Naissus (268 AD)

The Goths, a Germanic people, were migrating southward and crossed the Roman frontier in the province of Pannonia. The emperor Gallienus, fresh from his victory over another Germanic tribe, the Alemani, managed to check the Goth’s advance early in the …

268

418

The Goths, a Germanic people, were migrating southward and crossed the Roman frontier in the province of Pannonia. The emperor Gallienus, fresh from his victory over another Germanic tribe, the Alemani, managed to check the Goth’s advance early in the year, but he could not expel the Goths, and they sacked several wealthy towns. that summer. Then Gallienus was murdered while on campaign against a pretender. The new emperor, Claudius II, led a second expedition against the Goths in the autumn of 268 AD with a more mobile army. His cavalry was commanded by the general Aurelian, who would later become the emperor. As both armies deployed for battle, the advance guard of the Goths was cut to pieces by the Roman light cavalry, which withdrew to the flanks as the Goths, who had the advantage in numbers, charged the Roman center. The Roman infantry held against the charge, with the help of Aurelian’s cavalry leadership. The Romans then advanced and drove what was left of the enemy’s center back to their wagon laager. After being repulsed several times, the Romans set up a siege. Eventually, the Goths surrendered and thousands were taken prisoner. The defeat at Naissus broke the war power of the Goths and secured Rome’s Danubian frontier for decades to come.

Naissus, Serbia

The Battle of Naissus was the defeat of a Gothic coalition by the Roman Empire under Emperor Gallienus near Naissus. The events around the invasion and the battle are an important part of the history of the Crisis of the Third Century.

Wikipedia: Battle of Naissus

Goth

Roman

Roman Gothic Wars