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factbase-ancient-history/battles/battle-of-adrianople.md
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# Battle of Adrianople
# Battle of Adrianople
## Overview
The Battle of Adrianople (378 CE) was a catastrophic Roman defeat in which the Visigoths destroyed a Roman army and killed Emperor Valens. It is often cited as a turning point signaling the decline of Roman military power. @t[=378]
## Key Facts
- Date: 9 August 378 CE @t[=378]
- Location: Adrianople (modern Edirne, Turkey)
- Belligerents: Eastern Roman Empire vs. Visigoths
- Commanders: Emperor Valens (Rome, killed), Fritigern (Visigoths)
- Result: Decisive Visigothic victory [^1]
## The Battle
- Valens attacked without waiting for Western reinforcements under Gratian
- Roman cavalry was routed by a surprise Gothic cavalry charge
- Roman infantry was surrounded and annihilated
- ~20,000 Roman soldiers killed, including Valens himself
## Significance
- Demonstrated the vulnerability of Roman legions to heavy cavalry
- Led to the Treaty of 382 CE: Visigoths settled within the empire as *foederati* @t[=382]
- Often considered a harbinger of the fall of the Western Roman Empire [^2]
---
[^1]: Ammianus Marcellinus, *Res Gestae* 31.1213
[^2]: Burns, T.S. *Barbarians Within the Gates of Rome* (1994)
---
## Review Queue
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- [ ] `@q[temporal]` Line 11: "Location: Adrianople (modern Edirne, Turkey)" - when was this true?
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- [ ] `@q[temporal]` Line 13: "Commanders: Emperor Valens (Rome, killed), Fritigern (Visigoths)" - when was this true?
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- [ ] `@q[temporal]` Line 14: "Result: Decisive Visigothic victory [^1]" - when was this true?
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- [ ] `@q[temporal]` Line 17: "Valens attacked without waiting for Western reinforcements under Gratian" - when was this true?
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- [ ] `@q[temporal]` Line 18: "Roman cavalry was routed by a surprise Gothic cavalry charge" - when was this true?
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- [ ] `@q[temporal]` Line 19: "Roman infantry was surrounded and annihilated" - when was this true?
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- [ ] `@q[temporal]` Line 20: "~20,000 Roman soldiers killed, including Valens himself" - when was this true?
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- [ ] `@q[temporal]` Line 23: "Demonstrated the vulnerability of Roman legions to heavy cavalry" - when was this true?
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- [ ] `@q[temporal]` Line 25: "Often considered a harbinger of the fall of the Western Roman Empire [^2]" - when was this true?
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- [ ] `@q[temporal]` Line 24: Malformed temporal tag @t[=382] — see docs for valid syntax
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- [ ] `@q[missing]` Line 13: "Commanders: Emperor Valens (Rome, killed), Fritigern (Visigoths)" - what is the source?
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- [ ] `@q[missing]` Line 17: "Valens attacked without waiting for Western reinforcements under Gratian" - what is the source?
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- [ ] `@q[missing]` Line 18: "Roman cavalry was routed by a surprise Gothic cavalry charge" - what is the source?
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- [ ] `@q[missing]` Line 19: "Roman infantry was surrounded and annihilated" - what is the source?
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- [ ] `@q[missing]` Line 20: "~20,000 Roman soldiers killed, including Valens himself" - what is the source?
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- [ ] `@q[missing]` Line 24: "Led to the Treaty of 382 CE: Visigoths settled within the empire as *foederat..." - what is the source?
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- [ ] `@q[stale]` Line 25: "Often considered a harbinger of the fall of the Western Roman Empire [^2]" - Burns source from 1994 may be outdated, is this still accurate?
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