La bataille d’Andrinople (378)

This painting depicts the Battle of Adrianople in 378, during which the Roman army led by Emperor Valens was decisively defeated by the Goths. This battle marked a major defeat for Rome and revealed the vulnerability of its army against so-called ‘barbarian’ peoples. The death of the emperor on the battlefield intensified the political and military shock. This event is often considered a turning point in Roman history, foreshadowing the great migrations and the gradual decline of the Western Roman Empire.