| Battle of Tara | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part ofByzantine-Serbian Wars andByzantine–Hungarian War (1149–1155) | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Grand Principality of Serbia Kingdom of Hungary |  Byzantine Empire | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Grdeša (POW) Vučina (POW) Bakchinos (POW) | Manuel I Komnenos John Kantakouzenos (WIA) John Doukas Komnenos Michael Branas Frank Giphardus | ||||||
TheBattle of Tara was a military engagement that occurred in 1150 during theByzantine–Hungarian War, whenSerbian Grand Prince Uroš II, an ally of theKingdom of Hungary, ordered an army led byGrdeša, thežupan (count) ofTravunia, andVučina, to move against theByzantine Empire. The Byzantines won the battle, capturing both Grdeša and Vučina.[1]
During theSerbian Uprising of 1149, Byzantine emperorManuel I Komnenos failed to captureUroš II, Grand Prince of Serbia,[2] who conspired with the Hungarians and Normans.[1] Manuel I in Autumn 1150 encamped with his army atNiš. He learned thatGeza II sent some troops to an anonymous Serb brother ofBeloš, and married to Uroš II's sister as well as close ally of Geza II, but the troops were intercepted around Drina and defeated by Manuel I.[1] Remaining forces escaped toward riverStrymon (considered to be near modernParaćin, 70 km north-west of Niš). Manuel I encamped atSečanica (12 km of Niš) and getting the news that the Hungarians didn't yet meet the Serbs, decided to attack them until reached riverTara.[1][3]
The battle took place at the riverTara. In the early morning the Byzantines sent scouts and small groups of light-armed troops forward to attract the Serbs out and shoot them with archers. However, the scouts didn't go far, returned in fear, seeing an "innumerable army", including "countless" Hungarian cavalry joined by manyChalisioi (Khazars), while the Serbs joined by thePetchenegs, on the other side of the river.[1][3]
To save a group of scouts, Manuel I took the banner and rushed forward on a horse to the river where already were the archers, showing himself to the Serbs, who decided to attack.[1] It was a hard battle, with the Byzantines constantly pursuing the enemies, capturing Serbian noblesGrdeša andVučina, but also Byzantine generals Michael Branas and Frank Giphardus rushed into danger, but were saved by Manuel I and his regiment.[1] They were attacked on the left front, but the ambushers fled away again. Manuel I tookJohn Kantakouzenos (sebastos) andJohn Doukas Komnenos (lost two fingers) to pursue them, reportedly in the process "hurled fifteen of the foe to the floor with a single thrust of his lance".[4] After killing them 40, Manuel I's became exhausted, Kantakouzenos went forward and managed to have non-critical hit on Serbiangrand župan Bakchinos (Bagin). Kantakouzenos was barely saved by Manuel I, but then the emperor himself became the target. Using the sword, he fought until remained only himself and Bakchinos, with the latter almost giving a lethal hit to the emperor, then the emperor cut Bakchinos' hand and forced him to submit.[1][4]
Manuel I captured 50 captives, and later Uroš II reached the camp, asking for forgiveness and giving eternal oath as a subject to the Byzantines,[1] helping with 2000 men when the emperor fights in the West and 300 in addition of previous 200 men for Asian campaigns.[1] The natives also decided to choose his brotherDesa as a co-ruler.[1] It is assumed that some of the prisoners were taken toSredets (modern Sofia), but were released by 1151,[5] when a "Grd" is mentioned as a witness of Desa's charter to the Monastery of St. Mary onMljet.[6][verification needed]
1151 i u tom interesantna: potpisani su kao svjedoci prvo ljudi Desini župan Grdeša. Tješimir, satnik Rasteša i župan Gruibeša, zatim neki Charilus i Sranlanitus, pa knez Petar sa sinom Gojislavom, Silvester Avelinus Stepaca i notar Matej.109 Charilus i Sranlanitus valjada su normanski posrednici u ovom ugovoru kojim je ...
 | This article about a battle is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
 | ThisByzantine Empire–related article is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |