Battle of Abritus 251 AD: Roman Empire Vs Germanic Goths | 4K Cinematic

In the year 251, a large Roman army led by the Emperor Trajan Decius marched into the eastern Danube region in pursuit of a Germanic Gothic army, which had invaded the empire's eastern frontier near the lands of Dacia and Thracia, which were located around modern-day Bulgaria. A year prior, the Goths, under the command of their king Cniva, had invaded the region, sacking and looting Roman towns and settlements, whilst the Roman commander Decius and the bulk of his armies had returned to Rome from campaigning within that very same region, only having restored order by crushing the Germanic invasions just a year prior. At the grand age of 60 years old, Decius was officially anointed as Roman Emperor at the end of the year 249. Decius, along with his imperial army, pursued Cniva and the Goths throughout Thracia, eventually coming to a rest at the town of Augusta Traiana. Though whilst Decius and his army was resting, Cniva and the Goths sprung a surprise attack on the Roman town, and in the process inflicted a heavy defeat on Decius' army. Decius and his remaining forces retreated north to the town of Huescus, where he would await for reinforcements to rebuild his weakened army. After winning two victories against the Romans in a short span, and successfully sacking the city of Philippolis, the Goths had come away with vast amounts of treasure and upgraded Roman equipment in the process. Cniva and his army were now keen on leaving the empire and returning home with their spoils of war. Though upon their march north the Goths were pursued by Decius and his fully rebuilt Roman army, Cniva was aware that the Romans would pursue his men, and since they were carrying heavy amounts of treasure and loot, he knew that they could not successfully outrun the Romans. He devised a strategy to face the Romans in a head-on pitched battle. Upon their retreat, Cniva had surveyed the surrounding lands in preparation for the oncoming Roman army. He then ordered his men to turn and face the oncoming Romans. Cniva then arranged his army into three lines of battle, each one separated by a good distance. The plan by the Gothic king was to entice the Romans into committing their full force into battle, Decius, thinking that there was only a small contingent of barbarians to his front, gave the order to advance towards the Gothic hall. Out of position! The front lines of both armies came crashing into one another. The Roman front line holds firm, eventually scattering the Gothic front line and sending them retreating from the Roman's line of sights. The second Gothic line was close behind and soon formed up to charge at the Romans once again. This was all part of Cniva's plan. He wanted the Romans to believe they were gaining the upper hand, thus enticing them to keep pushing forward recklessly, in which Cniva could spring his trap. Decius's Romans pushed onward until they caught sight of the Gothic second line. The second line of Goths came crashing into the Romans. Dealing more damage with moderate Roman casualties taken in the process. As with the first effort, the Romans had beaten back the Goths fairly decisively, sending them running from the field of battle. After having won two straight engagements against the barbarians, the Romans used their momentum to push forward and finish off Cniva and the Goths. This is exactly what Cniva was waiting patiently for. The third and final line of the Gothic tribes came charging from the dense foliage and straight at the Roman lines. By this point, the Romans were now fully committed and were completely unaware that they had walked directly into a trap. The first and second lines of Gothic tribes that had retreated from the earlier engagements, had done so strategically. Whilst the Romans were too occupied with gaining a decisive and quick victory, Cniva was able to conceal his first and second lines within the terrain's foliage awaiting patiently for the Romans to advance. And thus at the right moment having them emerge and surround the Romans from all sides. The tired and depleted Romans were now fully surrounded on all sides and had no way of escape. They were slaughtered, including the Roman emperor Decius himself, whom was the first Roman emperor to be killed during battle with a foreign enemy. The losses on both sides is not accurately reported. It was estimated though that the majority of the Roman army was killed during the battle with few survivors managing to escape the chaos. This battle was one of many major defeats that occurred throughout Rome's long history and was a pivotal point in the overall decline of the Roman Empire that would proceed in the following two centuries.