainty: 1 Tughrul Beg drove Kutulmush out of Iberia, which he ravaged before withdrawing
Tughrul Beg pursued Kutulmush (who had fled towards Kars) through Iberia. He raided and set fire to the region. But when he heard of the approach of an army sent by Konstantinos IX under Michael the akolouthos, he took his entire army and left for Tabriz