Battle of Adrianople (378)

Battle of Adrianople
Part of the Gothic War (376–382)
Date 9 August 378 Location Near Adrianople Result Decisive Gothic victory
Belligerents
Eastern Roman Empire	Visigoths Alans
Commanders and leaders
Emperor Valens  †	Fritigern Alatheus Saphrax
Strength
15,000–20,000 or 25,000–30,000	12,000–15,000 or 80,000–100,000
Casualties and losses
10,000–15,000 or 20,000 (roughly two-thirds of the Roman force)	Unknown

15,000–20,000 or

12,000–15,000 or

10,000–15,000 or

The Battle of Adrianople (9 August 378), sometimes known as the Battle of Hadrianopolis, was fought between an Eastern Roman army led by the Eastern Roman Emperor Valens and Gothic rebels (largely Thervings as well as Greutungs, non-Gothic Alans, and various local rebels) led by Fritigern. The battle took place about 13 km (8 mi) north of Adrianople (modern Edirne in European Turkey, near the border with Greece and Bulgaria) in the Roman province of Thracia. It ended with an overwhelming victory for the Goths and the death of Emperor Valens.

Part of the Gothic War (376–382), the battle is often considered the start of the process which led to the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century. It was fought by the forces of the Eastern Roman Empire, which outlasted the Western by nearly 1,000 years (historians use the term Byzantine Empire to indicate the Eastern Empire after the fall of the West).

We have a detailed account for the lead up to the battle from the Roman perspective from Ammianus Marcellinus, which forms the culminating point at the end of his history. The position in his histories and the lack of a detailed history for the following century has tended to exaggerate the significance of the battle for later historians. Ammianus's account of the battle itself, as to be expected from a losing side, is far from clear. Heat, fire and dust seem to have been particularly significant. Much of what follows about the battle itself is modern supposition.

In 376 AD, displaced by the invasions of the Huns, the Goths, led by Alavivus and Fritigern, asked to be allowed to settle in the Eastern Roman Empire. Hoping that they would become farmers and soldiers, the Eastern Roman emperor Valens allowed them to establish themselves in the Empire as allies (foederati). However, once across the Danube (and in Roman territory), the dishonesty of the provincial commanders Lupicinus and Maximus led the newcomers to revolt after suffering many hardships. Valens (of the Eastern Empire) then asked Gratian, the western emperor, for reinforcements to fight the Goths. Gratian sent the general Frigeridus with reinforcements, as well as the leader of his guards, Richomeres. For the next two years preceding the battle of Adrianople there were a series of running battles with no clear victories for either side.

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