Alexios Komnenos & Nikephoros Bryennios drew up elaborate battle lines

Summary:
Sent against the rebel Nikephoros Bryennios in Thrace, Alexios Komnenos camped in Thrace near the Halmyros river whilst his enemy Nikephoros Bryennios camped on the plain of Kedoktou. Alexios left a good distance between the camps, so that Bryennios (and his own men) should not see the weakness of his army. Bryennios drew up his forces for battle, with his brother Ioannes leading the right wing, comprising Italians, the men brought by the famous Maniakes, Thessalian horsemen and some of the Hetaireia, 5,000 in all. The left wing, under the command of Katakalon Tarchaneiotes, included Macedonian and Thracian troops totalling 3,000, flanked by Pecheneg auxiliaries who were to attack the enemy from the rear. Nikephoros himself was in the centre with elite Macedonian and Thracian troops, especially the Thessalian cavalry. Alexios hid some of his men in hollows, ordering them to attack when they found themselves behind the enemy. Despite instructions from Nikephoros III to postpone battle till the arrival of Turkish reinforcements, he divided the rest of the army in two: he himself commanded the Athanatoi and the Kelts, while Konstantinos Katakalon Euphorbenos had troops from Choma and the Turks, to keep watch on the Pechenegs 
Dates:
1078 
Emperor Alexios I Komnenos (Alexios 1)
  • Set up camp in Thrace near the Halmyros river whilst his enemy Nikephoros 62 set up camp on the plain of Kedoktou (:) Anna Komnene 19.51-57
  • Seeing that the terrain was partly open, partly secluded, allowing Bryennios (Nikephoros 62) to hide part of his army, he divided his army in two, put at the head of the Chomatenoi and the Turks Konstantinos 123, himself leading the Athanatoi and Franks (:) ἐπεὶ εἶδε τὸ μὲν ἀναπεπταμένον, τὸ δὲ λόφους καὶ κοιλάδας ἔχον, ὥστε δύνασθαι τὸ μὲν τῆς Βρυεννίου φάλαγγος ἀποκρύπτεσθαι, τὸ δ᾿ εἶναι καταφανές Bryennios 271.11-17
  • Not wishing to give away the weakness of his army he kept some distance between himself and the army of Nikephoros 62, hoping to learn more and win by guile rather than open attack (:) Anna Komnene 19.55-62
  • Pitched his camp near a river called Halmyros but did not dig trenches nor did he put up palisades, for he wanted, if possible, to anticipate the enemy attack and steal a victory, and he would indeed fight with few men against many brave generals (:) οὔτε τάφρον ὤρυξεν, οὔτε ἐπήξατο χάρακα Bryennios 267.12-21
  • Having an army smaller in number and forces, he wished to vanquish the enemy not only with courage, but with strategic planning and shrewdness, and sent spies who informed him that Bryennios (Nikephoros 62) was encamped in the plains of Kedoktou (:) ἐβούλετο...καὶ μελέτῃ καὶ ἀγχινοίᾳ καταστρατηγῆσαι τῶν πολεμίων Bryennios 267.21-25
  • Fearing that his army might flee before attacking the large enemy forces and afraid of waging war on that day against the emperor (Nikephoros 3 Botaneiates)'s wishes, he devised an excellent and most wise plan to conceal the enemy from his troops (:) διανοησάμενος μήπως οἱ ὑπ ᾿ αὐτὸν τεταγμένοι πρὸ τοῦ προσβαλεῖν τούτους τοῖς πολεμίοις εἰς φυγὴν ἐξωρμήσωσιν Bryennios 269.30-271.4
  • In making the arrangements for the battle with Nikephoros 62 he himself commanded the Athanatoi (Immortals) and the Celts, and gave the command of the Chomatenoi and Turks to Konstantinos 123 (:) Anna Komnene 21.4-15
  • At the battle of the river Halmyros, he did all he could before the battle to raise his army's morale; he hid part of his army in hollows, with orders to attack once they found themselves behind enemy troops (:) Anna Komnene 21.4-11
Ioannes Bryennios, brother of usurper Nikephoros (Ioannes 61)
  • Was placed by his brother Nikephoros 62 at the head of his army's right wing made of Franks brought from Italy by Maniakes (Georgios 62), numerous cavalrymen from Thessaly, and a considerable force from the hetaireiai, totalling no less than 5,000 men (:) ἔτι γε μὴν καὶ τῶν ἀπὸ τῶν ἑταιρειῶν λεγομένων μοῖρα οὐκ ἐλαχίστη, οὐκ ἐλάττους ὄντες οἱ πάντες τῶν πεντακισχιλίων Bryennios 269.8-14
  • At the battle of the river Halmyros, Nikephoros 62 put him in charge of the right wing, Italians and members of the detachment of the famous Maniakes, Thessalian cavalry and some of the Hetaireia, 5,000 men in all (:) Anna Komnene 20.79-82
Katakalon Tarchaneiotes, doux of Antioch (Katakalon 61)
  • Was placed by Nikephoros 62 Bryennios at the head of his army's left wing, made of Macedonian and Thracian troops totalling 3,000 men, and flanked by their Pecheneg allies (:) Τοῦ δ᾿ εὐωνύμου κέρως ἐξῆρχε Bryennios 269.14-22
  • At the battle of the river Halmyros, Nikephoros 62 put him in charge of the left wing, Macedonian and Thracian troops, 3,000 men in all, flanked by Pecheneg allies who were to attack the rear of the enemy (:) Anna Komnene 20.82-84
Konstantinos Katakalon Euphorbenos, military man and diplomat (Konstantinos 123)
  • Was placed by Alexios 1 Komnenos at the head of the Chomatenoi and the Turks of his army (sent by Nikephoros 3 Botaneiates to fight against the rebel Nikephoros 62 Bryennios), facing his Pecheneg troops (:) τῶν Χωματηνῶν δὲ καὶ τῶν Τούρκων τὸν Κατακαλὼν Κωνσταντῖνον ἡγεμόνα κατέστησε Bryennios 271.15-17
  • Was given command of the Chomatenoi and Turks by Alexios 1 in the battle against Nikephoros 62, with responsibility for surveillance of the enemy Pechenegs (:) Anna Komnene 21.13-15
Nikephoros Bryennios usurper [1077] (Nikephoros 62)
  • Having drawn up his forces in order of battle he extended the line of his army lengthwise and ordered the Pechenegs, who flanked the left wing, to attack the enemy from behind with shouting and cries at the sound of the trumpet signal (:) παραγγείλας, ἐπὰν οἱ πολέμιοι φανεῖεν καὶ ἡ σάλπιγξ ἠχήσῃ τὸ ἐνυάλιον, πειρᾶσθαι τοὺς ἀμφὶ τὸ Σκυθικὸν ξύν ἀλαλαγμῷ καὶ βοῇ κατὰ νώτου γενέσθαι τῶν πολεμίων Bryennios 269.22-26
  • Pitched his camp in the plains of Kedoktou and prayed in the local church of the Theometor, learnt from some Turks of Alexios 1 Komnenos's army captured by the guards that his opponents were encamped at Kalobrye, and ordered his entire army to arm (:) τῶν μετὰ τοῦ Κομνηνοῦ Ἀλεξίου Τούρκων τινὲς νύκτωρ ἀπιόντες ἐπὶ τῷ τοῦ Βρυεννίου σράτευμα κατασκέψασθαι τοῖς σκοποῖς ἐμπεσόντες ἑάλωσαν καὶ ἀχθέντες πάντα ἀπήγγειλαν Bryennios 267.24-269.7
  • Drew up his forces with at the head of the right wing Ioannes 61, Katakalon 61 (Katakalon Tarchaneiotes) at the left wing, and himself in the centre, commanding the nobility of Thrace and Macedonia and the best of the Thessalian cavalry (:) Τὸ δὲ μέσον τῆς φάλαγγος αὐτὸς ἐκεῖνος ὁ Βρυέννιος ἦγεν, ἐν ᾧ τό τε ἀρχοντικὸν ἐτάττετο ἅπαν καὶ Θρᾳκῶν τε καὶ Μακεδόνων καὶ τῆς ἵππου τῶν Θεσσαλῶν ὅσον ἐπίλεκτον Bryennios 269.7-20
  • He had camped, Alexios 1 heard, in the plains of Kedoktou, while Alexios himself pitched his camp near the Halmyros river, seeking to prevent Bryennios learning how small his army was (:) Anna Komnene 19.51-60
  • At the battle of the river Halmyros, he put Ioannes 61 in charge of the right wing and Katakalon 61 of the left, keeping the centre for himself, with elite Macedonian and Thracian troops and the best of the Thessalian cavalry, a fine sight (:) Anna Komnene 20.84-21.99