In the year AD 378, the Eastern Roman Emperor Valens left Antioch to return via Constantinople to deal with the Gothic threat which had been ravaging Thrace and the surrounding provinces since 376. He also sought help from his nephew and the Western Roman Emperor, Gratian. Gratian was prevented from coming quickly to Valens’ aid by tribes across the Rhine rebelling and therefore tying up his time. He defeated these thoroughly and then continued east. Valens himself moved from Antioch to Constantinople, appointing a new commander, Sebastianus. Valens made preparations and learned that the permanent Goth camp was near the city of Beroea but that the countryside was full of plundering bands.
One such band was defeated by the vigorous Sebastianus and Ammianus’ phrase that ‘Fritigern was greatly alarmed’ implies that Fritigern was in overall command of the Goths and probably had been since the start. Fritigern summoned all the tribes together. Sebastianus wrote to Valens, perhaps exaggerating his ‘great success’ and, even though he knew Gratian was en route, Valens decided to face the Goths alone.
This episode was written by Murray Dahm.
Murray is an ancient and medieval military historian from New Zealand, living in Australia. He has written more than 100 articles on various aspects of ancient and medieval military history and other historical topics from all periods. He is the author of Macedonian Phalangite vs Persian Warrior, Athenian Hoplite vs Spartan Hoplite and Leuctra 371 BC all from Osprey publishing. He is a regular on the Ancient Warfare Podcast.
>>Download<<