720:, with a cavalry force to cut the Franks' supply. Charananges not only captured several wagons, but used one of them to set fire to the large watchtower guarding the bridge. After this first skirmish, both sides exited their camps and formed up for battle. At that point, an incident almost wrecked the Byzantine plans. A Heruli captain killed a servant, and when confronted by Narses, refused to acknowledge any fault. Narses had him executed, whereupon the rest of the Heruli announced that they refused to fight. Nevertheless, Narses drew up his forces for battle. Faced with the solid and deep-arrayed Frankish infantry, he chose a disposition similar to that of the
32:
738:
his cavalry, which included many horse archers, to wheel on their flanks and attack the Franks from their exposed rear. The Franks, already engaged with the
Byzantine infantry, were unable to turn and face their more mobile enemies in the rear. As confusion started to spread amongst them, the Heruli finally returned to the fray. In the words of J.B. Bury, "... then Sindual and his Heruli appeared upon the scene. The defeat of the Franks was already certain; it was now to be annihilation."
737:
However, two Heruli had deserted to the Franks, and persuaded
Butilinus to attack now while the Heruli stayed out of the battle. The Franks arrayed in a large wedge formation and advanced, and smashed into the Byzantine centre. They quickly penetrated the gap left by the Heruli, but Narses commanded
746:
Butilinus and most of his men perished, while Roman casualties were small. Agathias gives the impossibly low number of 80 Byzantine casualties, while claiming that only five Goths survived. Whatever the true numbers, it was a magnificent victory for Narses, and signaled the final triumph of the
702:
Butilinus, on the other hand, more ambitious and possibly persuaded by the Goths to restore their kingdom with himself as king, resolved to remain. His army was infected by dysentery, so that it was reduced from its original size of 30,000 to a size close to that of Narses' forces. In summer,
728:
and
Valerian were placed in charge of the left wing. Part of the left wing was also concealed in a wood that grew there. At the pleas of the Heruli general, Sindual, who promised to persuade his men to fight, he left a gap in the middle of the infantry, which the Heruli were to occupy.
703:
Butilinus marched back to
Campania and erected camp on the banks of the Volturnus, covering its exposed sides with an earthen rampart, reinforced by his numerous supply wagons. A bridge over the river was fortified by a wooden tower, heavily garrisoned by the Franks.
715:
mercenaries. His army included infantry, heavy cavalry, and horse archers, and was thus at an advantage over the mostly infantry-based enemy forces. As the Romans approached the
Frankish camp, Narses sent an Armenian officer,
698:
at Fanum, leaving most of the booty behind. The remainder managed to reach northern Italy and cross the Alps into
Frankish territory, but not before losing more men to a plague, including Leutharis himself.
675:
commander
Fulcaris, and soon many Goths from northern Italy joined their forces. In the meantime, Narses dispersed his troops to garrisons throughout central Italy, and himself wintered at Rome.
242:
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228:
711:
When Narses found out about the location of the
Frankish camp, he set forth at the head of an 18,000 strong force, including strong contingents of
863:
853:
53:
724:, with the infantry in the centre, backed by archers, and the cavalry on the wings. Narses himself took command of the right wing, while
582:
848:
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858:
75:
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545:
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667:, the two brothers gathered a host of 75,000 Franks and Alemanni, and in early 553 crossed the Alps and took the town of
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Byzantine Empire in Italy. Despite Narses' great victories, the war was not finished. Seven thousand Goths held out at
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694:, but soon turned back home, laden with spoils. His vanguard, however, was heavily defeated by the Armenian Byzantine
297:
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46:
40:
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they divided their forces, with
Butilinus and the larger part of the army marching south towards Campania and the
535:
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57:
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838:
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In the spring of 554, the two brothers invaded central Italy, plundering as they descended southwards. At
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287:
20:
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were still held by Franks and Goths, and it was not until 562 that their last strongholds, the cities of
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156:
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832:
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until they capitulated in the spring of 555. The lands and cities across the
513:
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128:
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25:
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During the later stages of the Gothic War, the Gothic king
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refused to send aid, he allowed two of his subjects, the
643:for help against the Roman armies under the eunuch
663:, to cross into Italy. According to the historian
810:History of the Later Roman Empire Vol II, Ch.XIX
623:. The Byzantines, led by the old eunuch general
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236:
8:
611:, was fought in 554 between an army of the
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76:Learn how and when to remove this message
39:This article includes a list of general
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844:Battles involving the Byzantine Empire
686:. Leutharis led the remainder towards
7:
671:. They defeated a force under the
45:it lacks sufficient corresponding
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30:
1:
864:550s in the Byzantine Empire
854:Military history of Campania
813:. Macmillan & Co., Ltd.
556:Onoguris (3rd Archaeopolis)
895:
18:
849:Battles involving Francia
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615:and a combined force of
19:Not to be confused with
601:Battle of the Volturnus
486:Sasanian war of 540–562
202:(originally 30,000 men)
91:Battle of the Volturnus
60:more precise citations.
177:Commanders and leaders
21:Battle of the Volturno
818:Haldon, John (2008).
207:Casualties and losses
879:Capua (ancient city)
874:6th century in Italy
859:Gothic War (535–554)
822:. The History Press.
613:Eastern Roman Empire
603:, also known as the
346:Babosis and Zerboule
767:, were subjugated.
627:, were victorious.
605:Battle of Casilinum
820:The Byzantine Wars
805:Bury, John Bagnell
789:The Byzantine Wars
578:Conquest of Spania
722:Battle of Taginae
684:Strait of Messina
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823:
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647:. Although King
639:called upon the
551:2nd Archaeopolis
546:Telephis–Ollaria
536:1st Archaeopolis
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157:Byzantine Empire
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111:October 554 CE
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745:
736:
710:
701:
677:
634:
608:
604:
600:
598:
512:
511:
479:
465:Sena Gallica
309:Moorish Wars
305:Vandalic War
298:Martyropolis
151:Belligerents
123:River, near
96:Part of the
72:
63:
44:
787:J. Haldon,
718:Charananges
655:chieftains
266:Iberian War
254:Justinian I
163:mercenaries
66:August 2024
58:introducing
833:Categories
707:Deployment
649:Theudebald
631:Background
497:Sisauranon
445:2nd Naples
410:Urviventus
390:1st Naples
373:Gothic War
321:Tricamarum
316:Ad Decimum
293:Callinicum
215:Very heavy
200:20,000 men
197:18,000 men
98:Gothic War
41:references
16:554 battle
771:Citations
742:Aftermath
726:Artabanes
696:Artabanes
661:Butilinus
657:Leutharis
588:Melantias
531:3rd Petra
526:2nd Petra
521:1st Petra
514:Lazic War
480:Volturnus
440:Mucellium
273:Thannuris
187:Butilinus
140:Byzantine
125:Casilinum
807:(1923).
757:River Po
665:Agathias
653:Alemanni
621:Alemanni
460:3rd Rome
455:2nd Rome
435:Faventia
400:Ariminum
395:1st Rome
380:Panormus
356:Sufetula
341:Membresa
336:Carthage
331:Bourgaon
278:Mindouos
252:Wars of
192:Strength
171:Alemanni
121:Volturno
116:Location
798:Sources
751:, near
692:Otranto
680:Samnium
566:Tzacher
492:Nisibis
470:Taginae
450:Otranto
425:Treviso
420:Ravenna
415:Auximus
405:Urbinus
385:Scardon
351:Cillium
212:Minimal
142:victory
54:improve
765:Brixia
761:Verona
753:Naples
749:Campsa
733:Battle
713:Heruli
688:Apulia
673:Heruli
645:Narses
641:Franks
625:Narses
617:Franks
561:Phasis
541:Cotais
507:Edessa
502:Anglon
430:Verona
326:Mammes
288:Satala
183:Narses
167:Franks
161:Heruli
136:Result
43:, but
669:Parma
572:Other
361:Marta
129:Italy
791:, 39
763:and
690:and
659:and
637:Teia
619:and
599:The
307:and
283:Dara
108:Date
869:554
607:or
835::
778:^
127:,
244:e
237:t
230:v
79:)
73:(
68:)
64:(
50:.
23:.
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