Burgundian-Frankish War of 500
500 CE
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The Visigoths, following their sack of Rome in 410, eventually coexist peacefully with the Romans, farming and trading agricultural products and enslaved people for luxury goods.
They adopt many elements of Roman culture, some becoming literate in Latin.
The Western Roman Empire wields negligible military, political, or financial power by the time that the barbarian general Odoacer deposes the Emperor Romulus in 476, and has no effective control over the scattered Western domains that still describe themselves as Roman.
The Western Empire's legitimacy will last for centuries and its cultural influence remains today, but it will never have the strength to rise again.
Clovis' Battles Against the Burgundians and Visigoths (500–507 CE)
By the end of the fifth century, Clovis I, king of the Franks, continues his expansionist campaigns, seeking to dominate Gaul. His military focus shifts southward, leading him into conflict with the Burgundians and the Visigoths.
Battle Against the Burgundians at Dijon (500 CE)
- In 500 CE, Clovis clashes with the Burgundian Kingdom at Dijon, attempting to expand into Burgundian-held territories.
- Despite his military strength, Clovis fails to subdue the Burgundians, whose kingdom remains intact.
- This stalemate forces Clovis to shift priorities, leading him to target the more powerful Visigoths instead.
Clovis Gains the Support of the Armoricans
- In preparation for war against the Visigoths, Clovis secures the support of the Armoricans, a mixed population of:
- Alans (Iranian steppe warriors settled by the Romans).
- Gallo-Romans (former Roman subjects in Gaul).
- Britons (Romano-British migrants who fled to Armorica/Brittany from Britain).
- The Armoricans, still resisting Visigothic dominance, join Clovis' cause, adding experienced warriors to his army.
The Battle of Vouillé (507 CE): The Defeat of the Visigoths
- Clovis invades Visigothic-held Aquitaine, marching south to Toulouse, the Visigothic capital in Gaul.
- At the Battle of Vouillé (507 CE), Clovis defeats the Visigoths, securing a decisive victory.
- King Alaric II is killed in battle, ending Visigothic rule in Gaul.
- With the Visigoths driven into Spain, Clovis absorbs most of Aquitaine, greatly expanding his kingdom.
Final Consolidation: Eliminating the Other Frankish "Reguli"
- After defeating the Visigoths, Clovis turns his attention to internal rivals within the Frankish confederation.
- Over the next few years, he systematically eliminates the remaining Frankish sub-kings (reguli), including his former deputy Ragnachar of Cambrai.
- By consolidating power under his sole rule, Clovis unifies the Franks, laying the foundation for the Merovingian dynasty and the Frankish Kingdom as the dominant power in Western Europe.
The Rise of Clovis' Kingdom and the Fall of Roman Gaul
By 511 CE, Clovis:
- Has doubled the size of the Frankish realm, making it the largest kingdom in post-Roman Western Europe.
- Has absorbed former Roman provinces, including Belgica Secunda, Aquitaine, and parts of Lugdunensis.
- Has eliminated both internal Frankish rivals and external Visigothic power, ensuring his dynastic rule.
His defeat of the Visigoths at Vouillé permanently shifts power in Gaul, marking the end of Roman and Visigothic dominance in the region. The Franks now emerge as the successors to Roman rule, shaping the future of France and Western Europe.
Gundobad’s battle with his third brother, Godegisel, raged long according to Gregory of Tours.es
Unaware of the others actions, each call upon King Clovis trying to persuade him to join forces against the other.
Clovis sides with Godegisel, who had offered him his pleasure of tribute; Wood observes archly that Clovis' wife, Clotilde, whose father had been killed by Gundobad, "was not likely to encourage good relations between the Franks and the Burgundians."
Together they crush Gundobad's force.
Gundobad flees but Clovis pursues him to Avignon.
With Clovis's army at the gates, Gundobad fears the worst, but Aridius goes from Gundobad to Clovis and persuades him to spare Gundobad in return for a yearly tribute.
The chronicler Marius of Avenches dates this conflict to 500.