Battle of the Willows
Battle of the Willows (377)
The Battle of the Willows was part of the Gothic War (376–382) and the broader Roman–Germanic conflicts. It happened near Ad Salices, a place described as “by the willows,” probably within about 15 kilometers of Marcianople in what is now Bulgaria. The Goths, led by Fritigern, had recently rebelled and were wreaking havoc in the northern Balkans. The Western Roman Empire sent Richomeres to advance westward, while the Eastern Roman Empire sent Traianus and Profuturus to move northward; the two Roman forces then joined to attack the Goths.
The only detailed account comes from Ammianus Marcellinus, who describes many dead but provides no exact numbers. At one point the Roman left wing broke, but it was reinforced and held. The battle ended at nightfall with no clear winner. The Goths remained encamped behind a circle of war wagons for more than a week afterward. The clash was heavy for both sides and inconclusive.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 08:42 (CET).