552 battle between the Byzantine Empire and the Ostrogothic Kingdom during the Gothic War
The Byzantine victory over the Ostrogoths at Taginae ended Gothic military power in Italy and enabled the Byzantine reconquest of the Italian Peninsula.
Key Facts
- Date
- July 552 AD
- Byzantine Commander
- Chamberlain Narses
- Gothic King
- Totila (mortally wounded)
- Byzantine staging point
- Salona, Dalmatia
- Road of advance
- Via Flaminia toward Rome
- Outcome for Rome
- Fell to Byzantines with little resistance
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Byzantine Empire, under General Narses, assembled a large army at Salona and marched into Italy via the Adriatic coast and the Via Flaminia. King Totila of the Ostrogoths, recognizing that a purely defensive strategy could not stop the Byzantine advance, chose to march north and intercept Narses near the town of Taginae.
At Taginae in July 552, Narses deployed his forces in a strong defensive formation, placing archers on both flanks anchored by terrain. Totila attempted delaying tactics, a feigned withdrawal, and ultimately a massed cavalry charge at the Byzantine center. Byzantine archers on the flanks unleashed volley fire into the charging Goths, the center held, and the Gothic cavalry broke. The collapse triggered a rout of the Gothic infantry, and Totila received a mortal wound during the battle.
The Gothic defeat destroyed the Ostrogothic kingdom's capacity for organized military resistance. Narses advanced south and captured Rome with minimal opposition. The battle effectively ended the Gothic War in the Byzantines' favor, leading to Byzantine control of the Italian Peninsula and the dissolution of the Ostrogothic Kingdom.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Narses.
Side B
1 belligerent
Totila, Teia.