Byzantiad - Insurrection in Italy: Final Battle

Imperialists and rebels arrayed for battle

"Following his defeat at Tarentum (the Battle of Langobardia) the rebellious Georgios Kantankeros retreated with his army to Bari, where he determined to make a final stand. He had found more spear and bow armed foot to build up his army, and with it occupied a strong line not far south of the sea port. On the right, one of his units of skoutatoi, backed by kavallarioi, occupied low hill with gentle slopes. In the centre he massed the bulk of his cavalry, where he stationed himself. On the left, the seaward flank, stood a tract of woodland, within which he placed his second body of skoutatoi. Although not especially adapted to fighting in such terrain, Kantankeros supposed they might yet give a good account of themselves, even against the Imperial marines. Finally, a small body of light horse formed his reserve.

The rebels awaiting the Imperial onset

"Upon observing the rebel line, the Emperor planned a major attack along the open field, and left the marines solely to engage the skoutatoi in the woods. The remaining infantry, his own skoutatoi and Varangian Guard, were to clear the enemy off the hill, whilst he himself, together with the kataphraktoi, undertook to ride down the rebel centre. A unit of kavallarioi made up his reserve."
Michael Psellophanes, Byzantiad

Skoutatoi vs Skoutatoi in battle

The earliest probes the rebels easily threw back, even cutting up the kataphraktoi, though one of Kantakeros's cavalry units was also driven in.  Disadvantaged by the slope, the Imperial skoutatoi  were also repulsed, and fell back from the hill.  They drew back behind the Varangians, who then took up the fight.  

The Imperialists advance

The subsequent attacks were far more successful. Although the marines made little progress through the wooded country - a deadlock that was to last the duration - the Imperialists thrust back the rebel centre. The Varangian Guard also threw the enemy infantry from the hill, creating a confused mass of horse and foot to the rebel rear. This is where the two-unit limit in the rear areas can prove decisive. As usual, I allow one turn for the embarrassed defenders to fight their way back into the field, provided they have the initiative. Wanting this, Kantankeros lost two units of his army, though he did manage to regain some ground in the centre.

Rebels piled up in their rear areas

A cavalry counter attack even drove the Imperial skoutatoi away from the hill and into the plain, and the Emperor's own troop took some loss.  

Rebels try one last counter attack...

 

Were the rebels, as they had twice before, to show resilience and stubborn defiance in the face of apparently imminent defeat?  Whilst the lone cavalry unit sustained the rebel right wing, a mixed force of horse and foot took the battle to the Imperial centre (the 1-3 initiative dice in the picture, orange for the Imperialists), which sustained some loss. But when the kataphraktoi fell back a second time to regroup, Emperor Dementius led his heavy cavalry in one final attack.

The Emperor breaks through the rebel centre

It was immediately decisive. The rebel centre reeled under the blow. Driven back with loss, unable to recover the ground, neither horse nor foot were able to renew the fight.  The Imperialists broke through, the rebel wings were left isolated, and the whole rebel army took to flight.  

Heavy loss on both sides, but both leaders 
remain unhurt

"That was the end of the pretensions of the erstwhile governor of Calabria and Apulia. Surviving the battle, and escaping capture withal, George Kantankeros fled north, beyond the Imperial frontier, and into the lands of the Lombard Duke. If the caitiff rogue hoped thence to find help, or even a sympathetic hearing from the Lombard court, he was to be bitterly disappointed..."

George Kantankeros fleeing the field at Bari,
pursued by the Emperor's own troop of horse.

To be continued... the Political situation; and why Kantankeros failed to find support in Lombardy.