Third battle of Verona
November 772
After the victory, the emperor continued his march, and regrouped with the strategos , alongside Slavic, Avars, and Bulgars loyalists to the Romans, now moving to Italy, By this time Milan was still been under siege, Charles was then informed of the emperor crossing, but was not sure if he wanted to attack the emperor or not, some argued that the emperor would most likely not attack and met the armies to the south and that the emperor would inspire those troops and with his leadership, they might win. But if Charles captured or killed the emperor, the war could be over, the king of the franks was convinced by these words and marched his armies to meet Constantine, leaving a force to make sure that the defenders of the city do not join the emperor.
Constantine was marching to the south; here his scouts told him that the Frankish army was near, he put his army in a box formation where the most armored forces were on the exterior and the light armor wherein the interior, not far from the city of Verona, the Frankish army descended upon the Romans. The nomads allied to Charles, began to shower them with arrows, especially in the left flank where they got closer and closer, the Romans set up a shield wall with the interior forces, and the cataphracts and the exterior were saved by their armor, many of them were eager to fight, but Constantine denied any order to do so.
It took the khan slayer immense will to keep some of his troops especially the non-Romans to keep marching under arrow fire, any break in the gap or anything that would give the franks an advantage would be fatal.
Still, Many Romans thought this would be a great defeat, but the tagmata and the troops that were in the battle before it trusted the emperor and continued marching, for the franks it seemed like the Romans tried to get to the city, so they ordered the nomads and foot archers to get closer and deal more damage to the Roman army and they did inflict more casualties.
But then when all hope seemed lost, The nomads had run out of arrows, the Frankish cavalry now began to move, but Constantine was quick and in the right flank the emperor order to charge and the emperor himself charged with them, the nomads and franks where incredible close to the roman lines due to this, they were smashed by the cataphracts and began to route, the emperor despite his age killed many, filling the sword of Heraclius with avar , bulgar and Frankish blood.
In the left under the command of the strategos of western mosesia , something similar happened but not as large scale, as they were not as close, In both flanks bulgar riders attacked these sides and avar horse archers fired on the retreating soldiers, Still, Charles had reunited many into a defensive formation and after retreating they soon fled, despite some debate Constantine the emperor stopped his army before they got to close as he feared an ambush, Still it was a victory, the emperor had lost 3 000 men of his 20 000 while Charles had lost 4500 of his 22 000.
The victory lifted morale, and the Frankish king was surprised, But Charles numerical losses were recoupable and he began to send messages to his territories requesting reinforcements, the Romans finally saw victory, as they saw how this barbarian king tried to destroy the emperor's army and failed, But Constantine knew this was not the end, as the Romans moved Milan waited for their arrival.
After the victory, the emperor continued his march, and regrouped with the strategos , alongside Slavic, Avars, and Bulgars loyalists to the Romans, now moving to Italy, By this time Milan was still been under siege, Charles was then informed of the emperor crossing, but was not sure if he wanted to attack the emperor or not, some argued that the emperor would most likely not attack and met the armies to the south and that the emperor would inspire those troops and with his leadership, they might win. But if Charles captured or killed the emperor, the war could be over, the king of the franks was convinced by these words and marched his armies to meet Constantine, leaving a force to make sure that the defenders of the city do not join the emperor.
Constantine was marching to the south; here his scouts told him that the Frankish army was near, he put his army in a box formation where the most armored forces were on the exterior and the light armor wherein the interior, not far from the city of Verona, the Frankish army descended upon the Romans. The nomads allied to Charles, began to shower them with arrows, especially in the left flank where they got closer and closer, the Romans set up a shield wall with the interior forces, and the cataphracts and the exterior were saved by their armor, many of them were eager to fight, but Constantine denied any order to do so.
It took the khan slayer immense will to keep some of his troops especially the non-Romans to keep marching under arrow fire, any break in the gap or anything that would give the franks an advantage would be fatal.
Still, Many Romans thought this would be a great defeat, but the tagmata and the troops that were in the battle before it trusted the emperor and continued marching, for the franks it seemed like the Romans tried to get to the city, so they ordered the nomads and foot archers to get closer and deal more damage to the Roman army and they did inflict more casualties.
But then when all hope seemed lost, The nomads had run out of arrows, the Frankish cavalry now began to move, but Constantine was quick and in the right flank the emperor order to charge and the emperor himself charged with them, the nomads and franks where incredible close to the roman lines due to this, they were smashed by the cataphracts and began to route, the emperor despite his age killed many, filling the sword of Heraclius with avar , bulgar and Frankish blood.
In the left under the command of the strategos of western mosesia , something similar happened but not as large scale, as they were not as close, In both flanks bulgar riders attacked these sides and avar horse archers fired on the retreating soldiers, Still, Charles had reunited many into a defensive formation and after retreating they soon fled, despite some debate Constantine the emperor stopped his army before they got to close as he feared an ambush, Still it was a victory, the emperor had lost 3 000 men of his 20 000 while Charles had lost 4500 of his 22 000.
The victory lifted morale, and the Frankish king was surprised, But Charles numerical losses were recoupable and he began to send messages to his territories requesting reinforcements, the Romans finally saw victory, as they saw how this barbarian king tried to destroy the emperor's army and failed, But Constantine knew this was not the end, as the Romans moved Milan waited for their arrival.
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