Battle of Adrianople

Article abstract: Type of action: Ground battle in the Wars of the Roman Empire. Result: Destruction of two-thirds of the Roman force and the deaths of Valens and most of his officers.

The Roman emperor Valens marched north from Adrianople after rejecting the request of the Tervingi king Fritigern to settle the Goths as a group within Roman territory. Because of poor intelligence, Valens came unexpectedly upon the Gothic encampment with its circled wagons and threw his infantry into an attack against the Gothic defenses. Subsequently, his left wing detached from...

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