Battle of Mucellium
| date | 542 |
|---|---|
| place | Mugello , Italian Peninsula |
| output | Ostrogothic victory |
| Parties to the conflict | |
|---|---|
| Commander | |
|
Johannes (magister militum) |
|
Iberian War
Dara - Satala - Callinicum
Vandal
War Ad Decimum - Tricamarum
Gothic War
1. Naples - 1. Rome - Verona - Faventia - Mucellium - 2. Naples - 2. Rome - 3. Rome - Sena Gallica - Busta Gallorum - Mons Lactarius - Casilinus
Moors wars
Mammes and Bourgaon - Babosis and Zerboule - Cillium - Marta - Fields of Cato
In the Battle of Mucellium in 542 in what is now Mugello ( Italy ), the Ostrogoths and the Eastern Roman Empire met in the course of the Gothic War . After lifting the siege of Florence , the Ostrogoths, led by Totila , turned to pursue the Eastern Romans and defeated the outnumbered force.
After his victory over the East Romans at the Battle of Faventia in the spring of 542, Totila sent part of his troops to besiege Florence . Justin, the Eastern Roman commander of Florence, had failed to provide the city with sufficient supplies for a siege, so he hastily sent messages to the other Eastern Roman commanders in the area: Johannes , Bessas and Cyprian. These gathered their troops and advanced together on Florence. Shortly before their arrival, the Goths lifted the siege and retreated northwards, into the Mucellium landscape (today's Mugello ). The East Romans pursued them, Johannes led the race to catch up. The Goths surprisingly attacked John's men from their hills. The Eastern Romans initially withstood the pressure, but then a rumor spread that their general had died and they fled back to the main Eastern Roman army. Their panic jumped over to this and the entire Eastern Roman army dissolved into disorder. The Goths took many prisoners who treated them well and even asked them to transfer to the Gothic army, while the Eastern Roman commanders fled to safe fortresses (Bessas to Spoletum , Justin back to Florence, Cyprian to Perugia and John to Rome ). After that there was no more cooperative counter-offensive on their part.
literature
- John Bagnell Bury : History of the Later Roman Empire: From the Death of Theodosius I to the Death of Justinian . Volume 2. New York 1958 (reprint from 1923), pp. 230f. ( online ).