"...The past several season had been bleak for Byzantine arms. Summer, though, was a time for rejoicing in Constantinople. St. Sophia's dome echoed with singing and Te Deums nearly every day. Six major battles were fought by the Emperor's armies -- seven, if you count the Gepids as auxillaries -- and all but one resulted in victory. In Greece, the Vandals launched two invasions. Both were driven from the shores with many Vandals slaughtered or captured. Three clashes with the Slavs occurred in Noricum, Dneister and Arbor Neri -- all saw the Slavs fleeing in disorder. Only in Belgica, where the empire sought to expand into the fertile plains ruled by the Visigothic of Gaul were the Byzantines checked. The Visigoth's own attempt at expansion into Gepid Savia was driven back by the emperor's allies. Since Justinian's war to reconquer the West had begun, never had he celebrated such a summer...."
Border Crossing Sent Reeling
Reversing direction after success against the Gepids, the Vandal warlord Genseric crossed into Macedonia. Byzantine General Julain's levy-augmented force met them in a river valley, their flanks well protected. Genseric's horsemen bounced off the Byzantine battleline, then were sent reeling back in defeat by Julian's counterthrust.
Vandal Hero Cut Down
Watchfires burned along the hilltops of Epirus, as alarm spread of the Vandal sea invasion. General Diogenes concentrated his men quickly and caught the invaders fragmented into several marching columns. In a confused, scattered battle amongst mountain slopes and valley floors, Diogenes men overwhelmed the Vandals, capturing or driving them into the sea. Even the Vandal hero, Ammatas, was cut down trying to rally his men, as the invasion ended in disaster.
Route Opened into Slavic Land
Knowing General Ambrosius' men in the Black Forest were cut off, Basileus pushed into Noricum to link up with them. The local Slav chieftain, Pres, called out the tribes and met the invader in the woods, scattering his men in various ambushes. After early Slavic success almost split Basileus' army into two, Pres' tribesmen were ground down by the steady Byzantine attack. The invaders were too well trained and Noricum fell to the Byzantines.
Visigoths Turn Back Byzantines
Encouraged by Basileus' link up, the main Byzantine army, led by General Ambrosius, marched onto the plains of Belgica. Though political enemies, battle between the Visigoths and Byzantines had been rare. The warlord Vortigeric met Ambrosius in the rolling hills and immediately attacked. A suicidal charge on the left wing was followed up by a combined mounted and foot attack on Ambrosius' main cavalry force. The battle was fierce, but the Visigoths eventually drove Ambrosius' men back into the Black Forest.
Slavic Pincer Snapped
Meanwhile, the main Slavic armies launched a two-pronged invasion of Byzantine territory. The eastern thrust into Dneister was led by Kawalskus. He was met in the forest clearings by the garrison of the local governor Zosimus, along with substantial emergency levies. The tribesmen were no match for the Byzantine cavalry or heavy infantry in the open, and were driven out of Dneister, their eastern pincer movement snapped.
Levies Defend Forest Province
The western pincer, led by the Slav cheiftain Piastes, met with no greater success. A force composed mostly of fortress garrisons and retired veterans defended a river bank in Arbor Neri. Using tactics honed over the last couple years of warfare against the Slavs, the provincial governor Basilicus repelled the invasion, holding onto Byzantium's westernmost bastion.
Hard Charges Saves Kingdom
The Visigoths suspected their invasion of the fragmented kingdom of the Gepids would be easy. They had thrashed the Gepid warlord Elemendus last season, and figured his troops to be demoralized. When the two battlelines collided, the Visigoths were surprised and bowled over by the Gepid ferocity. Elemendus led his troopers on a hard charged that broke the Visigoth line and drove the overconfident invaders out of Savia.