battle battle known older scholars battle fought march forces athens walter mercenaries resulting devastating victory engaged conflict original employers byzantine_empire traversed southern balkans arrived southern greece new duke athens walter hired attack greek ruler neighbouring conquered region walter refused pay salaries owed prepared forcibly expel gains armies met southern near according earlier interpretation considerably outnumbered weakened reluctance turkish fight company advantage selecting positioning terrain inundated water important lords present walter man confident prowess heavy cavalry proceeded charge line marsh attack infantry stood firm turks seeing battle joined earnest joined company army routed walter entire realm fell field result battle taken ruled greece background noble walter selected duke athens death time greek world turmoil owing actions group mercenaries veterans war originally hired byzantine_empire turks asia minor soon mutual suspicion brought open conflict evicted base gallipoli marched west macedonia pressed byzantine troops entered early arrival company strong caused concern region greek ruler having death throw john turned byzantium greek state aid defeated greeks agreed pass peacefully south southern greece walter youth fought italy spoke gained respect hired company months greeks high price gold heavy light months payment advance turning captured town thirty fortresses plundered rich plain forcing greek states come terms walter gave walter remarkable success brought accolades financial rewards pope duke declined end deal pay remaining months pay instead walter picked best horsemen infantry company paid gave land remain service ordering rest hand conquests depart lands response offered recognize lord allowed land taken establish walter rejected proposal began preparations expel force purpose duke athens assembled large army comprising prominent lord marshal barons george john reinforcements sent battle sources report detail events battle drawing hand accounts reflecting point view near contemporary chronicle version chronicle account found history byzantine writer according chronicle army comprised cavalry infantry turkish prisoners captured previous campaigns skill come value turks converted christianity sources differ size walter army reports cavalry infantry version chronicle puts cavalry infantry asserts comprised knights infantry native greeks modern scholars consider numbers clearly exaggerated suggest army numerical superiority place site battle resulted identification battle locality older literature including standard history repeated recent works chronicle hand places battle apparently town southern rejected identification basis topography described discovery letter venetian statesman published places battle altered scholarly consensus commonly accepted site battle faced numerically superior experienced enemy company assumed defensive position taking care select favoured chose naturally strong position protected swamp according enhanced digging trenches water diverted nearby river took positions dry ground swamp arranging solid line sources details exact disposition army hand assembled march walter composed testament led army forth eve battle duke service stricken conscience went asked leave rejoin old comrades arms saying die fight walter reportedly gave permission leave welcome die time turkish took separate position nearby thinking quarrel pretext arranged company duke athens walter reputed bravery bordering confident success evidenced reply mercenaries walter pride arrogance combined numerical advantage innate belief superiority heavy noble cavalry infantry led fatally opponent order charge adverse terrain action according formed cavalry line knights golden spurs followed infantry placed banner vanguard attack failed reason unclear description short provides details states heavy cavalry got completely stuck mud lightly armed swords knights heavy armour commonly accepted version scholars chronicle hand implies battle hard fought military historian notes marsh possibly simply reduced impact charge instead entirely clear held duke men fell lines clashed turkish ruse descended camp army routing remained reports fell battle number gives walter forces according killed seven knights survived battle like numbers overall number troops involved battle numbers probably exaggerated indicative scale defeat addition senior members nobility known survived later duke archipelago managed escape battlefield known participated survived battle probably captured later walter head severed years later taken italy son buried aftermath according battle significant defined decisive entire elite athens vassal states lay dead field moved lands resistance greek inhabitants immediately willingly surrendered strongly fortified town rewarded rights citizens capital abandoned inhabitants fled venetian stronghold plundered troops finally athens surrendered walter widow entirety passed peacefully hands remained hands loyalists turkish allies refused offer settle instead taking share booty departed return asia minor attacked annihilated joint forces byzantines trying cross dardanelles months later lacking leader stature turned distinguished captives asked knew respected lead declined chose instead proved unequal task hostility venice states compelled seek powerful protector turned sicily appointed son duke athens reality governed succession general appointed crown cadet members royal family successful general expanded establishing consolidated rule survived attempt recover twin plagued internal strife including quasi war venice increasingly felt threat attempt launch campaign came rule faced major setback conquered finally ambitious lord captured athens claimed crown capture era rule greece came end primary chronicle london alfred los del don del hospital jerusalem pour pour orient latin par geneva vol paris secondary kelly infantry warfare early fourteenth century isbn fine critical survey ottoman conquest isbn lock peter companion london new_york isbn miller william levant history greece new_york company centuries byzantium cambridge isbn greece hazard volume iii fourteenth fifteenth centuries madison wisconsin isbn levant volume thirteenth philadelphia pennsylvania isbn topping peter hazard volume iii fourteenth fifteenth centuries madison wisconsin isbn
Battle of Halmyros