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Adrianople
August 9, 378
Strategic Context
Under pressure from the westward migration of the Huns and other Asiatic peoples in 372, the Visigoths and
Ostrogoths begin migrating further south and across the Danube River to settle within the Roman Empire in
greater numbers. In 376, Roman Emperor Valens formally allows these Gothic peoples to settle within the
Empire on the condition they disarm. Starving and facing the exploitation of Roman officials, the Goths begin
to hide their weapons. A general Gothic revolt against their hosts begins after a failed assassination attempt
on Gothic leaders by the Roman military commander in Thrace, prompting Fritigern to unite the Visigoths and
Ostrogoths. Valens hastily makes peace with the Persians to secure the eastern border and marches against
Fritigern’s combined Gothic force. Fritigern raids into Thrace before retreating towards Adrianople where the
Goths establish their traditional defensive position of wagons on a hill to await the Roman attack.
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Stakes
+ A Roman victory would force the Goths
backwards into the path of the ferocious
Huns, putting their survival in doubt.
+ A Gothic victory would destroy the only
major Roman army in the region, opening
up the Roman Empire to raids and further
migration.
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Available
By Jonathan Webb, 2009
Adrianople, 378
Strength
Romans
Goths
Flavius Valens
Fritigern
11,000 infantry
4,000 cavalry
10,000 infantry
6,500 cavalry
Well
Well
By Jonathan Webb, 2009
Roman Empire c. 378
The battlefield consists of a featureless open plain except for a significant hill in the middle. The summer weather
is extremely hot and dry.
Goths
(Fritigern)
N
Romans
(Valens)
Valens
deploys
in athe
standard
formation
with
infantryenvoys
legions in
center
flanked by hisbut
cavalry,
which
includes horse-archers.
Valens,
Fritigern
trieshistoarmy
delay
Roman
assault
byhis
sending
tothe
open
negotiations
Valens,
believing
the Gothic cavalry
rejecting the advice of his subordinates, plans to assault the hill and destroy the Gothic peoples before their cavalry can return. Fritigern deploys
to be away on a time-consuming raid, resolves to attack. The Goths quickly set fire to the adjacent fields to impede the
his force on a sizeable hill, his infantry able to launch attacks from the protection offered by the ring of wagons where the soldiers’ families are.
attack
which
results
inforaging
the discomfort
ofseeks
the heavily-armoured
and a choking
cloud of smoke over the battlefield.
The Gothic
cavalry
is away
so Fritigern
to delay the RomansRomans
until the decisive
force arrives.
Romans
Goths
(Flavius
Valens)
(Fritigern)
11,000 infantry
10,000
4,000 cavalry
6,500
Goths
(Fritigern)
Romans
Goths
Infantry
Infantry
Cavalry
Cavalry
Wagon
Symbol guide
Romans
(Valens)
N
The
Gothic
heavy
cavalry
arrive
at theassault
peak
ofby
combat
drivedraw
the
and
outnumbered
Roman
cavalry
from
the
field.
The
Valens
Fritigern
Seeing
The
Romans
strongly
a tries
part
are
to
ofbelieves
so
delay
histightly
army
the
the
surrounded
Roman
already
Gothic
in
cavalry
that
combat,
they
are
sending
Valens
can
notand
returning
hardly
envoys
orders
to
so
a outclassed
their
full
open
he patiently
assault
weapons;
negotiations
and
sends
only
the
but
when
his
Roman
Valens,
horse-archers
many
infantry
believing
have
already
soon
to the
harass
become
Gothic
fallen
the
can
cavalry
deeply
Goths.
the
Gothic
cavalry,
hidden
byback
the
looming
smoke,
swoop
around
theand
Roman
infantry
while
the
Gothic
infantry
shift
momentum
The
to
engaged
Roman
beGothic
away
infantry
in fierce
on
infantry
a fight
time-consuming
fighting
are
not
along
with
amused
the
any
raid,
hill.
effectiveness
and
resolves
Despite
counter-attack,
to
high
attack.
orcasualties
try
The
driving
Goths
escape.
and
the
not
quickly
Roman
The
being
massacre
set
able
cavalry
fire
to to
be
continues
back.
the
supported
adjacent
Thisfeel
forprovokes
bythe
hours
fields
cavalry,
as
toaofthe
impede
the
premature,
Romans
Roman
the
and launch
a counterattack
todiscomfort
push
the
Romans
the
The
Roman
try
flee
butcloud
the
majority
are
surrounded.
undisciplined
attack
push
infantry
the
which
fight
Goths
for
results
attack
back
survival.
by
in
beyond
the
a Roman
Some
their
Romans
infantry
wagons
ofmanage
the
force
on off
heavily-armoured
the
that
Gothic
to hill.
escape
is repulsed
right.
butRomans
and
areinfantry
inevitably
driven
and
back
ato
destroyed
choking
by superior
along
Gothic
ofwith
smoke
numbers
their
over
commander.
the
andbattlefield.
position.
Romans
(Flavius Valens)
11,000 infantry
4,000 cavalry
Goths
(Fritigern)
Romans
Goths
Infantry
Infantry
Cavalry
Cavalry
Wagon
Symbol guide
Romans
(Valens)
N
Adrianople, 378
Casualties & Aftermath
Romans:
Goths:
10,000
2,000
or
or
67%
12%
Fritigern besieged Adrianople and then Constantinople but quickly realized he did not have the
resources to assault the fortress walls or starve the garrisons out. The Goths subsequently
retreated to Thrace as the war dragged on. Valens’ successor, Theodosius, eventually defeated
them with a reorganized Roman army centered around cavalry, forcing peace in 382.
Theodosius also returned to the custom of pardoning defeated Goths and absorbing them into
the Roman army with the majority settling in Italy or Spain. While there was still some conflict
with their hosts – the Visigoths sacked Rome in 410 – the Gothic peoples eventually helped
preserve the Roman Empire for centuries to come.
By Jonathan Webb, 2009
The Art of Battle:
Animated Battle Maps
http://www.theartofbattle.com
By Jonathan Webb, 2009