The battle of Tsibal is a battle between the Roman emperors Constantine I and Licinius on October 8, 314 (or at the end of 316, the chronology is not obvious) [3] . Despite the numerical superiority of the army of Licinius, Constantine won.
| Battle of Cybal | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| The main conflict: the wars of Constantine I the Great | |||
 Danube provinces of the Roman Empire. The city of Kibala is in the northeast of Pannonia | |||
| date | October 8 , 314 | ||
| A place | Colony of Aurelius Cibal , Pannonia | ||
| Total | The defeat of Licinius | ||
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Background
The fighting became possible due to the decision of Konstantin to appoint the husband of his sister Anastasia Bassian Caesar . It soon became apparent that Bassian was a conspiracy against Constantine, along with his brother Senecion, who served Licinius. Licinius' refusal to extradite Konstantin Senekion, gave the Western emperor the last reason to speak against him with the army. Licinius himself in response appointed Valery Valent as co-ruler [4] . The appointment most likely took place after the battle of Cybal.
Battle
The armies met on the plain between the Sava and Drava rivers near the city of Tsibal (now Vinkovci in Croatia ). The battle lasted all day, after skirmishes and remote shelling, both troops clashed in hand-to-hand combat. At the end of the day, Konstantin personally led a cavalry attack on the right flank of his army, after which the enemy army faltered. More than 20 thousand soldiers of Licinius died, the cavalry helped its lord leave the battlefield after dark [2] .
Consequences
After the battle, Licinius fled to Sirmius , from where he went to Thrace with his family and treasures. The ongoing peace negotiations were interrupted, in the subsequent battle of Mardia, both sides suffered serious losses. Constantine, having decided that Licinius was fleeing to Byzantium for crossing to Asia Minor, began the persecution, because of which he was between his army and communications on the western coast of the Bosphorus. By his haste, the emperor was at a disadvantage. However, the warring parties sought to end the war, and Licinius sent Mestrianus to his rival to negotiate [5] . But even at that moment Konstantin dragged on negotiations until he realized the impossibility of predicting the winner while maintaining the hostilities. The main argument for him was the news of an unexpected raid by the enemy detachment, during which his personal belongings were captured [6] .
The peace treaty signed in the future was beneficial to Konstantin: Licinius refused most of the Balkan Peninsula , the sons of the two emperors Crispus , Constantine and Licinius became Caesars. Licinius also stripped of his titles and executed his co-ruler Valens [7] .
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 Lieu and Montserrat, p. 45.
- ↑ 1 2 Odahl, p. 164
- ↑ Among the followers of 316 are AS Christensen, L. Baerentzen, Lactantius the Historian , Museum Tusculanum Press, 1980, p.23, W. Treadgold, A history of the Byzantine State and Society , Stanford University Press, 1997, p. 34, DS Potter, p. 378 and C. Odahl, p. 164. An alternative date of 314 is supported by Ramsay MacMullen , Constantine , Routledge, 1987, p. 67 and AHM Jones, Constantine and the Conversion of Europe , The English University Press, 1948, p. 127
- ↑ Grant (1993), pp. 42-43.
- ↑ C. Odahl 2004, 165
- ↑ Petrus Patricius, Excerpta de legationibus ad gentes at NC Lieu, D. Montserrat, pp. 57-58
- ↑ Stephenson, p. 166
Links
- Grant, Michael (1993), The Emperor Constantine , London. ISBN 0-7538-0528-6
- Lieu, SNC and Montserrat, D. (Ed.s) (1996), From Constantine to Julian, London. ISBN 0-415-09336-8
- Odahl, CM, (2004) Constantine and the Christian Empire, Routledge 2004. ISBN 0-415-17485-6
- Potter, David S. The Roman Empire at Bay AD 180—395 , Routledge, 2004. ISBN 0-415-10058-5
- Stephenson, P, (2009) Constantine: Unconquered Emperor, Christian Victor, Quercus, London.