Chapter XXIII
Italy wasn’t the only part of the Mediterranean world where events that could decide the fate of kings and peoples took place. During the last decades of the V century, Gaul faced numerous changes. Here one of the several Frankish chieftains, Clovis, undertook the road for hegemony and glory. Slowly emerging from the rest of his peers, Clovis subdued a great number of Frankish tribes under the control of his rivals, before trying to get the biggest prize available to him, Roman Gaul. In 486 AD, after defeating the Magister Militum Syagrius, Clovis ruled over the entirety of northern Gaul, and with this renewed strength (coming from the conquered territory and the few surviving “Roman”units that accepted to serve under him) he attempted to subdue the remaining internal opposition (composed by minor Frankish kings) and external minor entities. During the last decades of the century he also established relations and alliance with several different rulers. He himself married the Burgundian princess Clotilde, Chilpericus’ daughter. In 496 AD, under the pressure of his wife but more importantly after defeating the Alemanni and annexing part of their territory, King Clovis converted to Christianity, avoiding the interlude of Arianism. From this event important consequences would take place, as not only Clovis gained the complete support of the Gallo-Romans but also attracted the interest of the imperial court at Rome.
The Burgundian kingdom was another important player in the events that were shaping what once was roman Gaul. The joint rule of the four brothers proved to be unstable. After the death of king Gondioc the number of his descendants quickly shrank, with the assassination of Gundomar and later of the Patricius Chilpericus II by Gundobad. The assassination of Chilpericus worried both Clovis and Nepos, considering that the former was his son-in-law while the later was his ally. As Gundobad tried to reinforce his tie with king Alaric in order to counter the Frankish threat, both Nepos and Clovis sought the friendship of the last brother still alive: Godegisel. Threaten by Gundobad, Godegisel sought the friendship of Clovis to counter the visigothic alliance of his brother. Additionally after the assassination of Chilpericus, he received the title of Patricius ( that once belonged to his brother) from Iulius Nepos one year after the celebration of the ventennalia. With his legitimacy strengthen in the eyes of his Roman subjects, Godegisel and his portion of the kingdom slowly entered in the orbit of the empire.
The assassination of Chilpericus provided also the ground for new talks between Clovis and the Emperor. Both men were still bitter about the issue of Gaul and Syagrius, yet both men felt damaged by the recent course of events that were taking place in the kingdom of Burgundy. The recent conversion of Clovis to Nicene Christianity also favoured the easing of relations between the two men. Shortly after the elevation of Godegisel to the rank of Patricius, official negotiations resumed between Rome and Clovis, bringing to an end the period of enmity that existed previously. The Frankish king finally renounced to claim Syagrius’ head while the Romans (albeit grudgingly) acknowledged Frankish rule in Gaul. Despite not reaching any sort of alliance, the two rulers were now more prone to cooperation.
The assassination also brought some change in the military organisation of Italia Annonaria. Feeling no more safe from potential western threats, Iulius Nepos created a new military office: likewise to the situation of Venetia, he created the office of “Dux Liguria et Alpes”, based at Segusio tasked with the defence of western Italy. Subjected to the Magister Militum Praesentalis I Syagrius, he had under his control a couple of units of recent creation. Additionally two units of Burgundian origin were added to his control, with most of the men former followers of king Chilpericus II. These changes and the consequently construction of new fortifications took place during the years between the celebration of the Ventennalia and the beginning of the VI Century.
The beginning of the new century would bring several changes with it, as the Burgundian kingdom once again faced important changes while pressured by the Romans, the Franks and the Visigoths. Intentioned to avenge is father-in-law and to bring the Burgundian under its hegemony, Clovis exploited the division that existed between the two brother to attack Gundobad with the support of Godegisel. After beating him in battle he forced Gundobad to pay a tribute and provide auxiliaries for incoming wars while renouncing his alliance with Alaric II. Yet Gundobad was able to strengthen his rule with the murder of his last remaining brother, thus reuniting the Burgundian kingdom under his control. From this development both the Romans and the Visigoths lost their remaining influence over the Burgundians as the last king was now subjected to the Franks. Complete Frankish hegemony over Gaul was now entirely possible, as only the Goths of Alaric stand now on their way.