Battle of Faenza | |||||||
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| |||||||
Belligerents | |||||||
Kingdom of Italy | Ostrogoths | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Odoacer | Theodoric the Great | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
Unknown | Unknown |
The Battle of Faenza was fought between the Kingdom of Italy under Odoacer and the Ostrogoths under Theodoric the Great. With the permission of the Eastern Roman emperor Zeno, Theodoric had in 488 gained permission to invade Italy and depose Odoacer. Having previously been defeated by Theodoric at Isonzo and Verona, Odoacer retreated to his heavily fortified capital Ravenna in October 489. After receiving reinforcements from Southern Italy, Odoacer defeated Theodoric at Faenza in 490. After his victory, Odoacer pursued Theodoric to Pavia, where he was defeated on August 11, 490 at the Battle of the Adda River, after which he retreated back to Ravenna.
Theodoricthe Great, also called Theodoric the Amal, was king of the Ostrogoths (475–526), and ruler of the independent Ostrogothic Kingdom of Italy between 493 and 526, regent of the Visigoths (511–526), and a patrician of the Eastern Roman Empire. As ruler of the combined Gothic realms, Theodoric controlled an empire stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Adriatic Sea. Though Theodoric himself only used the title 'king' (rex), some scholars characterize him as a Western Roman Emperor in all but name, since he ruled a large part of the former Western Roman Empire described as a Res Publica, had received the former Western imperial regalia from Constantinople in 497 which he used, was referred to by the imperial title princeps by the Italian aristocracy and exercised imperial powers recognized in the East, such as naming consuls.
The 470s decade ran from January 1, 470, to December 31, 479.
The 490s decade ran from January 1, 490, to December 31, 499.
The 480s decade ran from January 1, 480, to December 31, 489.
Year 489 (CDLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Probinus and Eusebius. The denomination 489 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.
Year 490 (CDXC) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Faustus and Longinus. The denomination 490 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.
Odoacer, also spelled Odovacer or Odovacar, was a barbarian soldier and statesman from the Middle Danube who deposed the Western Roman child emperor Romulus Augustulus and became the ruler of Italy (476–493). Odoacer's overthrow of Romulus Augustulus is traditionally understood as marking the end of the Western Roman Empire.
Ravenna is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. It was the capital city of the Western Roman Empire during the 5th century until its collapse in 476, after which it served as the capital of the Ostrogothic Kingdom and then the Byzantine Exarchate of Ravenna.
In modern historiography, the Western Roman Empire refers to the western provinces of the Roman Empire, collectively, during any period in which they were administered separately from the eastern provinces by a separate, independent imperial court. Particularly during the period from AD 395 to 476, there were separate, coequal courts dividing the governance of the empire into the Western provinces and the Eastern provinces with a distinct imperial succession in the separate courts. The terms Western Roman Empire and Eastern Roman Empire were coined in modern times to describe political entities that were de facto independent; contemporary Romans did not consider the Empire to have been split into two empires but viewed it as a single polity governed by two imperial courts for administrative expediency. The Western Empire collapsed in 476, and the Western imperial court in Ravenna disappeared by AD 554, at the end of Justinian's Gothic War.
The province of Ravenna is a province in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Ravenna. As of 2015, it has a population of 391,997 inhabitants over an area of 1,859.44 square kilometres (717.93 sq mi), giving it a population density of 210.81 inhabitants per square kilometre. Its provincial president is Claudio Casadio.
The Ostrogothic Kingdom, officially the Kingdom of Italy, existed under the control of the Germanic Ostrogoths in Italy and neighbouring areas from 493 to 553.
The Battle of the Isonzo, the Battle of the Aesontius, or the Battle of the Isontius, is the name given to the battle fought on August 28, 489, on the banks of the Isontius River, not far away from Aquileia. This river is now known as the Isonzo in Italian, and Soča in Slovene.
The Kingdom of the Rugii or Rugiland was established by the Germanic Rugii in present-day Austria in the 5th century.
Ostrogothic Ravenna refers to the time period in which Ravenna, a city in Northeastern Italy, served as the capital of the Ostrogothic Kingdom, which existed between 493 and 553 CE. During that time, Ravenna saw a great renovation, in particular under Theodoric the Great (454–526). During his rule, Ravenna saw many of its finest monuments constructed or renovated, including the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, the Palace of Theoderic, and Mausoleum of Theodoric. Many of these monuments reflect the Arian faith of Theodoric and the Goths. Though an Arian Christian himself, Theodoric's rule was a time of religious tolerance in the city of Ravenna. His religious tolerance extended also to forging a balance between the Romans and Goths in Ravenna. Theodoric attempted to model Ravenna as a capital equivalent to that of Rome or Constantinople and as such was a defender of classical antiquity in a western world that saw much of its classical heritage disappearing.
The Traversari are a noble Italian family. The dynasty's history was mostly connected to Ravenna, which it ruled between the 12th and 13th centuries. St. Romuald was the son of Duke Sergio degli Onesti of Ravenna and of Traversara Traversari, daughter of Teodoro Traversari, son of Paolo I Traversari.
Odoacer's deposition of Romulus Augustus, occurring in 476 AD, was a coup that marked the end of the reign of the Western Roman Emperor last approved by the Western Roman Senate and the creation of the Kingdom of Italy, although Julius Nepos exercised control over Dalmatia until 480.
Lawrence I was Archbishop of Milan from 490 to c. 511. He is honoured as a saint in the Catholic Church and his feast day is July 25.
The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Ravenna in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy.
Tufa was a Germanic warrior active in 5th century Italy.
The Battle of Sirmium was fought at Sirmium, Kingdom of the Gepids in August 489 between the Gepids and the Ostrogoths under Theodoric the Great. King Theodoric had recently been proclaimed King of Italy by Emperor Zeno, and in 489 began marching his men on route to invade Italy. While on his way to Italy King Thraustila of the Gepids opposed his plan of conquest and met in battle just outside of Sirmium. It is unknown how the exact battle played out, but it is certain that Theodoric defeated the Gepids. Thraustila was most likely killed in the battle or soon after. Theodoric in the same year invaded Italy and successfully overthrew Odoacer in 493. Tension continued to grow between the Gepids and the Ostrogoths, which would spark another war between Theodoric and Thrasaric from 504 to 505.