Battle of Adrianople (378 CE)

The Battle of Adrianople (378 CE) is also known as the Battle of Hadrianopolis.
It occurred between the Army of the Goths under Fritigern and the army of the Eastern Roman Emperor, Valens, who was defeated.

The Battle was part of the Gothic Wars (376-382 CE) which brought about the final collapse of the Western Roman Empire.
Valens had allowed the Goths to settle in the Eastern Empire as farmers since 376 CE. However, the Goths rebelled against their maltreatment by the Roman Commanders. For two years, the two sides had a series of minor confrontations which eventually led to the Battle of Adrianople.

The Gothic Army and their families were encamped on a hilltop, defended by a wagon circle.
The Roman Army marched 8 miles (12km) and lined up at the bottom of the hill around midday, whilst the Gothic cavalry were away.

Realising the Gothic cavalry were not present, the Roman Army started to push up the hill without following orders. The Archers were repulsed but the Roman left wing reached the wagon circle.
At this point the Gothic cavalry returned, and surrounded the Roman soldiers, who desperately tried to retreat down the hill.
The Army broke and ran, after which the Goths spent the rest of the day massacring them.
The Roman Army under Valens was defeated, with two thirds of its men being killed and Valens‘ body was never found.

The size of the Roman Defeat has led Historians to date the Fall of the Western Empire from this Battle.
The Defeat marked the turning point for the Roman Empire. Although it recovered, from then on, the Goths were accepted as Foederati under their own Commanders, settling within the Borders of the Empire.
This resulted in a very large hostile army inhabiting within the borders of the Eastern Roman Empire, but ironically it was the Western Roman Empire that eventually was overrun and defeated by this army.

Adrianople, Turkey