Battle of Adrianople
378 CE · Turkey
The Battle of Adrianople was fought in 378 CE in Turkey between Eastern Roman Empire vs the Goths; decisive Gothic victory; Valens and about two thirds of his army were killed.
Battle of Adrianople: quick facts
- Date
- 378 CE
- Location
- Turkey
- Belligerents
- Eastern Roman Empire vs the Goths
- Commanders
- Emperor Valens vs Fritigern
- Result
- decisive Gothic victory; Valens and about two thirds of his army were killed.
- Era
- 🏺 Ancient Greece & Rome
- Quiz difficulty
- hard
What happened at the Battle of Adrianople?
Gothic cavalry smashed into the exposed flanks of Emperor Valens' Roman legions, annihilating two-thirds of the Roman army. Emperor Valens himself was killed and his body was never found. The battle is often cited as the beginning of the end for the Western Roman Empire, demonstrating the rising dominance of heavy cavalry over infantry and the growing threat of barbarian peoples to Rome.
Did you know?
Emperor Valens's body was never found after Adrianople. One account claims he was carried wounded to a farmhouse that the Goths then set on fire, not knowing the emperor was inside.
Sources and further reading
- Battle of Adrianople on Wikipedia for the full account, historiography and primary sources.
- How BattleGuess compiles and checks battle facts: see the About page.
Entry last reviewed 26 September 2026.