Domain of Soissons
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| Information | |
|---|---|
| Country: |  Western Roman Empire |
| Capital: | Soissons |
| Division: | Province |
| Rulers: | Aegidius (457-464) Paulus (464) |
| Area: | km² |
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The Domain of Soissons (Italian: Dominio di Siagrio) or incorrectly[citation needed] called the Kingdom of Soissons, Kingdom of Aegidius or the Kingdom of Syagrius, was the continuation of the Western Roman Empire in Gaul (present day France) during Late Antiquity. The Domain of Soissons was centered on its capital of Soissons, and was ruled by so-called governors under Roman control even after the collapse of the Western Roman Empire. Though referred to as a "domain" by scholars, the area was neither ruled by a king (although Syagrius was sometimes called Rex Romanorum (Latin: King of the Romans)) nor considered by its citizens to be anything other than a separated province of the Western Roman Empire[citation needed].
The Domain of Soissons' evolution from the Western Roman Empire is dated back to Emperor Majorian (457–461) when he appointed Aegidius as magister militum (Latin: Master of the Soldiers) of the Gallic province. When Majorian lost ground against Ricimer in the chaos of Gaul in the middle of the fifth century, Aegidius rebelled and created a Roman rump state that came to be known as the Domain of Soissons. Aegidius allied himself with Childeric I, Merovingian king of the Salian Franks of Tournai. According to Gregory of Tours, Aegidius even succeeded the banished Childeric in the latter's kingdom for a time, but Childeric would later return. The death of Aegidius occurred under unclear circumstances at the Loire in 464 or 465, either by poison or in ambush. He was succeeded first by the Comes Paulus, who was killed shortly afterwards by Childeric, and then by his son Syagrius. In 486, Syagrius lost the Battle of Soissons to the Frankish king Clovis I and the domain was thereafter under the control of the Franks.
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[edit] Culture
[edit] History
The Domain of Soissons originated in the reign of the Western Emperor Majorian (457–461). During that time, Majorian appointed Aegidius to be magister militum of the Gallic provinces. The only remaining Roman territory in Gaul was in the northwest, with a small strip connecting it to Italy. During Majorian's reign, that corridor was annexed by the Germanic tribes now occupying Gaul, thus effectively cutting off Aegidius and his citizens from the Empire.[1]
Aegidius was allied to Childeric I, King of the Salian Franks, and helped him defeat the Visigoths at Orleans in 463. The Romano-British, after the Roman withdrawal from Britain, may have requested military assistance from Aegidius (see Groans of the Britons). At any rate, the Romano-British settlements in Armorica bordered Soissons to the west, and there was almost certainly trade between them, given that they were the last outposts of Roman civilization in that part of the world.
Aegidius continued to govern until his death in 464, which may have been murder at the hands of an agent of one of Childeric's enemies. At that point his son, Syagrius, took his place. Syagrius governed using the title of dux (a provincial military commander), but the neighboring Germanic tribes referred to him as "King of the Romans"; hence the name of his enclave.[2] Even after the fall of the Western Empire in 476, Syagrius continued to maintain the pretence that he was merely governing a Roman province. In 476, under the command of Syagrius, the Domain of Soissons revolted against the new rule of Odoacer who had dethroned Romulus Augustulus earlier the same year. While both Syagrius and Odoacer sent messengers to the East Roman embassies, the Eastern emperor Zeno chose to support Odoacer instead of Syagrius. After the Western Roman coup led by Odoacer, the Domain of Soissons cut all ties with Italy and had little to no contact with the Eastern Roman Empire. This led to establishing stronger relationships with their neighbours. Odoacer had no control outside Italy, which means that the Domain of Soissons was an in fact an independent region.[1]
Childeric had since died, and his son Clovis I was now the Frankish king. Clovis made continual war against Syagrius, and by 486 had conquered the last of the Roman territory Syagrius had governed. Syagrius lost most if not all of his forces in the battle of Soissons in 486; this victory is remembered by many as Clovis' greatest battle victory.[3] After this, Syagrius sought refuge with the Visigothic king Alaric II, but Alaric was forced to return him to the Franks because Clovis threatened war if Syagrius were not surrendered over to him. Thus Syagrius was captured, sent back to Clovis, and executed in 486/7.[1][2][4]
Clovis I ruled the Franks until his death in 511. When he died, the Frankish realm was divided into four kingdoms, one for each of his sons. Clotaire I received the area formerly ruled by Syagrius (Clotaire himself had been born in Soissons a decade after Syagrius' death). Due to a combination of skillful diplomacy, warmongering, and murder of his relatives, Clotaire became the king of all Gaul by 555.[2]
When Clotaire died in 561, the Frankish realm was divided into three kingdoms, one for each son. The western kingdom of Neustria continued to be governed from Soissons until all Franks were once more unified under the Neustrian king Clotaire II in 613. Except for the period of 639-673, when a division between Neustria and Austrasia occurred, the Franks remained unified until the Treaty of Verdun in 843.
[edit] Society
[edit] Military
Not much is known about the military forces of the Domain of Soissons under the rules of Aegidius and Syagrius. For break-away states from the Western Roman Empire, military strength was crucial for survival in the region. Aegidius had his own power base in the capital city of Soissons; this is one of the main reasons why he was able to work independently from the rest of the empire after the death of Emperor Majorian. At one point, Aegidius and/or Syagrius even threatened the Western Roman Empire that they would start an invasion of Italy if the empire did not bow to their commands. Their armies also resisted the power of the Visigoth Kingdom South West of their Dominion of Soissons. According to Eastern Roman writer Priscus, Aegidius and Syagrius both commanded "large forces."[1]
When Aegidius was appointed magister militum of Gaul by Emperor Majorian, there still existed a Gallic Field Army in the area. The Gallic Field Army came under the direct control of Aegidius after the death of Majorian. The army was worse equipped than its predecessor's armies, the last being Aetius. Aetius had access to Hun manpower which both Aegidius and Syagirus were unable to obtain. The total manpower and strength of the Gallic Field Army in the Dominion of Soissons remains unknown.[1]
[edit] References
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b c d e Penny MacGeorge. "Late Roman Warlords". Google Books. http://books.google.com/books?id=7iNqpYo9Qd0C&pg=PA111&dq=kingdom+of+Soissons+Syagrius. Retrieved 2009-04-20.
- ^ a b c George Muir Bussey, Thomas Gaspey and Théodose Burette. "A History of France and of the French People". Google Books. http://books.google.com/books?id=Z4gGAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA52&dq=Domain+of+Soissons+Syagrius. Retrieved 2009-04-20.
- ^ Michael Frassetto. "Encyclopedia of barbarian Europe". Google Books. http://books.google.com/books?id=yW-GfElbafQC&pg=PA126&dq=kingdom+of+Soissons+Syagrius. Retrieved 2009-04-20.
- ^ Lucien Bély and Angela Moyon. "The History of France". Google Books. http://books.google.com/books?id=Ltzav890zpIC&pg=PA16&dq=kingdom+of+Soissons+Syagrius+Paulus#PPA16,M1. Retrieved 2009-04-20.
