Battle of Agedicium
| Battle of Agedicium | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Fiorentine conquest of Atresca | |||||||||
 19th-century painting depicting the battle | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
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Tiennese Rocans Ilii |
 Fiorentine Empire | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Canthusa † |
Leo II Felicius Florus Calvinus | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
| ~21,000 | 37,500 in two legions | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| ~5,600 | 1,430 | ||||||||
The Battle of Agedicium (/'adʒə:di:tʃʊm/, AJ-adeech-um) was a military battle fought between the coalition of native Atrescan tribes - mainly the Tiennese, Rocans and Ilii - and the expanding Fiorentine Empire, under King (Rex) Leo II, in 326 BC. The battle was the second and last significant battle between the native Atrescans and the Fiorentines, along with the Battle of Careias in 327 BC, and effectively saw native Atrescan resistance to Fiorentine conquest eliminated. The battle came as the Fiorentines looked west after consolidating their rule of Midrasia, looking to dominate the coast of the Asur for trade and military purposes. The Fiorentines, almost outnumbering the natives 2-to-1, effectively slaughtered the native coalition, led by Ilii tribesman Canthusa, in two days, decisively wiping out the coalition and forcing its leaders to flee north. Despite the overwhelming Fiorentine victory, the natives inflicted many casualties on the Fiorentines, leading to increased repercussions for the native populace once it was brought under Fiorentine rule.
The native forces, consisting of around 20,000 men, took defensive positions in the Rocan city of Agedicium, hoping the Fiorentine army would march in separated to attempt a flank manoeuvre, however when the Fiorentine army marched on Agedicium collectively, the natives were outnumbered and disorganised, with many fleeing prematurely and their leader, Canthusa, killed early in the battle. Around 6,000 natives fleed, a further 5,600 killed and the rest, numbering around 10,000, either imprisoned, later executed or used as slave labour throughout the empire. The city of Agedicium was partially destroyed and a large statue of Fiorentine general Felicius Florus Calvinus was erected in the centre of the city on the request of Leo II, signalling absolute Fiorentine rule over Atresca.
The battle set the precedent for further native resistance, and was used extensively by the Fiorentines for propaganda purposes, especially during the expeditions north into Thiaric land and also down into Arabekh. Many historians mark Agedicium as the decisive moment in the empire's early history that allowed it to dominate the continent. Historians also theorise the brutality of the battle and the number of Fiorentine losses contributed to the brutal native policy the Fiorentines implemented on much of Asura regarding its culture, heritage and land.