Battle of Mammes and Bourgaon

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Battle of Mammes and Bourgaon
Part of: Moors Wars
date Spring 535
place Mammes, Bourgaon ( Byzacena )
output Byzantine victory
Parties to the conflict

Eastern Roman Empire

Maurusian ( Berber )

Commander

Solomon

Kutzinas, Esdilasas, Iourphouthes, Mesidinissas

Troop strength
18,000 (after Charles Diehl ) 60,000 (according to Prokopios )
losses

unknown

60,000 (according to Prokopios)

Wars of Justinian I.

The battles of Mammes and Bourgaon took place in the spring of 545 between the Byzantine Empire and several Numidian Berber tribes of the Maurusians in the province of Byzacena .

Starting position

After the end of the Vandal rule in North Africa by Belisarius in 533, the Byzantines tried to gain control of the largely independent domains of the Numidians in the former Roman province of Africa . During the approximately one hundred years of Vandal rule, the Numidians had further expanded their autonomy, which had already been guaranteed in Roman times (see Masties ), and after the final Vandal defeat at Tricamarum they wanted to assert their claims to rule again.

However, as Justinian wanted to gain extensive control over Africa and also increased taxes, a conflict was foreseeable in the long term. Immediate reasons for the direct conflict were ultimately the murder of the Roman military leaders Aigan and Rufinos and the devastation or looting of large parts of the African sub-province of Byzacena by the Berber tribes of the Maurusians.

Battle of Mammes

After attempts had failed to negotiate peace among the tribes , the Magister militum Solomon , who was appointed Commander-in-Chief in the absence of Belisarius, moved from Carthage towards Byzacena with around 18,000 men . The Numidian leaders camped on a plain near the town of Mammes with a large army of more than 50,000 men and their extensive entourage, which also included the women and children of the Numidian warriors.

At the beginning of the battle soon incipient maurusische slight stormed camel - Cavalry to the Byzantines to and attacked them with spears. The Byzantine ranks, especially those of the horses, who shied away at the smell of camels, got into disarray at this surprise attack. Finally, the Byzantines were able to repel the hail of spears with their shields and, after dismounting their horses and by deliberately killing the camels, drove the enemy's cavalry to flee to the surrounding mountains.

According to Prokopius , 10,000 Maurusians are said to have perished in this battle. The captured women and children of the train were enslaved and the surviving camels were taken as spoils of war. Solomon retired to Carthage after the battle to publicly celebrate his victory.

Battle of Bourgaon

After Solomon's retreat, however, the remaining Maurusians began again to devastate the province of Byzacena and to pillage settlements. When the Byzantine general heard of this new bloody looting, he immediately marched with his armed force again against the rebels, who had now retreated to the mountains of the rugged Bourgaon , a mountain range of the Tellatlas , for a loss-making battle like on the plain near Mammes to avoid.

When Solomon realized that he could not beat the Marusians, who had retreated to the middle height of the mountain range, he resorted to a ruse. During the night he ordered about a thousand men to climb the peaks of the nearby mountains, during which time his main force prepared for the attack from the foot of the mountains. The Maurusians believed they were safe in their position, only planned to retreat to the summit by fighting in the event of an attack and did not notice that the Byzantines had evaded them during the night.

All the greater was the surprise at dawn when they were under fire from both sides. Thereupon they tried to flee from the embrace in a panic and were finally beaten. According to Prokopios, the approximately 50,000 Maurusians are said to have perished during the battle, all remaining women and children were enslaved, and the price of a slave after this battle is said to have been the value of a sheep. The end of the battle also meant the end of the Moravian tribes of this region, whose only surviving leader was taken into captivity in Carthage.

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