Battle of Ērģeme

Russo-Lithuanian War Swedish stage Báthory's campaign The Battle of Ērģeme (also Battle of Ermes) (Estonian: Härgmäe lahing; German: Schlacht bei Ermes; Russian: Битва под Эрмесом; Latvian: Ērģemes kauja) was fought on 2 August 1560 in present-day Latvia (near Valka) as part of the Livonian War between the forces of Ivan IV of Russia and the Livonian Confederation.

Initially, the knights successfully trampled a Russian outpost and drove the retreating enemy to the latter's main units, only to find themselves unexpectedly surrounded on all sides.

Barbashin's main forces had no more than 1,000 at their disposal,[2] although Prince Kurbsky called the number at 12,000, modern historians find these figures overstated.

In Moscow captivity, Philip von Belle was questioned by Ivan the Terrible, but the Land Marshal's insolent and haughty answers infuriated the Tzar.

The sole survivor among the high-ranking prisoners of the war, the Bishop of Dorpat Hermann II Wesel, who had been captured in 1558, somehow retained the Tzar's favor and was allowed to bury the dead outside of town in accordance with the manner of the Catholic faith.