Historical Background
The Battle of Adrianople was fought on 3 July 324 between the Roman emperors Constantine I and Licinius near Adrianople (modern Edirne, Turkey), on the confluence of the Hebrus (Evros) river with its tributary the Ardas. The battle was part of the Civil Wars of the Tetrarchy, the final chapter of the power struggles that had plagued the Roman Empire since the collapse of Diocletian's system of shared rule.
Constantine had already defeated Licinius in 316, seizing the entire Balkan Peninsula except Thrace, after which a peace held for seven years.
By 324 he was ready to renew the conflict. When his army crossed into Licinius territory in pursuit of a raiding Visigothic or possibly Sarmatian force, a convenient pretext for war was created. Licinius overreacted, his response was interpreted as hostile, and Constantine invaded Thrace with a large army numbering around 130,000 men against Licinius' 165,000.
The two armies faced each other for several days across the Hebrus, neither willing to risk a crossing against a prepared enemy.
Constantine then resorted to deception: he had construction materials and ropes conspicuously assembled at one point along the river, far from his intended crossing, to mislead Licinius into expecting a bridge there. Meanwhile, he secretly positioned 5,000 foot archers and cavalry on a wooded hillside overlooking a narrow stretch of the river upstream, then led his cavalry across the narrows in a surprise attack.
The ruse succeeded completely; the rest of his army crossed at the same point, and what followed was, in the words of the historian Zosimus, "a great massacre." Licinius was slightly wounded and fled to the city of Byzantium. Losses on his side exceeded 34,000 killed.
Notably, this was the first major engagement in which Constantine's army fought under the labarum, his Christian standard. Its presence reportedly inspired his own troops while unnerving those of Licinius.
The battle was one of the largest armed clashes of the 4th century, fought on a site that would see many other historic engagements - described by the source as "the most disputed spot in World History." Though it did not immediately end the civil war, Adrianople marked the beginning of the end for Licinius, who was ultimately defeated at the Battle of Chrysopolis later that same year and eventually executed.
The stage is set. The battle lines are drawn and you are in command. The rest is history.
War Council
Constantine Army (use red blocks)
• Leader: Constantine the Great
• 10 Command Cards
• Move First 
Licinius Army (use purple blocks)
• Leader: Licinius
• 8 Command Cards
Victory
13 Banners
Special Rules
• The river is fordable.
• Additionally, fords do not block movement (but they normally reduce attack and defense dice)
• Julian Legions rule is in effect for both armies.
• When a unit occupies an enemy camp hex at the start of the player’s turn, remove the camp terrain tile hex. For each such removed camp, collect one Victory Banner.
