alternatehistory.com

In my opinion, the Battle of Lalakaon (or Poson) (863 AD) in eastern Anatolia is one of the most underrated battles of Byzantine history. It pitted the forces of emperor Michael III on one side and the forces of the emir of Melitene, Umar Al-Aqta, whose state consistently raided Anatolia, on the other. The Byzantines were victorious.
The main effects of the battle were not only that the empire managed to eliminate the Muslim threats on its eastern borders and gain the offensive in the area until the Battle of Manzikert, but also that the Bulgarians were dissuaded from converting to catholicism (tsar Boris I was strengthening ties with the Pope until he heard of the Byzantine victory in the battle).
So, i ask: what if the Byzantines had lost at Lalakaon?
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