Battle of Adrianople (324)

In the battle of Adrian Opel succeeded the Roman Emperor Constantine to defeat his rival Licinius, and thus to decide the battle for the Roman Empire itself.

Prehistory

After Constantine, Licinius had already wrung more concessions and annexations, for the time being there was silence. But after Constantine had successfully set against invading Goths to defend and made ​​a punitive expedition across the Danube, he wanted - in the former height of his fame - in the kingdom no longer tolerate rivals. Without a previous aggression of Licinius, he began preparations for war. He gathered 120,000 infantry and 10,000 cavalry in Thessalonica, which mainly represented his experienced veterans. However, his preparations have not gone unnoticed and Licinius assembled an army of 150,000 infantry and 15,000 cavalry. His cavalry was recruited from Phrygia and Cappadocia. Its existing fleet of 350 triremes was superior to that of Constantine, because that had only 200 smaller ships. Oddly Licinus not used them to penetrate into the core areas of Constantine and attack them. The as always prudent Licinius moved to Adrian Opel and built near the city a fortified camp. Thither he retired with the bulk of his troops.

Battle Record

Constantine was advancing through Adrian Opel and was stopped by the river Hebrus. However, it is unlikely that he sent all the troops into battle. The army of Licinius occupied the hills from the river to the city itself, the enemy armies, some days were idly over, apart from minor skirmishes and Auklärungsoperationen. Constantine pretended also to build a bridge. On July 3, Constantine historian Zosimus According dared the pagan ( and Constantine against hostile ) to twelve companions over the river and struck the arrival of the remaining troops, the army of Licinius.

In reality, the battle was probably different. Constantine had unnoticed let the enemy about 5,000 archers and a division of cavalry in the rear of the enemy occupied a forest. He then ordered the crossing of the river and had met with his troops to the enemy. He himself led the cavalry across the river. Licinius was driven to abandon his advantageous terrain by those archers, since he could not take the forest, who had meanwhile been secured by more infantry. The archers and the seasoned veteran Constantine taught among the troops of Licinius, according to Zosimus to a slaughter. Konstantin motivated his soldiers by to wherever his armies began to falter, leaving his personal standard, the labarum carry you. At the end of the day the fortified camp of Licinius by the troops of Constantine was taken by storm. Only with the falling darkness the army of Licinius could to the shore, where his fleet was waiting, and flee to Byzantium.

Follow

The following day, the remaining refugees were to Constantine. While Constantine was advancing to Byzantium, defeated his son Crispus in the Battle of Kallipolis the fleet of Licinius under Abantus. Constantine defeated on 18 September at the Battle of Chrysopolis again Licinius, who then surrendered and was interned in Thessalonica. The decisive victory was, however, been the Adrian Opel. Also in the meantime as co-emperor Licinius brought by martinianus fell into Constantine's hands. This had thus gained the sole rule and united the Roman Empire again under one ruler.