Atlas of Battles

battle, major, medieval

Battle of Saule

Battle of Saule was a battle fought on 22 September 1236 at Latvia, in what is now Lithuania. It was part of the Livonian Crusade. The recorded result: Samogitian and Semigalian victory. Recorded strength: 3,000 against 4,000–5,000.

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Stamps of Lithuania, 2011
Stamps of Lithuania, 2011. Post of Lithuania, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought22 September 1236
WhereLatvia, Lithuania56.114N, 23.514E
OutcomeSamogitian and Semigalian victory
BelligerentsLivonian Brothers of the Sword; Pskov Land; Livonians; LatgalliansagainstSamogitians; Semigallians
Casualties and losses48–60 knights killed; 2,700 total killedand1,200 total killed
Part ofLivonian Crusade1198

Where it sits in the Livonian Crusade

Battle of Rodenpois, 1205Battle of Ümera, 1210Battle of Cēsis, 1210Battle of Riga, 1210Battle of Turaida, 1211Battle of Lehola, 1215Battle of Riga, 1215Battle of Otepää, 1217Siege of Tallinn, 1221Battle of Viljandi, 1223Siege of Tartu, 1224Battle of Saule, 1236Battle of Embūte, 1244Battle of Memel, 1257Battle of Karuse, 1270Battle of Aizkraukle, 1279Battle of Garoza, 128712051287Battle of Saule, 1236
17 placed engagements of the Livonian Crusade in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date22 September 1236
PlaceLatvia, Lithuania
56.114N, 23.514E
KindBattle, medieval
Territorial changeDissolution of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword and formation of the Livonian Order
Strength3,0004,000–5,000
Casualties and losses48–60 knights killed; 2,700 total killed1,200 total killed
Commanders
  • Vykintas
Battle of SauleBattle of SauleŠiauliai OffensiveBattle of GemauerthofOperation DoppelkopfBattle of SaladenBattle of TryszkiBattle of GemauerthofOperation DoppelkopfBattle of TryszkiRigaLiepagaKaunasKlaipėdaJelgavaSovetsk100 km56.114N, 23.514E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

The ground today

Relief of the ground around the site of Battle of Saule
Relief within about 10.0 km of the site, contours every 5 m. Copernicus DEM GLO-30, ESA.
Satellite view of the site of Battle of Saule today
The same ground from Sentinel-2 on 2024-10-18. Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2024.

The recorded site stands at about 74 m; within 10.0 km the ground runs from 69 to 115 m, 46 m of relief, flat country and today it is 74% cropland, 20% tree cover, 4% grassland.

cropland: 74%tree cover: 20%grassland: 4%cropland 74%tree cover 20%grassland 4%
west to east, 10.0 km72 to 106 mnorth to south, 10.0 km73 to 98 m
Elevation from the Copernicus DEM GLO-30 (ESA, Airbus); land cover from ESA WorldCover 2021 (CC BY 4.0), within about 5 km of the recorded site. Computed, not recorded.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1236

Battle of Saule is one of 629 engagements of the 13th century in the atlas and one of 56 in present-day Lithuania.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q853754, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Saule, revision 1376210378, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.