page_title: Battle of Adrianople
section_title: Composition of the Roman troops
hierarchical_section_title: Battle of Adrianople / Composition of the Roman troops
caption_attribution_description: Español: Típico equipo de un soldado romano en la época de las invasiones bárbaras English: Roman soldier end of third Century from a northern province. Photographed by myself during a show of Legio XV from Pram, Austria
context_page_description: The Battle of Adrianople, sometimes known as the Battle of Hadrianopolis, was fought between an Eastern Roman army led by the Eastern Roman Emperor Valens and Gothic rebels led by Fritigern. The battle took place in the vicinity of Adrianople, in the Roman province of Thracia. It ended with an overwhelming victory for the Goths and the death of Emperor Valens.
  Part of the Gothic War, the battle is often considered the start of the process which led to the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century.
  A detailed contemporary account of the lead-up to the battle from the Roman perspective was written by Ammianus Marcellinus and forms the culminating point at the end of his history.
context_section_description: Valens' army may have included troops from any of three Roman field armies: the Army of Thrace, based in the eastern Balkans, but which may have sustained heavy losses in 376–377, the 1st Army in the Emperor's Presence, and the 2nd Army in the Emperor's Presence, both based at Constantinople in peacetime but committed to the Persian frontier in 376 and sent west in 377–378.
  Valens' army included units of veterans, men accustomed to war. It comprised seven legions — among which were the Legio I Maximiana and imperial auxiliaries — of 700 to 1000 men each. The cavalry was composed of mounted archers (sagittarii) and Scholae (the imperial guard). However, these attacked precipitately, while peace negotiations were going on, and precipitately fled. There were also squadrons of Arab cavalry, but they were more suited to skirmishes than to pitched battle.
  Ammianus Marcellinus makes references to the following forces under Valens:
  Legions of Lanciarii, and Mattiarii. The Notitia Dignitatum lists both as legiones palatinae. Some claim that the Mattiarii may have been allied forces. However, mattiarii may refer to mace-armed infantry (mattea being Latin for mace). Valens is referred to as seeking protection with the Lanciarii and Mattiarii as the other Roman forces collapsed (apparently a sign of how desperate the battle had become). Eventually they were unable to hold off the Goths.
  A battalion of Batavians; they were apparently held in reserve and fled, given a reference to a comes named Victor attempting to bring them up into battle but unable to find them.
  Scutarii (shielded cavalry) and archers. As one or both were under the command of Bacurius the Iberian, these may have been allied auxiliary troops from Caucasian Iberia (part of modern Georgia) rather than Roman.
  He also refers to the following officers:
  Ricimer (Richomeres), Frankish Comes of Gratian's Domestici (the corps of bodyguards of the emperor who were stationed in the imperial palace) sent to assist Valens in 376. He offered to act as a hostage to facilitate negotiations when Equitus refused. He survived the battle, indicated due to retreating.
  Sebastianus, arrived from Italy previously, and clearly operating as one of Valens' generals. Killed in the battle.
  Victor, master-general of the cavalry, a Sarmatian by birth, who led the officers counselling waiting for Gratian.
  Equitius, a relation of Valens, a tribune and high steward of the palace. He refused to act as a hostage, as he had been a prisoner of the Goths in Dibaltum and escaped, and now feared revenge. Killed in the battle.
  Bacurius (presumably Romanised Bakur), a native and possibly prince of Iberia, in command of the archers and/or scutarii with Cassio that accompanied Ricimer as hostage, and who attacked without orders.
  Traianus, apparently in command of Roman forces before Valens assumed command, who was described as an illustrious man whose death in the battle was a great loss. He was supposedly still alive when Valens sought refuge with the Lanciarii and Mattiarii.
  Victor, the comes who tried to bring the Batavian reserve battalion into action.
  Cassio, in command of the archers and/or scutarii accompanying Ricimer as hostage.
  Saturninus, magister militum vacans, referred to as being able to stay alive by retreating.
  Valerianus, Master of the Stable. Killed in battle.
  Potentius, tribune of the Promoti, a branch of the cavalry, son of Ursicinus, former commander of the forces. He "fell in the flower of his age, a man respected by all persons of virtue."
  Thirty five tribunes, including those of units and those of the staff, who were killed. Presumably there were more than this, but who survived.
caption: A re-enactor portraying a Roman soldier of the 4th century AD. Soldiers similar to this would have been used by the Romans.
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