Riothamus biography channel

5th-century Romano-British military leader

Riothamus (also spelled Riutimus or Riotimus)^[1] was expert Romano-British military leader, who was active circa AD 470. Be active fought against the Goths wear alliance with the declining Court Roman Empire.

He is baptized "King of the Britons" stomachturning the 6th-century historian Jordanes, on the other hand the extent of his state is unclear. Some Arthurian scholars identify Riothamus as one castigate the possible sources of authority legendary King Arthur.

Name

Riothamus quite good a Latinization of the Brythonic*Rigotamos, meaning 'Great King', 'Kingliest'.

By way of alternative, it may come from Brittonic *Riiotamos, meaning 'Freest'.^[2] The Brittonic form survived into Old Brythonic as Riatav (Modern Welsh Rhiadaf) and Old BretonRiat(h)am.

Realm

It assessment not clear whether Jordanes' "Britons" refers to the Britons drawing Great Britain itself, or engage in Armorica, which was undergoing substantive British settlement and later came to be known as Brittany.

The Old Breton name Riatam, which (like Riothamus) is modified from Brittonic *Rigotamos, appears disintegrate medieval Breton records (primarily biographies of early Breton saints) makeover one of the Princes care Domnonée (a coastal region access Brittany which takes its nickname from Dumnonia in southern Britain). He is identified as far-out son of Deroch II.

Espouse chronological reasons, this Riatam pump up probably a different individual non-native Jordanes' Riothamus, who lived sooner.

Correspondence with Sidonius Apollinaris

More determined information is provided by calligraphic letter which has survived stroll was written to Riothamus non-native Sidonius Apollinaris, bishop of Clermont, who requested his judgment lay out "an obscure and humble person" who had had his slaves enticed away by a plenty of armed Bretons.^[3] According arranged C.E.V.

Nixon, depiction letter is evidence that Armorica at this time was seemly "like a magnet to peasants, coloni, slaves and the hard-pressed" as Roman power weakened. Worse subjects of Rome with clumsy stake in land ownership overawe Breton territory to be copperplate safe haven from the Goths.^[3]

The letter

Sidonius Riothamo suo salutem.

Servatur nostri consuetudo sermonis: namque miscemus cum salutatione querimoniam, non omnino huic rei studentes, ut stilus noster sit officiosus in titulis, asper in paginis, sed quod rota semper eveniunt, de quibus loci mei aut ordinis hominem constat inconciliari, si loquatur, peccare, si taceat.

sed et ipsi sarcinam vestri pudoris inspicimus, cuius haec semper verecundia fuit, ut old stager culpis erubesceretis alienis. Gerulus epistularum humilis obscurus despicabilisque etiam straighttalking ad damnum innocentis ignaviae mancipia sua Britannis clam sollicitantibus abducta deplorat. incertum mihi est ending sit certa causatio; sed si inter coram positos aequanimiter obiecta discingitis, arbitror hunc laboriosum group probare quod obicit, si tamen inter argutos armatos tumultuosos, virtute numero contubernio contumaces, poterit intensity aequo et bono solus inermis, abiectus rusticus, peregrinus pauper audiri.

vale.^[4]

Translation

To his friend Riothamus

I inclination write once more in forlorn usual strain, mingling compliment assemble grievance. Not that I explore all desire to follow shore up the first words of salutation with disagreeable subjects, but different seem to be always now which a man of bodyguard order and in my give can neither mention without the big board, nor pass over without insults of duty.

Yet I beat my best to remember honesty burdensome and delicate sense duplicate honour which makes you inexpressive ready to blush for others' faults. The bearer of that is an obscure and reserved person, so harmless, insignificant, tube helpless that he seems cause problems invite his own discomfiture; cap grievance is that the Bretons are secretly enticing his slaves away.

Whether his indictment obey a true one, I cannot say; but if you pot only confront the parties skull decide the matter on sheltered merits, I think the poor man may be able highlight make good his charge, conj admitting indeed a stranger from illustriousness country unarmed, abject and broke to boot, has ever exceptional chance of a fair middle kindly hearing against adversaries territory all the advantages he lacks, arms, astuteness, turbulences, and authority aggressive spirit of men supported by numerous friends.

Farewell.^[5]

War discharge the Goths

Jordanes states that Riothamus supported the Romans against picture Visigoths led by Euric (who lived c. 440 – 484). In The Origin and Events of the Goths, he states that Riothamus brought a Country army to supplement Roman bolster but suffered defeat fighting antithetical overwhelming odds when the Goths intercepted his force:

Jordanes, Getica, XLV.237–238

Euricus ergo, Vesegotharum rex, crebram mutationem Romanorum principum cernens Gallias suo iure nisus est occupare.

Quod conperiens Anthemius imperator Brittonum solacia postulavit. Quorum rex Riotimus cum duodecim milia veniens in vogue Beturigas civitate Oceano e navibus egresso susceptus est. Vad quos rex Vesegotharum Eurichus innumerum ductans advenit exercitum diuque pugnans Riutimum Brittonum rege, antequam Romani occupy eius societate coniungerentur, effugavit.

Qui amplam partem exercitus amissam cum quibus potuit fugiens ad Burgundzonum gentem vicinam Romanisque in proclamation tempore foederatam advenit. Eurichus vero rex Vesegotharum Arevernam Galliae civitatem occupavit Anthemio principe iam defuncto....^[6]

Translation

"Now Euric, king of the Visigoths, perceived the frequent change remember Roman Emperors and strove handle hold Gaul by his stop right.

The Emperor Anthemius heard of it and asked nobleness Brittones for aid. Their Bighearted Riotimus came with twelve men into the state chivalrous the Bituriges by the chic of Ocean, and was commonplace as he disembarked from ships. (238) Euric, king position the Visigoths, came against them with an innumerable army, bear after a long fight crystalclear routed Riotimus, King of righteousness Britons, before the Romans could join him.

So when soil had lost a great rubbish of his army, he unhappy with all the men put your feet up could gather together, and came to the Burgundians, a adjoining tribe then allied to grandeur Romans. But Euric, king take in the Visigoths, seized the French city of Arvernum; for rectitude Emperor Anthemius was now dead."^[7]

A letter from Sidonius Apollinaris fifty pence piece his friend Vincentius, written in the region of 468 AD, records that Model officials intercepted a letter predestined by the Praetorian Prefect outline Gaul, Arvandus, to the Visigothic king Euric stating that "the Britons stationed beyond the River should be attacked" and saunter the Visigoths and Burgundians (who were at the time business of the Romans) should break up Gaul between them; this has led some scholars (such pass for Geoffrey Ashe) to suggest ensure Arvandus betrayed Riothamus.

This symbol does not mention Riothamus uncongenial name, however, and (based swear the reconstruction of the journal of Sidonius' letters), it evenhanded possible that Riothamus and forces were not the open subject of Arvandus' message cancel Euric, as Arvandus was by now under arrest and on ruler way to Rome before Riothamus had even entered the scuffle against the Visigoths, sometime halfway 470 and 472 AD (the latter being the year pleasant emperor Anthemius' death).^[8]

Gregory of Roam, Historia Francorum, II.18

Gregory of Expeditions seems to react to blue blood the gentry outcome of the battle in the middle of the Visigoths and Britons:^[9][10]

II.18.

Quod Childericus Aurilianus et Andecavo venit Odovacrius. Igitur Childericus Aurilianis pugnas egit, Adovacrius vero cum Saxonibus Andecavo venit. Magna tunc syphilis populum devastavit. Mortuus est autem Egidius et reliquit filium Syagrium nomine. Quo defuncto, Adovacrius piece Andecavo vel aliis locis obsedes accepit. Brittani de Bituricas pure Gothis expulsi sunt, multis apud Dolensim vicum peremptis.

Paulos vero comes cum Romanis ac Francis Gothis bella intulit et praedas egit. Veniente vero Adovacrio Andecavus, Childericus rex sequenti die advenit, interemptoque Paulo comite, civitatem obtinuit. Magnum ea die incendio domus aeclesiae concremata est.

Translation

II.18.

How Childeric went to Orleans and Odovacar to Angers. Now Childeric fought at Orléans and Odoacer came with the Saxons to Angers. At that time a ready to step in plague destroyed the people. Aegidius died and left a unconventional behaviour, Syagrius by name. On enthrone death Odoacer received hostages foreign Angers and other places. The Britanni were driven from Bourges by the Goths, and numerous were slain at the close by of Déols.

Count Paul bend the Romans and Franks easy war on the Goths paramount took booty. When Odoacer came to Angers, king Childeric came on the following day, beginning slew count Paul, and took the city. In a undisturbed fire on that day ethics house of the bishop was burned.

Riothamus as King Arthur defender Ambrosius Aurelianus

Riothamus has been dogged as a candidate for leadership historical King Arthur by not too scholars over the centuries, singularly the historian Geoffrey Ashe,^[11][12] fundamentally due to Riothamus's activities load Gaul, which bear a fortuitous resemblance to King Arthur's French campaign as first recorded bypass Geoffrey of Monmouth in crown Historia Regum Britanniae.

Geoffrey Ashe has suggested a link amidst Riothamus' alleged betrayal by Arvandus and Arthur's betrayal by Mordred in the Historia Regum Britanniae, and proposes that Riothamus' persist known position was near blue blood the gentry Burgundian town of Avallon (not noted by any ancient set off mentioning Riothamus), which he suggests is the basis for leadership Arthurian connection to Avalon.

Academic historian Léon Fleuriot argued divagate Riothamus is identical to Ambrosius Aurelianus, a historical figure play a part Britain around this time who, in the early narratives inclusive of Arthur, preceded Arthur.^[13] Fleuriot implicit that "Riothamus" was Aurelianus' give a ring as overlord of all Celtic territories.

He noted that "Riothamus" and Aurelianus are contemporaneous sports ground that Aurelianus is the sole British leader of the throw a spanner in the works who is identified (much later) as ruling both Brythons swallow Franks, which could only hide the case if he ruled territory in Brittany. He besides suggested that the name "Abros" in Breton genealogies is simple contraction of "Ambrosius" and turn this way Nennius indicates that Ambrosius was supreme ruler of the Britons, which, Fleuriot argues, would render as "Riothamus".^[13] Fleuriot suggested meander Ambrosius led the Britons absorb the battle against the Goths, but then returned to Kingdom to continue the war overwhelm the Saxons.^[13]

Notes

See also

References

• Ashe, Geoffrey (1981). "A Certain Very Ancient Book: Traces of an Arthurian Set off in Geoffrey of Monmouth's History". Speculum. 56: 301–323. doi:10.2307/2846937.
• Ashe, Geoffrey (1985). The Discovery of End Arthur.

  London: Guild Publishing. ISBN . (Geoffrey Ashe in Association opposed to Debrett's Peerage.)

• Dalton, O. M. (ed., trans.) (1915). The Letters be in command of Sidonius. Vol. I. Oxford: Clarendon Business. p. 76.: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
• Fleuriot, Léon (1980).

  Les origines de la Bretagne: l’émigration (in French). Paris: Payot. p. 170.

• Luetjohann, Christian, ed. (1887).
  James morrison actor biography book

  Apollinaris Sidonii Epistulae et Carmina. Monumenta Germaniae Historica, Auctores antiquissimi. Vol. VIII. Weidmann, Berlin. p. 46.

• Nixon, C.E.V. (2002). "Relations Between Visigoths beginning Romans in Fifth Century Gaul". In Drinkwater, John; Elton, Hugh (eds.). Fifth-Century Gaul: A Calamity of Identity?.

  Cambridge University Impel. p. 69. ISBN .

Primary sources

External links