Battle of Chrysopolis, 324 AD: 1700th Anniversary, Sep 18

[Andrew_NZ]

Currently actually working on my long term project to put together a Late Roman Army for the campaigns of Constantine I.  Managed to walk out to the Milvian Bridge when in Rome last year - "up the Tiber without a paddle".  But more imminently noticed that Constantine concluded his final victory over Licinius, re-uniting the Empire under one Caesar Augustus, on Sep 18, 324.  Seventeen hundred years ago next week.  Anybody planning an anniversary refight.  Mine is booked in.

I recently purchased Ian Hughes' book, A Military Life of Constantine the Great, to ease my efforts with finding information for refighting Constantine's battles.  Given his conclusion, "there is absolutely no account anywhere giving detailed information concerning the two armies used in this battle" then I feel empowered to put whatever I have on the table in anniversary celebration.  Some Gothic mercenaries for Licinius seems good for the spectacle.  No need to aim for a total of 130,000 - scepticism abounds.  Shall be using Lost Battles with some higher ground along Constantine's baseline.  Some of Licinius' troops will be Levy quanity to reflect recruitment after his retreat from the Battle of Andrianople (3 July 324 AD - not the SoA game day one).  Have not managed to model a Labarum to move about the table, something to aspire to in a future game.

Question for the assembled luminaries: 

I have read lots of discussions about why Constantine established Constantinople where he did.  Capital for the Eastern Empire, excellent logistical/trade connections, ability to move to defend the frontier, and doubtless more I've forgotten.  But nowhere do I recall mention of the city being a victory monument to celebrate finally defeating Licinius at the Battle of Chrysopolis.  Just a short ferry crossing from Constantinople.  You can see the site across the water.  Milvian Bridge had Rome conveniently close to celebrate his other major victory, just across the water there too.

[Andreas Johansson]

the Battle of Andrianople (3 July 324 AD - not the SoA game day one)

Tangential, but Keegan suggests in A History of Warfare that Adrianople/Edirne is the place with the most battles to its name. He lists fifteen or so, putting the Isonzo to shame.

[Duncan Head]

But nowhere do I recall mention of the city being a victory monument to celebrate finally defeating Licinius at the Battle of Chrysopolis.

It's sort of what the Excerpta Valesiana (6.30) says: "In commemoration of his splendid victory Constantine called Byzantium Constantinople after his own name; and as if it were his native city, he adorned it with great magnificence and wished to make it equal to Rome."

[Erpingham]

the Battle of Andrianople (3 July 324 AD - not the SoA game day one)

Tangential, but Keegan suggests in A History of Warfare that Adrianople/Edirne is the place with the most battles to its name. He lists fifteen or so, putting the Isonzo to shame.

I think Thermopylae would run it close.

[Andrew_NZ]

Thanks for the responses.  Great to see my thoughts confirmed by the most original source material available.  Always need to do that literature survey.  Even better when the experts do it for you - shades of my PhD.  Rather like that my tour in the northern hemisphere last year included walking on both battle sites: Milvian Bridge and Chrysopolis. 

Think my figures will double up for both the 324 and 378 Battles of Adrianople, but looking at the wikipedia disambiguation list, not any others of the 15 or so, . . .  Funny to find myself starting at the final battle to secure the Empire and then working backwards.  And they aren't even BCE dates.  Will post a picture or four once the game has happened.

Lost my sun hat shifting seats on the very crowded public bus as we drove through Thermopylae last year too.

[stevenneate]

If your refight wins the final battle, then ipso facto, you can conclude you must have won all the earlier ones as well. Empire secured, posterity safe.

[stevenneate]

And an interesting era of history to build armies for, may I add. Lots of Roman variety, characters & personalities, and enemies everywhere.