Battle of Faventia 542
Recorded location from Wikidata; battle sites are often approximate.
Key facts
| Year | 542 | Wikidata P585 (point in time) |
|---|---|---|
| Era | Medieval (500–1499) | derived from year |
| Location | Italy | Natural Earth (modern borders) |
| Continent | Europe | Natural Earth |
| War / conflict | Gothic War of 535–554 | Wikidata P361 |
| Participants | Byzantine Empire, Ostrogothic Kingdom | Wikidata P710 |
| Coordinates | 44.2856, 11.8833 | Wikidata P625 |
About the battle
The Battle of Faventia (modern-day Faenza) took place in the spring of 542 AD, where the new king Totila of the Ostrogoths (Goths) defeated a larger Byzantine force under the generals Constantinianus and Alexander. The victory reinforced the Gothic resistance in the second phase of the Gothic War (535–554).
Following the failed Siege of Verona by the Byzantines, Totila, with about 5,000 men, pursued the retreating Byzantine force of roughly 12,000 troops. Totila, having the initiative, sent 300 men on a different route and attacked the rear of the Byzantine army. While the Byzantine leadership debated a course of action, Totila's army crossed the river Po and advanced to engage the Byzantines. To delay the battle until the Gothic detachment was ready, a Gothic champion named Valaris challenged the Byzantines to single combat. Valaris was slain by the Byzantine commander Artabazes the Armenian, who was also mortally wounded. The battle soon commenced, and in the heat of the engagement, the Goths attacked the Byzantine rear. The surprise attack caused panic to spread among the Byzantine troops, who broke formation and fled the field. The victory marked the beginning of a resurgence of Gothic resistance against the Byzantine reconquest of the Italian Peninsula.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Battle of Faventia (revision 1374311877), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; formatting and citations removed. No text added.
Nearby battles
- Battle of Faventia (82 BC) 82 BC · 0 km
- Battle of Faenza 1797 · 7 km
- Battle of Forlì 1282 · 15 km
- Battle of Ronco 1815 · 19 km
- Battle of Ravenna (729) 729 · 29 km
- Battle of Ravenna (1512) 1512 · 29 km
Other battles of the Gothic War of 535–554
- Siege of Urbinus 538
- Siege of Auximus 539
- Siege of Ravenna (539–540) 539
- Battle of Treviso 541
- Siege of Verona 541
- Battle of Mucellium 542
- Siege of Naples (542–543) 542
- Sack of Rome (546) 546
- Siege of Rome (549–550) 549
- Battle of Sena Gallica (551) 551
All 20 battles of the Gothic War of 535–554 →
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