Peter the Fuller, patriarch of Antioch, is…
485 CE
Peter the Fuller, patriarch of Antioch, is condemned and excommunicated by a synod of Western bishops at Rome.
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Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei institutes an "equal-field" system of agriculture, assigning each peasant family about nineteen acres (one hundred and forty mu) of land, of which a small portion is to be kept permanently by the farmer and his family with the rest reverting to the state upon his death of retirement.
To make sure that the people supervise each other in implementing the new system, he divides the population into groups, with five families constituting a neighborhood (Jin), five neighborhoods a village (Ji), and five villages an association (tang) headed by a chief (chang).
The land-reform system will discourage farmers from selling off their properties to large landholders and will be continued in essence for well over a thousand years.
Pope Felix reaffirms and broadens his excommunication of Acasius in 485 to embrace all of Acacius' accomplices, including a substantial part of the Constantinopolitan hierarchy.
The condemnation has meanwhile precipitated the Acacian Schism (which will not resolved until 519).
The emperor, after handing Illus a severe defeat, responds by inciting the Rugi, who had by 482 converted to Arianism, to attack Italy.
Peter the Fuller, thrice deposed from the see of Antioch, is again placed on the throne of Antioch by Zeno on his signing the Henoticon in 485 (Theophanes p. 115; Theodorus Lector p. 569; Evagr.
H. E. iii.
16).
He at once resumes his zealous career, expelling Chalcedonian bishops who refuse to sign the Henoticon and performing ordinations not recognized by Chalcedonians, especially that of the Xenaias (Philoxenus) to the see of Hierapolis (Theophanes p. 115).
He is condemned and anathematized by a synod of forty-two Western bishops at Rome in 485, and excommunicated.
He will retain, however, the patriarchate at Antioch until his death in 488 (or according to Theophanes, 490 or 491).
One of his last acts is to be the unsuccessful revival of the claim of the see of Antioch to the obedience of Cyprus as part of the patriarchate, which the First Council of Ephesus had removed from Antioch's supervision in 431.
Aelle of Sussex, king of the South Saxons, fights the Britons at the stream of Mercredesburne.
The battle ends in a draw (this according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle).
The location of the battle is unknown.
The villages of Ashburnham and Penhurst in East Sussex maintain a tradition that a pre-Saxon earthwork known as Town Creep, situated in Creep Wood which adjoins the two villages, was the site of Mercredsburn.
The Fall of Syagrius and the Final End of Roman Gaul (486 CE)
As the last representative of Roman rule in northern Gaul, Syagrius maintains control over the Domain of Soissons, a rump state between the Loire and the Somme, following the final collapse of the Western Roman Empire (476–480 CE).
The Domain of Soissons: A Last Vestige of Roman Rule
- Syagrius, the son of Aegidius, inherits the last functional Roman military and administrative system in Gaul.
- He styles himself dux (military commander), ruling from Soissons, a city with a strategic central location and intact Roman infrastructure.
- His domain offers relative stability in an era of barbarian migrations, but its wealth and position make it a tempting target for the neighboring Franks.
- Though roughly equal in size to Frankish territory, Syagrius governs a centralized domain, while the Franks remain divided into small, loosely aligned kingdoms.
Clovis I Challenges Syagrius
By 486 CE, Clovis I, king of the Salian Franks, has begun consolidating power among the Frankish tribes. Recognizing the opportunity to expand his domain, he:
- Assembles a coalition of Franks, drawing warriors from both the left and right banks of the Rhine, despite their relative lack of Roman influence.
- Issues a formal challenge to Syagrius, naming the time and place of battle, following the tradition of Germanic kings engaging in direct military confrontation.
The Battle of Soissons (486 CE): A Decisive Frankish Victory
- Gregory of Tours records that a Frankish leader named Chararic brings his army to the battlefield but remains neutral, waiting to align with the winner.
- The battle ends in a decisive victory for Clovis and his Franks.
- Syagrius, unable to hold his ground, flees to the Visigothic court of Alaric II, seeking refuge.
The Aftermath and the End of Roman Rule in Gaul
- With Syagrius' defeat and flight, the last Roman-governed province in Gaul disappears, leaving Clovis as the dominant ruler in northern Gaul.
- The Franks absorb the territory of Soissons, incorporating its Roman population and military infrastructure.
- This victory marks the definitive end of Roman rule in Gaul, as the land now belongs to Germanic successor states, particularly the Franks and Visigoths.
- Clovis, now in control of northern Gaul, sets his sights on further conquests, beginning his path toward unifying much of the region under Frankish rule.
With this victory, Clovis emerges as the most powerful ruler in post-Roman Gaul, paving the way for the rise of the Frankish Kingdom and the foundation of medieval France.
Zareh, son of Peroz, rises in rebellion a few months later.
Balash, with the aid of Armenia, puts down the rebellion, captures, and kills him.
Feletheus is the son of Flaccitheus, king of the Rugii and founder of the Kingdom of the Rugii; his brother is Ferderuchus.
Feletheus is married to the Goth Gisa, who is probably the cousin of the Amal Ostrogothic king Theodoric the Great.
After the death of his father, probably in 475, Feletheus had succeeded his father as king of the Rugii.
Their territory at the time was based in Lower Austria.
In 476, Feletheus had supported Odoacer and his Scirian and Herulian in overthrow of the Roman Emperor Romulus Augustus.
Feletheus is a close confidant of Severinus of Noricum.
After the Eastern Roman Emperor Zeno attempts to create conflict between the Rugii and Odoacer, Feletheus executes his brother Ferderuchus, who supported Odoacer.
Odoacer subsequently invades the Kingdom of the Rugii in 487, dealing them a crushing defeat in their own territory and taking Feletheus and his wife into captivity, later executing them in Ravenna.
The Lateran Council convened by Pope Felix III establishes conditions for readmitting to the Church those Christians who had been rebaptized by the Vandals.
The Execution of Syagrius and the Expansion of the Frankish Realm (486–487 CE)
After his defeat at the Battle of Soissons (486 CE), Syagrius flees southward, seeking refuge with the Visigothsunder King Alaric II. However, his former Roman allies prove unreliable when faced with the military power of Clovis I.
The Fate of Syagrius
- Clovis, now the undisputed ruler of northern Gaul, demands that the Visigoths hand over Syagrius.
- Alaric II, unwilling to provoke a war with the rising Frankish power, complies with Clovis' demand.
- Syagrius is delivered to Clovis, who, according to Gregory of Tours, has him stabbed to death in secret, eliminating the last Roman claimant to power in Gaul.
The Expansion of the Frankish Kingdom
With Syagrius dead and his domain absorbed, Clovis nearly doubles the size of the Frankish realm, incorporating the former Roman province of Belgica Secunda.
- Soissons becomes the Frankish capital, replacing Tournai as Clovis' primary residence.
- The Frankish frontier expands southward, reaching the Loire River, bringing Clovis into direct territorial contact with the Visigoths.
- The Frankish realm, originally centered in Toxandria (modern Belgium and the southern Netherlands), now dominates northern Gaul.
The Growing Tension Between Franks and Visigoths
By 487 CE, the new Frankish-Visigothic border along the Loire River sets the stage for future conflict:
- Clovis, now ambitious for further expansion, views the Visigoths as his next major rival in Gaul.
- The Visigoths, already expanding into Provence and Hispania, face the growing threat of Frankish encroachment from the north.
This marks a turning point in the struggle for Gaul, as Clovis positions the Franks as the dominant power in the former Western Roman territories, setting the stage for his eventual conquest of the Visigothic kingdom in 507 CE.
Clovis and the Appointment of Ragnachar as Deputy Ruler
Following his victory over Syagrius and the expansion of the Frankish kingdom, Clovis I begins consolidating power by securing the loyalty of influential Frankish chieftains. One of the most significant figures he appoints as deputy ruler is Ragnachar, a Frankish petty king (regulus).
Ragnachar’s Role in the Frankish Realm
- Ragnachar, ruler of Cambrai, is a powerful Frankish leader who had previously controlled a small but strategic kingdom in northern Gaul.
- Clovis, recognizing his military and political importance, appoints him as his deputy, entrusting him with governance over Frankish-occupied territories.
- This move strengthens Clovis’ control over northern Gaul, ensuring loyalty from the remaining independent Frankish reguli while expanding Frankish influence southward toward the Loire.
The Tenuous Relationship Between Clovis and Ragnachar
Although initially an ally, Ragnachar's position remains precarious:
- He retains considerable autonomy, ruling as a subordinate but semi-independent leader.
- Over time, Clovis' consolidation of Frankish rule leads to rivalries with other Frankish leaders, including Ragnachar.
- Eventually, Ragnachar falls out of favor with Clovis, and their relationship will end in betrayal and execution—but for now, he plays a crucial role in the administration of the expanding Frankish kingdom.
This appointment reflects Clovis' strategy of absorbing Frankish warlords into his rule, gradually transforming the fragmented Frankish territories into a unified kingdom, which he will later dominate outright.