Editing Battle of Fontenoy (841) (section)

==Battle==
The two armies met on 25 June.<ref>{{cite book|editor=Clifford J. Rogers|title=The Oxford Encyclopedia of Medieval Warfare and Military Technology|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2010|page=53}}</ref> According to tradition, Charles established his camp at [[Thury, Yonne|Thury]], on the hill of [[Roichat]]. Lothair and Pepin initiated battle and took the upper hand until the arrival of Guerin and his army of Provençals. While Pepin and his contingent continued to push back Charles' men, Lothair was slowly pushed back by Louis the German and the Provençals. Finally, when victory seemed sure for Charles, [[Bernard of Septimania]] entered the conflict on his side and the victory became a rout. According to [[Andreas Agnellus]] of Ravenna a total of 40,000<ref>Eric Joseph, ''Struggle for Empire'', Cornell University, 2006, {{ISBN|0-8014-3890-X}},  p. 103:  Joseph states this number, given by [[Agnellus, Bishop of Ravenna|Agnellus]] of Ravenna, is probably exaggerated.</ref> men died, including [[Gerard of Auvergne]] and [[Ricwin of Nantes]], who fell at Charles' side.

"Neither dew nor showers nor rain ever fell again on that field where the most battle-hardened warriors had perished mourned by their mothers, their sisters, their brothers, and their friends. On Charles' side and Louis' too, the fields were white with the linen habits of the dead as they might have been with birds in the autumn."<ref>''Poet''., p. 138; French trans. in D. Norberg, ''Manuel pratique de latin medieval'', Paris, 1968, p. 166.</ref>

In spite of his personal gallantry, Lothair was defeated and fled to his capital of [[Aachen]]. With fresh troops he entered upon a war of plunder, but the forces of his brothers were too strong for him, and taking with him such treasure as he could collect, he abandoned to them his capital.