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In 1167, Byzantine emperor Manuel proposed to his son in law, Bela, the heir to the Hungarian throne, that

he might also be the heir to the Roman throne. Alarmed at the prospect of Hungary being governed from Constantinople, the Hungarian king Stephan opposed the plan so strongly that war immediately broke out. The narrative is only my translations of excerpts from the histories of Ioannes Kinnamos and Niketas Choniates. Neither of these two texts has previously been to my knowledge available in English translation. Maybe it is not exactly what the BAARC was neant for but hopefully interesting to read and I would guess within the rules. Niketas Choniates The generals at the war council in Sardica [modern Sofia] considered whether the emperor himself ought to lead the campaign but the opinion prevailed that the emperor should remain in Sardica and the campaign should be led by some among the generals. The future of this war was uncertain and a defeat would hurt the emperors image. On the other hand, should there be victory, it would only be the more remarkable by the fact that the emperor was not even present in the battle. It was decided that the general in overall command should be the Imperial Admiral and Great Duke [Megas Doux], Andronicos Kontostephanos. Then, before the assembly of the generals was disbanded, the emperor recommended to Kontostephanos, not only the tactical methods for the conduct of the battle but also of the right time of the attack, the type of armament and the battle formations. He roused the vice-generals and the cavalry commanders and all other officers to battle, bringing to their memory not only former triumphs in battle but also urging them to consider what might the future bring should this war be lost. Finally he commended them to God and told them it would be a glory to himself should they return with trophies of war and that should they prevail in battle, they would be handsomely rewarded. Then the king commended the army to the guidance of our Saviour. And Andronicos, in his charge as a commanding general, departed with the entire army, crossing the Sava and the Danube till at last he came to Sirmium. The Paeonians [Hungarians] were not daunted by the arrival of the Roman army, rather they gathered their own cavalry and an allied army made up of their neighbouring nations [possibly Szekely, Slav,etc] including allegendly some Germans under a general named Dionysius [Denes, Count of Bacs], a brave man who had previously achieved several victories in battle. This Dionysius, as soon as he heard that a Roman army had crossed the Danube, emboldened by his previous victories over the Romans, proclaimed that he would make a trophy in the form of a pillar from the bones of the dead Romans as he had done before, when he had defeated Branas and Gabras in battle. So on the day of the feast of Procopius the martyr, Konstostephanos deployed his army for battle. After putting on his armour, he ordered everyone to do the same and each one went to take charge of their own formation and to prepare for battle. And he took himself command of the main phalanx

front and appointed Andronicos Lampardas in command of the right wing and other commanders in charge of the left wing. He also placed a second line of auxiliary phalanx formations behind the first at the two wings, so that they might aid those in front should they waver in the course of battle. Just as the army was ready for battle, there arrived a messenger bringing a letter from the emperor instructing that the battle should be postponed for a more propitious day [presumably a recommendation from an astrologer]. The general put the message under his arm and said nothing to the other officers, neither what the message was nor what the plan shall be, rather wisely he began to deal with other matters. In this way the day passed as it might have been a fateful day, baneful for joining battle. For the wisdom of God is written even upon the stars and astrologers claim they can read the decision of God in their positions and movements as if from a book on a desk. Finally, on the morning of the appointed day for the battle, Kontostephanos gave a speech saying Romans, remember your renown in battle and consider no glory or fortune impossible. We are not alone mortals nor is our foe made of iron. They are not dressed in steel and we naked. Nor are they well trained and we retired from war. Rather we have the same armament and moreover a better education, we have a long experience and superior strategic and tactical methods in the conduct of battle. We have prevailed against them before. So men, soldiers, remember your sons and fellow countrymen. See that the deep flowing Danube will carry in his swirling waves the cries of our foe through the lands he passes through, announcing everywhere the Paeonians defeat and the victory of the Romans. (speech abridged) Having spoken so, the general led the army onto a wide and open plain. Dionysius in response brought out his own men from the camp, joyfully, clapping and happy, as if he had come not to a battle but to a game. As if not knowing what to do, he did not divide his army into a left and right wing, nor into cavalry and infantry but he spread his army into a single formation mixing the cavalry with the infantry along the entire front, as if driven by raw contempt for his foe. He raised, too, a flag on a high mast on a cart drawn by four bulls. This army made a frightening sight, difficult to countenance, with horsemen armed with lances all along the front. Nor were the soldiers alone heavily armoured and expensively arrayed but even the horses heads were crowned and covered with armour, as was their sternum (chest) to protect them from missiles. And the neighing of the horses and the shine of the armour against the sun, as the two armies were drawn up one against the other, made the sight even more impressive and caused fear and wonder. The day being at noon, the time was now right to join battle. Kontostephanos, leaving the wings watchful of the foe on either side, ordered the mounted archers [hippotoxotae] to come forward and engage the enemy. The generals plan was to shake and disrupt the continuity of the enemy spear formations. The two armies clashed shield to shield, head to head, spear to spear and horse against horse, in the Homeric fashion. There was a terrifying battle, devouring the men, and the two armies rippled as waves, moving like a dragonsnake rattling its scales. Dionysius charged like an unmoving wall Kontostephanos and the men in his command, with lances outstretched. As soon as the Romans received his attack there where strikes and couterstrikes with spears as the warriors sparred at each other and pushed and heaved. The lances or spears were soon

broken and the men on the two sides drew out their swords and fell upon each other. But they too were eventually blunted, smoten as they were against the copper and iron panoplies, and the Paeonians [Hungarians] were convinced that the Romans had no other means to resist any further charges. Yet the Romans drew out their iron maces, which they always carried with them. With these they could strike deadly blows at the faces and heads of their foe. Those among the Paeonians who were dazed by these blows withdrew to the rear. Many received serious wounds and once that continuous army formation was finally broken, there was none among the Romans who did not overcome an adversary to gain a battle trophy or who did not take possession of a horse after vanquishing its rider. The day was full and the trumpet was calling the end of the battle when the flag came down from the chariot of Dionysius. So were the Paeonians defeated. Ioannes Kinnamos The emperor sent several Roman generals against the Hungarians who had come to Sirmium and appointed in overall command his nephew Andronicos Kontostephanos. He sent to him instructions as to how he should deploy his army and how he should fight this battle, inscribed on a tablet. Kontostephanos, after crossing the river Sava, having come near the Hungarian camp, did the following. He sent scouts to spy upon the enemy camp, to gain the best possible knowledge about their army. They were also under orders to attempt to take prisoner some among the Hungarian soldiers. The scouts indeed returned with one such captive and he was questioned by Kontostephanos about the force the Hungarians had near Sirmium and what their plans might be. There are 37 generals commanding this army said the prisoner, and Dionysius *Denes, Count of Bacs] is in overall command. The army numbers 15,000 in total, made up of heavily armoured horsemen, archers and peltasts. They are in great spirits, in the knowledge this would not be the first time they will have defeated the Romans. Kontostephanos sent back the captive with this message, that the emperor will not tolerate their transgression against the Romans and soon will deliver upon them his judgement. Kontostephanos ordered the army out of the camp and marched to battle in this fashion: The Skythikon and most of the Persian cavalry [Turks] were placed at the front, accompanied by lancers with directions to only engage the enemy in the briefest fashion. Next, on either wing there was a phalanx [foot spearmen], on one side under the command of Kokkobasileios and Philokales and on the other side under Taticius, the so called Aspietes. The cavalry itself was followed by yet more infantry together with archers and a phalanx of Persian spearmen with shields. Next, on either side were four generals: Joseph Bryennius, Georgios Branas, his brother Demetrius Branas, and Constantinos Aspietes a well-respected man. Next followed the Chartoularios Andronicos Lampardas with the elite Roman and German units and some Persians [presumably Turkish mounted archers]. Next was Andronicos Kontostephanos with men of the greatest renown, the Imperial guard and a body of Italian mercenaries. Behind them was a body of Serb spearmen with long shields. In this manner the Romans marched to battle. When they arrived at the place where Dionysius had made a

tomb, they dismounted and gave an oath that they are ready to die for their people and for their families. Seeing the approaching Romans, Dionysius was overtaken with boldness and with a sense of irony ordered his men to drink to the health of the Romans, then deploy for battle. The Hungarians having drunk so, rushed into battle, deployed as it was usual for them. At the front were placed the most heavily armoured, as was their custom, and their army was stretched along the length of the front. Once the two armies had come close to each other, Kontostephanos ordered the archers of the battalions at the front to take aim at the Hungarians. When the Hungarians counterattacked, the mounted archers had instructions to withdraw not so much to the rear but to the sides, so that the Hungarians, in chasing after them, might split their forces and open up a gap in the centre of their formation. But the mounted archers when counterattacked turned and fled instead directly to the rear and towards the river Sava. The Hungarians then fell upon the main battle line. On the left, two battalions held up, those under Kokkobasileios and Taticius, while the others retreated. Demetrius Branas was left with only 80 of his companions but fought on heroically until he was seriously injured in the face and fell and was taken prisoner. His brother Georgios retreated, unable to resist the more numerous opponents. But as the left wing was retreating, the right wing defeated decisively the Hungarians on that side. Dionysius seeing this, resolved to attack Kontostephanos but many among his horsemen were overtaken with fear and wished to turn back. Dionysius rebuked them for their cowardice and urged them to stay in place at least, so that the Romans may not perceive their weakened resolve. Dionysius then moved towards Andronicos Kontostephanos when Andronicos Lampardas, not daunted by the large host of Dionysius fell upon him and there was a great crash, as lances broke against shields and fell to the ground. Yet, though Georgios Branas came with his battalion to aid Lampardas, the right wing began to waver. Seeing that should those under Lampardas be defeated he shall have to fight the battle on his own, Kontostephanos surged up with the men in his command [the Imperial Guard, Italian mercenaries and the Serb spearmen]. There was a great clash and at first 80 Romans fell but many more were slain among the Hungarians. The Romans fought with unseen courage and superior discipline until at last their adversaries were overcome. With their spears being already broken and their swords blunted, the warriors resorted to their maces and there was such a murderous fight that the plain was covered with the dead. Finally the flag of Dionysius that had been raised high above his army came down from its mast. The horse and armour of Dionysius were captured, though he himself escaped. Some of the fleeing Hungarians were taken prisoner when they retreated towards the river where the Roman ships were - namely five generals, those they call zupans, and eight hundred men, many among them having fought well and being of some renown. Many thousands fell in the field of battle. Nor was there any among the Romans who did not gain some trophy, not least Ioannes Kontostephanos [brother of the commanding general and a general himself who must have fought in the battle] and Andronicos Lampardas. As night was falling, the Romans retreated to their camp, taking with them the prisoners and two thousand breastplates and such a number of helmets, shields and swords that no one might

be able to count. So they camped that night and the following morning they armed themselves again and marched to the Hungarian camp. But it was found deserted and was plundered. So came the war against the Hungarians to an end.

Notes: 1. Paeonians were ancient inhabitants of the central Balkans. Byzantine writers of this period pained themselves to write in the Attic style of Classical Greek and, in accordance with that tendency, to refer to contemporary peoples rather with ancient names such as they could, however geographically or historically tenuously, associate them with in their own judgement. As a result, the Turks and other Asiatics were often called Persians, while the Hungarians were called Paeonians by Choniates or Huns by Kinnamos. 2. The word tagma has been translated as battalion. The term appears to be used in both of these texts as elsewhere somewhat loosely to indicate a military formation under a unified command, regardless of its actual numerical strength, as that is what the word literally means.

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