The Visigothic expansion in Hispania gradually pushes…

Aspar arouses intense resentment in Constantinople in about 470 by having the rank of caesar conferred on his son Patricius, though Patricius is an Arian Christian.

During the past four years, a struggle for ascendancy has taken place in the Eastern Roman Empire between Aspar's Germans and the Isaurians led by Zeno.

Zeno's Isaurian followers are rough mountain folk and culturally probably even more barbarous than the Goths or the other Germans.

Yet, in that they are the subjects of the Roman emperor in the East, they are undoubtedly Romans and prove an effective instrument to counter the Gothic challenge at Constantinople.

Theodomir had two "brothers"—actually, brothers-in-law—named Valamir and Videmir, with whom he had ruled jointly as a vassal of the late Attila the Hun.

Theodemir is Arian, while his wife Erelieva is Catholic and had taken the Roman Christian name Eusabic upon her baptism.

Erelieva has borne him two children: Theoderic (454–526) and Amalafrida.

Theodomir takes over the three Pannonian Goth reigns after the death of Videmir in 470, having earlier inherited the heirless Valamir's part of the kingdom on the latter’s death in 465.

The Visigoths, ably led by their king Euric, take most of Gaul and Spain, including the city of Arles in 470.

Emperor Anthemius' Appeal to the Britons and the Visigothic Advance (c. 469 CE)

As the Western Roman Empire crumbles, Emperor Anthemius (r. 467–472) desperately seeks military aid to resist the expanding Visigothic Kingdom under King Euric. He turns to the Britons for reinforcements, though it remains unclear whether Jordanes' "Britons" refers to:

1. The Britons of Great Britain, still connected to the Roman world despite increasing Saxon pressure.
2. The Britons of Armorica (Brittany), where British migration has been ongoing since the early fifth century.

Regardless of their origin, a substantial force of twelve thousand Celtic warriors under the command of Riothamuslands in Gaul to aid the Roman struggle.

Riothamus’ Campaign and the Visigothic Response

• The Briton/Breton army moves into central Gaul, aiming to halt Visigothic expansion.
• The Visigoths, skillfully led by Euric, intercept them before they can fully integrate with Roman forces.
• In a major battle, Riothamus' army is overwhelmed and defeated, forcing them to retreat or scatter.

The Visigothic Expansion: Northward into Gaul

The Visigothic victory marks another turning point in the collapse of Roman Gaul. As a result:

• The Visigoths further consolidate their control over central Gaul, cementing their hold over Berry and pushing northward.
• Some sources suggest they expand as far as the Somme River, reaching the marches of Frankish territory.
• The remaining Roman forces in Gaul become even more isolated, as Syagrius’ Domain of Soissons now stands as the last remnant of Roman power in northern Gaul.

The Fate of Riothamus and the Britons

Riothamus’ fate remains uncertain:

• Some accounts suggest he survives and retreats eastward to the Burgundians, seeking asylum.
• Others believe he dies in the aftermath of the battle, marking the end of a failed attempt to halt the barbarian tide in Gaul.

The Final Decline of Roman Gaul

The defeat of Riothamus' forces and the further expansion of the Visigoths underscore the power shift in Gaul:

• The Visigoths now control much of southern and central Gaul and are no longer acting as Roman federates.
• The Franks, still consolidating their hold over northern Gaul, watch as their future rivals—the Visigoths—grow stronger.
• The Western Roman Empire, unable to stem the tide of barbarian conquests, continues its slow collapse, leaving behind a fragmented world where Germanic successor kingdoms will soon dominate.

Riothamus’ failed campaign represents one of the last significant attempts by a Roman-affiliated force to resist the Visigoths in Gaul. Within a few decades, the Franks, not the Romans, will be the only remaining power capable of challenging Visigothic rule in the region.

Riothamus: The "Highest Leader" and His Mysterious Disappearance

The name Riothamus, meaning "highest leader," suggests that he held a paramount position among the Brittones, but the exact identity of his people remains uncertain. He is called the "King of the Brittones," which may refer to:

1. The Bretons – British settlers in Armorica (Brittany), who had established themselves in northern Gaul by the fifth century.
2. The Britons of Britain – Mainland British Celts, possibly leading troops from Britain itself.
3. A ruler over both groups, commanding British forces on both sides of the English Channel.

The Debate Over Riothamus' Origins

The historian Jordanes, in The Origin and Deeds of the Goths, states that Riothamus' forces "came ... by way of the Ocean", which raises the possibility that he:

• Led an expeditionary force from Britain to aid the Romans in Gaul.
• Was a king with authority over both Armorican Britons and Britons in Britain, maintaining close ties across the Channel.

A Possible Connection to the Arthurian Legend

Some modern scholars, including Geoffrey Ashe and Leon Fleuriot, identify Riothamus as a potential historical inspiration for King Arthur.

• Geoffrey of Monmouth, in his Historia Regum Britanniae, recounts how Arthur crossed the English Channel to wage war on Rome—an event that has no historical basis but may have its roots in Riothamus' real-life campaign against the Visigoths in Gaul.
• Riothamus' role as a British war leader in Gaul, his betrayal and defeat, and his mysterious disappearance resemble the mythic elements of Arthur's later literary tradition.

Riothamus' Final Fate: The Vanishing Leader

After his defeat by the Visigoths around 469 CE, Riothamus vanishes from history while retreating toward Burgundy. His last known destination:

• The small town of Avallon.
• This intriguing name resembles Avalon, the legendary resting place of King Arthur, further fueling speculation about a connection between Riothamus and the Arthurian legend.

The Legacy of Riothamus

• His failed campaign marks one of the last British military interventions in Gaul, signaling the waning influence of Roman-British power on the continent.
• The defeat of his twelve-thousand-strong army helps solidify Visigothic control over central Gaul, shifting power away from both the Romans and their British allies.
• Whether Riothamus died, was assassinated, or lived in exile remains unknown, adding to the mystique surrounding his historical identity.

Regardless of whether Riothamus directly inspired the King Arthur legend, his role as a British war leader in Gaul, his betrayal, and his enigmatic disappearance all contribute to his status as one of the most fascinating and elusive figures of Late Antiquity.

The Ripuarian Franks control Trier by about 470.

The ruler of the nomadic Tuoba tribal state in Northern China adopts a Chinese surname; he will reign over Northern Wei as emperor Xiao Wen Di until his death in 499.

Aspar, with Zeno far from Constantinople, has increased his influence by having his son Julius Patricius appointed Caesar and married to Leo I's younger daughter, Leontia, in 470.

Sources are contradictory on the causes, but clearly state that in 471, Leo I had Aspar and Ardabur treacherously killed, certainly with Zeno's and Basiliscus' approval, as in the eve of the murders, the two generals had moved closer to Constantinople (Zeno was at Chalcedon).

Zeno returns to Constantinople after their death and is appointed magister militum praesentalis.

This event marks the consequent end of German domination over Eastern Roman policy.

The Goths, led by Theodoric Strabo, revolt in Thrace after the assassination of Aspar.

Leo I sends Basiliscus to suppress the uprising.

Zeno, while living in Antioch with his family, sympathizes with the Monophysite views of Peter the Fuller, and supports him against his opponent, the Chalcedonian bishop Martyrius.

Zeno allows the arrival in Antioch from nearby monasteries of monks who increase the number of Peter's followers, and does not repress effectively their violence.

Martyrius goes to Constantinople, to ask Emperor Leo for help, but returning to Antioch, he is informed that Peter had been elected bishop; Martyrius resigns.

Leo reacts, ordering the exile of Peter and on June 1, 471, addressing to Zeno a law that forbids the monks to leave their monasteries and to promote rebellion.

In 470/471, Zeno has also to deal with an invasion of Sanni, who attack Roman Armenia.

Peter the Fuller, a non-Chalcedonian Christian churchman, had received his surname from his former trade as a fuller of cloth.

Tillemont (Empereurs, tome vi.

p. 404) considers that Peter was originally a member of the convent of the Akoimetoi, which he places in Bithynia on the Asiatic side of the Bosphorus, at Gomon, "The Great Monastery" and being expelled thence for his behavior and heretical doctrine, passed over to Constantinople, where he courted persons of influence, through whom he was introduced to Zeno, the son-in-law of Leo I and future emperor whose favor he had secured, obtaining through him the chief place in the church of St. Bassa, at Chalcedon.

Here his Non-Chalcedonian beliefs had quickly become apparent, resulting with his flight to Zeno, who was then setting out for Antioch as commander of the East (Magister Militum per Orientem).

Arriving at Antioch 463, Peter had greatly desired the patriarchal throne, then filled by Martyrius.

He quickly befriended the populace, with whom he raised suspicions against Martyrius as a concealed Nestorian, thus causing Martyrius' tumultuous expulsion and his own election to the throne.

Theodorus Lector dates this to 469 or 470.

When established as patriarch, Peter at once declared himself openly against the Council of Chalcedon, and added to the Trisagion the words "Who was crucified for us," which he imposed as a test upon all in his patriarchate, anathematizing those who declined to accept it.

According to the Synodicon, he summoned a council at Antioch to give synodical authority to this novel clause (Labbe, iv.

1009).

The deposed Martyrius went to Constantinople to complain to the Emperor Leo, by whom, through the influence of the Patriarch Gennadius, he was courteously received; a council of bishops found in his favor, and his restoration was decreed (Theodorus Lector p. 554).

But despite the imperial authority, Peter's personal influence, supported by the favor of Zeno, was so great in Antioch that Martyrius's position was rendered intolerable and he soon left Antioch, abandoning his throne again to the intruder.

Leo was naturally indignant at this audacious disregard of his commands, and he dispatched an imperial decree for the deposition of Peter and his banishment to the Oasis (Labbe, iv.

1082).

According to Theodorus Lector, Peter fled, and Julian was unanimously elected bishop in his place (471).