The Byzantine catepan of Italy, Michael Doukeianos, moved from Bari with the few troops he could muster, including some Varangians, troops from the Opsikion tagma and several Thracians.
•
The battle had its origin in the decision of Arduin the Lombard, a Greek-speaking Lombard who had fought for the Byzantines, to change sides and form a coalition with the Normans Rainulf Drengot and the Hauteville brothers (William Iron Arm, Drogo, Humphrey), and the Lombards Atenulf of Benevento and Argyrus of Bari.
•
He was able to defeat the first rebel troops he met, and he pursued them at Ascoli Satriano.
Battle of Waterloo | Battle of Britain | Battle of the Somme | Battle of the Bulge | Battle of Gettysburg | Battle Creek, Michigan | Battle of France | Battle of Trafalgar | Battle of Hastings | Battle of Antietam | battle | Battle of Shiloh | Battle of Midway | Battle of Belleau Wood | Battle of the Alamo | Battle of Leipzig | Battle of Agincourt | Battle of Verdun | Battle of Thermopylae | Battle of the Plains of Abraham | Battle of Vienna | Second Battle of the Marne | Second Battle of El Alamein | Battle of the Nile | Battle of the Boyne | Battle of Stalingrad | Battle of Austerlitz | The Last Battle | Kathleen Battle | Battle of Vitoria |