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Emperors 
Battle of Melantias(Battle of Melanthius) |
year: 559 |
| The Byzantines defeated and repelled the invading Kutrigurs | ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ |
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enemy: Kutrigurs
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location: In Melantias (or Melantiada) in Eastern Thrace (the European part of Turkey) around 20 miles from Constantinople
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accuracy:
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battle type: Repulsion |
war: Barbarian raids |
modern country:
Turkey |
| ▼ The Byzantines(emperor: Justinian I) | ▼ The Enemies | |
| Commander: | General Belisarius | Khan Zabergan |
| Forces: | 300 horsemen and a number of irregulars | 7,000 (only 2,000 took part) |
| Losses: | none | 400 killed |
| Background story: |
| When an army of Kutrigurs, under Khan Zabergan crossed the frozen Danube into Moesia (modern Bulgaria) and Thrace, threatening Constantinople itself, the great Byzantine General Belisarius was brought out of retirement by Emperor Justinian. |
The Battle: |
 Belisarius After this failure, the host of the raiders were driven back across the Danube. |
Noteworthy: |
| The battle has been recorded in historiography as the “battle of Melanthius” although the name of the place in Greek is Melantias or Melantiada. The reasons for this mistake are not clear. |
Aftermath: |
| It was the last battle of Belisarius, one of the greatest generals in World history. The Kutrigurs did not create other problems and it is believed that later they were absorbed by the Avars and partly by the Bulgars. |
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