Battle of Adrianople in 378

E67853
battle military conflict

The Battle of Adrianople in 378 was a decisive clash in which Gothic forces annihilated a Roman army and killed Emperor Valens, marking a major turning point in the decline of the Roman Empire.

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Observed surface forms (5)

Surface form Occurrences
Battle of Adrianople (378) 3
Battle of Adrianople (378 CE) 1
Battle of Hadrianopolis (378) 1

Statements (42)

Predicate Object
instanceOf battle ⓘ
military conflict ⓘ
alsoKnownAs Battle of Adrianople in 378 ⓘ
surface form: Battle of Hadrianopolis (378)
belligerent Allied Gothic and Alan cavalry ⓘ
Byzantine Empire ⓘ
surface form: Eastern Roman Empire

Gothic coalition ⓘ
Goths ⓘ
surface form: Greuthungi (Ostrogoths)

Goths ⓘ
surface form: Tervingi (Visigoths)
casualtiesGothic moderate ⓘ
casualtiesRoman very high ⓘ
commander Fritigern ⓘ
Valens ⓘ
conflict Roman Empire vs. Goths ⓘ
date 9 August 378 ⓘ
emperorKilled Valens ⓘ
empire Byzantine Empire ⓘ
surface form: Eastern Roman Empire
era Late Antiquity ⓘ
surface form: Late Roman Empire
followedBy accession of Theodosius I as Eastern emperor ⓘ
Battle of Adrianople in 378 self-linksurface differs ⓘ
surface form: siege of Adrianople (378)
historicalSource Ammianus Marcellinus ⓘ
location Byzantine Empire ⓘ
surface form: Eastern Roman Empire

Thrace ⓘ
near Adrianople ⓘ
longTermEffect contributed to military reforms under Theodosius I ⓘ
encouraged further barbarian incursions ⓘ
increased Gothic settlement within the empire ⓘ
modernLocation near Edirne, Turkey ⓘ
outcome Roman army largely destroyed ⓘ
death of Emperor Valens ⓘ
partOf Gothic War (376–382) ⓘ
precededBy Gothic War (376–382) ⓘ
surface form: Gothic uprising of 376–377
relatedTo Late Antiquity ⓘ
Early Middle Ages ⓘ
surface form: Migration Period
result decisive Gothic victory ⓘ
significance demonstrated vulnerability of Roman heavy infantry to cavalry ⓘ
major defeat for the Eastern Roman Empire ⓘ
turning point in the decline of the Roman Empire ⓘ
weakened Roman control in the Balkans ⓘ
tacticalFeature Gothic cavalry counterattack decisive ⓘ
Gothic wagon laager used as defensive position ⓘ
Roman army marched in heat before battle ⓘ
year 378 ⓘ

Referenced by (8)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Battle of Adrianople in 378 → alsoKnownAs → Battle of Adrianople in 378 ⓘ
subject surface form: Battle of Adrianople (378)
this entity surface form: Battle of Hadrianopolis (378)
Battle of Adrianople in 378 → followedBy → Battle of Adrianople in 378 self-linksurface differs ⓘ
subject surface form: Battle of Adrianople (378)
this entity surface form: siege of Adrianople (378)
Fall of the Western Roman Empire → hasKeyEvent → Battle of Adrianople in 378 ⓘ
this entity surface form: Battle of Adrianople (378 CE)
Visigothic–Roman conflicts → hasPart → Battle of Adrianople in 378 ⓘ
this entity surface form: Gothic War (376–382)
Visigothic–Roman conflicts → hasPart → Battle of Adrianople in 378 ⓘ
this entity surface form: Battle of Adrianople (378)
Roman–Germanic wars → notableBattle → Battle of Adrianople in 378 ⓘ
this entity surface form: Battle of Adrianople (378)
Western Roman Empire → notableEvent → Battle of Adrianople in 378 ⓘ
Visigothic–Roman conflicts → significantEvent → Battle of Adrianople in 378 ⓘ
this entity surface form: Battle of Adrianople (378)