Editing Battle of Adrianople (1205) (section)

== Siege ==
The Latins did not attack the castle head on; rather, they began a prolonged siege, in order to tire the defenders. By surrounding the city with siege machinery and digging mines under the walls, they greatly weakened the defences and patiently waited for an opening.  The main forces of Latin knights created well-structured guarded camps around the city to spot and ward off any aid that may have come. In front of each gate of the castle walls a unit was placed, which notably included a [[Venice|Venetian]] contingent led by [[Doge of Venice|Doge]] [[Enrico Dandolo]].

Honouring his obligations to the rebellious Greeks, Tsar Kaloyan arrived with his army and encamped approximately 25 kilometers northeast of the city on April 10, 1205. According to [[Geoffrey of Villehardouin]], a French historian and knight who had accompanied the Crusaders to the Balkans, the army consisted of up to 54,000 men.