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

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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

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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.

Stakes
+ A Roman victory would force the Goths
backwards into the path of the ferocious No Image
Huns, putting their survival in doubt.
+ A Gothic victory would destroy the only Available
major Roman army in the region, opening
up the Roman Empire to raids and further
migration.

By Jonathan Webb, 2009

 Adrianople, 378
Strength

 Romans  Goths

 Flavius Valens  Fritigern

 11,000 infantry  10,000 infantry

 4,000 cavalry  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
Fritigerndeploys
trieshis
to army
delayin the
a standard
Romanformation
assault with his infantry
by sending legionstoinopen
envoys the center flanked bybut
negotiations hisValens,
cavalry, which includes
believing the horse-archers.
Gothic cavalry Valens, rejecting
to be away
the advice of his subordinates, plans to assault the hill and destroy the Gothic peoples before their cavalry can return. Fritigern deploys his force on a sizeable
on a time-consuming raid, resolves to attack. The Goths quickly set fire to the adjacent fields to impede the attack which results in the
hill, his infantry able to launch attacks from the protection offered by the ring of wagons where the soldiers’ families are. The Gothic cavalry is away foraging
discomfort of the
so Fritigern seeks heavily-armoured
to delay Romans
the Romans until andforce
the decisive a choking
arrives.cloud of smoke over the battlefield.
Romans
Goths Goths
(Fritigern)
(Flavius Valens)
(Fritigern)
11,000 infantry
10,000
4,000 cavalry
6,500

Romans Goths
Infantry Infantry
Cavalry Cavalry
Wagon

Symbol guide
N
Romans
(Valens)
The Gothic
Valens
Fritigern
Seeing
The Romans heavy
astrongly
part
tries are
of cavalry
tobelieves
his
delay
so army
tightly arrive
thethe
already
Roman at in
the
surrounded
Gothic peak
assault
combat,
cavalry ofthey
thatby combat
are
Valens
sending
not and
canorders drive
returning
hardly
envoys
a draw
full the
toso outclassed
open
assault
he
their
patiently and
negotiations
weapons;
and the outnumbered
sends
Roman
only
but
hisValens,
when Roman
infantry
horse-archers
many
believing
soon cavalry
have
become
to the from
already
harass
Gothic
deeply
thethe
fallen field.
cavalry
Goths.
engaged Thebe
can The
the
to Gothic
inRoman
Gothic
fierce
away
cavalry, hidden
on a time-consuming
fighting
infantry fight
along
are not by
back the
theamusedlooming
hill.
with
raid,
Despite
any
and smoke,
resolves
effectivenessswoop
counter-attack,
highto casualties
attack. around
or try
driving
The
and
and the
Goths
not Roman
escape.
the
being
quickly
Roman
The infantry
ablemassacre
set
cavalrywhile
to fire the
be supported
toback. Gothic
continues
the adjacent
This
byfor infantry
cavalry,
provokes
fields
hoursthe
tofeel the
asa impede
the shift
premature,
Romans
Romanthe of
push momentum
attack
infantry
undisciplined
the which
Goths and
fightresults
back
for launch
attack inbytheaa
survival.
beyond
counterattack
Roman
discomfort
their
Some wagons
Romans ofto
infantry on push
the
manage
force
the thethat
Romans
heavily-armoured
Gothic
to escape offbut
isright.
repulsed the hill.
Romans
are
and The Roman
inevitably
driven
and back infantry
a choking
destroyed try toof
by superior
cloud
along flee
Gothic
withbut
smoke the
their majority
numbers
overcommander.
theand are surrounded.
battlefield.
position.
Romans Goths
(Fritigern)
(Flavius Valens)
11,000 infantry
4,000 cavalry

Romans Goths
Infantry Infantry
Cavalry Cavalry
Wagon

Symbol guide
N
Romans
(Valens)
 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