Battle of Tara (1150)
The Battle of Tara was a military engagement that occurred in 1150 during the Byzantine–Hungarian War, when Serbian Grand Prince Uroš II, an ally of the Kingdom of Hungary, ordered an army led by Grdeša, the župan of Travunia, and Vučina, to move against the Byzantine Empire. The Byzantines won the battle, capturing both Grdeša and Vučina.
Background
During the Serbian Uprising of 1149, Byzantine emperor Manuel I Komnenos failed to capture Uroš II, Grand Prince of Serbia, who conspired with the Hungarians and Normans. Manuel I in Autumn 1150 encamped with his army at Niš. He learned that Geza II sent some troops to an anonymous Serb brother of Beloš, and married to Uroš II's sister as well as close ally of Geza II, but the troops were intercepted around Drina and defeated by Manuel I. Remaining forces escaped toward river Strymon. Manuel I encamped at Sečanica and getting the news that the Hungarians didn't yet meet the Serbs, decided to attack them until reached river Tara.Battle
The battle took place at the river Tara. In the early morning the Byzantines sent scouts and small groups of light-armed troops forward to attract the Serbs out and shoot them with archers. However, the scouts didn't go far, returned in fear, seeing an "innumerable army", including "countless" Hungarian cavalry joined by many Chalisioi, while the Serbs joined by the Petchenegs, on the other side of the river.To save a group of scouts, Manuel I took the banner and rushed forward on a horse to the river where already were the archers, showing himself to the Serbs, who decided to attack. It was a hard battle, with the Byzantines constantly pursuing the enemies, capturing Serbian nobles Grdeša and Vučina, but also Byzantine generals Michael Branas and Frank Giphardus rushed into danger, but were saved by Manuel I and his regiment. They were attacked on the left front, but the ambushers fled away again. Manuel I took John Kantakouzenos (sebastos) and John Doukas Komnenos to pursue them, reportedly in the process "hurled fifteen of the foe to the floor with a single thrust of his lance". After killing them 40, Manuel I's became exhausted, Kantakouzenos went forward and managed to have non-critical hit on Serbian grand župan Bakchinos. Kantakouzenos was barely saved by Manuel I, but then the emperor himself became the target. Using the sword, he fought until remained only himself and Bakchinos, with the latter almost giving a lethal hit to the emperor, then the emperor cut Bakchinos' hand and forced him to submit.