Battle of Ad Decimum - Battle

Battle

Gibamund failed to accomplish his mission, as a force of Romans and Hun mercenaries drove his 2,000-man force off and killed him. Ammatas also failed; he arrived at the defile with his men still strung out along the road back to Carthage, and he too was killed. The Romans pursued his men all the way to the gates of Carthage itself.

Gelimer's main force, however, inflicted serious casualties on Belisarius's troops along the main road. Belisarius's mercenary cavalry was routed by the Vandals, and even though Gelimer was outnumbered, his men were performing well in the fighting. It appeared as though the Vandals would win the battle.

But when Gelimer reached Ammatas's position and discovered that his brother had been killed, by the vanguard of John the Armenian, he became disconsolate and failed to give an order for one more assault — which would probably have destroyed the reeling Roman army and cut off the Huns and Romans who had earlier advanced toward Carthage after beating Ammatas and Gibamund. Instead, the Vandal attack was weakened while Gelimer buried his brother on the battlefield.

Given a respite, Belisarius was able to regroup his forces south of Ad Decimum and launch a counterattack, which drove the Vandals back and soon routed them. Gelimer was forced to abandon Carthage.

Development of the battle
Initial Vandal plan, with the projected entrapment of the Byzantine army
First phase, the Byzantine advance parties defeat the Vandal flanking detachments
Second phase, Gelimer routs the foederati
Third phase, the final clash between Belisarius and Gelimer

Read more about this topic:  Battle Of Ad Decimum

Famous quotes containing the word battle:

    “The mother’s battle for her child—with sickness, with poverty, with war, with all the forces of exploitation and callousness that cheapen human life—needs to become a common human battle, waged in love and in the passion for survival.”
    —Adrienne Rich (20th century)

    “The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.”
    —Bible: Hebrew Ecclesiastes 9:11.

    “The militancy of men, through all the centuries, has drenched the world with blood, and for these deeds of horror and destruction men have been rewarded with monuments, with great songs and epics. The militancy of women has harmed no human life save the lives of those who fought the battle of righteousness. Time alone will reveal what reward will be allotted to women.”
    —Emmeline Pankhurst (1858–1928)