The Bulgars in the Byzantine Empire

The bulgars arrived on the Roman doorstep when the Huns began to bring the peoples north of the Danube under their sway in the 4th century. Their specific ethnic origins are not clear, and as with most successful nomadic groups they had presumably absorbed other ethnic peoples along the way. The Balkans had been under threat for many years of course, but it's believed that around this time Anastasius constructed the long walls of Thrace. Even with the Goths gone, the approaches to the capital were still felt to be vulnerable. In 493 the bulgars stormed down into Thrace, killing the master of soldiers.