The Battle
Leo moved to Apulia, and reached the Fortore river near the city of Civitate (or Civitella, northwest of Foggia). The Normans went forth to intercept the Papal army near Civitella and prevent its union with the Byzantine army, led by Argyrus. The Normans were short on supplies and had fewer men than their enemies, with no more than 3,000 horsemen and a few infantry against 6,000 horsemen and infantry. They asked for a truce, but before the negotiations ended, they attacked the Papal army.
The two armies were divided by a small hill. The Normans put their horsemen in three formations, with the men of Richard on the right, Humphrey in the center, and Robert Guiscard, with his horsemen and his infantry (the sclavos, the Slavic infantry), on the left. In front of them, the Papal army was divided into two parts, with the Swabian horsemen (able to fight even on foot) on a thin and long line on the right, and the Italians amassed on the left, under the command of Rudolf. Pope Leo was in the city, but his standard, the vexillum sancti Petri, was with his allied army.
The battle started with the attack of the Count of Aversa against the Italians. After moving across the plain, they arrived in front their opponents, who broke formation and fled without even trying to resist; the Normans killed many of them and moved further towards the Papal field-camp.
The Swabians, in the meantime, had moved to the hill, and came into contact with the Norman center, overwhelming it despite a numerical disadvantage. Robert Guiscard, seeing his brother in danger, moved with the left wing to the hill, and succeeded in easing the Swabian pressure, and also displayed his personal bravery.
The situation on the center was balanced. The day was decided by the return of Richard, which resulted in the defeat of the Swabians and of the Papal coalition.
Read more about this topic: Battle Of Civitate
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