I’ve written these posts to explain the background and hidden details behind the historical and legendary people and events in my historical fiction series, The Arthurian Age. We’re at the point in The Retreat to Avalon, where Arthur has captured Nantes. Today, we’ll see his next moves, and what led Arthur to Bourges (Biturigas) in the 5th Century. We have few records of what really happened, so I’ve used what we do know of the era to present a plausible scenario.
In chapter nine, after the battle at Nantes (Namnetis), Arthur takes most of the army about 55 miles up river to the next city, Angers (Andecava). Why? Because he had to make sure that the city remained friendly. On the edge of Syagrius‘ realm, it was pretty much on its own. When the Saxons took over Nantes and the Loire valley, virtually up to Angers’ walls, the city decided to make a deal with Odoacer, chief of the Loire Saxons. According to Gregory of Tours, they gave up hostages to Odoacer, agreeing not to interfere with Saxon control of the Loire. Arthur showing up with his army and returning the hostages after Odoacer’s defeat would ensure Angers was back in friendly control. With his supply lines at the edge of Visigoth territory secure, Arthur had to decide how to proceed in the next phase of the war against Euric.
Historically, it’s clear that the strategy Arthur and Emperor Anthemius had devised required the Britons to establish a secure foothold within Visigoth territory. That means a city. Our two main sources about this campaign both come from 6th Century writers, namely Gregory of Tours, and Jordanes. Jordanes gives the most information about the alliance between Anthemius and the Britons’ Riothamus (which means High King, and who we know of as Arthur) and describes the Britons coming to Bourges.
This is where the military strategist in me went to work. Why would Arthur march his army 200 miles east of Nantes to Bourges? Historically, the city of Poitiers (Pictavis) was a much more strategically important location. It held a commanding position on the Poitou Gap, the only lowland corridor connecting northern and southern France, a natural bottleneck that made Poitiers the gateway for armies, trade, and pilgrims until the modern age. Additionally, it was half the distance from Nantes, and had water access to the Loire to move supplies and messages quickly. Less than 40 years later, it would serve as the site of the battle that finally ended the Visigoth kingdom in Gaul.
I suspect Arthur had planned on a fast strike to take Poitiers, with the help of spies within the city (If you’ve read The Retreat to Avalon, you’ll recall a sequence involving such an agent). However, the alliance and its plans were revealed to Euric by the traitor, Arvandus. Poitiers would be reinforced, thwarting the plan.
So Arthur had to come up with plan B, and I think that is why Bourges became the location for Arthur’s base in Visigoth territory.
“Euric’s been busy murdering and taking Roman lands in Hispania, so he had to reinforce Pictavis from his garrisons in Gaul.” Arthur moved his finger back to a city south and a little east of Aurelianis and tapped on the map. “This is Biturigas. The city gives tribute to Euric, but his forces in the area are thin. Rome has all but abandoned the region, but the population still considers themselves Roman. Setting our base there will make us a firm thorn in Euric’s side with allies to our north and east as we chip away at his tenuous holdings to the south. When he responds, he’ll face a long march with stretched supply lines and exposed flanks.”
The Retreat to Avalon, Chapter Nine
Bourges was a large city, though much in decline in the 5th century AD. It was named for the Bituriges Cubi tribe of that region. Previously, it was called Avaricum, a Latinization of the Gaulish Celtic name that meant “City of Waters”, due to its surrounding rivers and marsh. In 52 BC, Julius Caesar laid siege to the city, then conquered it, killing all but 800 of its 40,000 citizens. It was rebuilt in the Roman style and became an administrative center, and eventual provincial capitol. Under pressure from barbarian attacks, massive walls were built around the city in the 3rd to 4th centuries.
In the fifth century, Bourges was part of the Roman diocese of Aquitania Prima, which was mostly under Visigoth control. It’s likely that the city paid tribute to Euric to avoid being attacked, but being on the furthest edge of Visigoth territory, and far from Euric’s capitol at Tolosa (Toulouse), it was probably not garrisoned to any extent. Additionally, the residents would still have considered themselves Roman, and would welcome a Roman-allied force that could end the Visigoth’s control.
In the same diocese, about 120 miles to the south, the politician and prolific writer, Sidonius Apollinaris, was bishop of the city of Arvernis (Clermont-Ferrand). The town was nominally still under Roman control in the sense that the Visigoths had allowed it some autonomy. It is from here that Sidonius would write his letter to Riothamus (Arthur) complaining about the conduct of some of his soldiers. This letter is another indication of British soldiers active in the region at this time. It becomes part of the story in chapter ten of The Retreat to Avalon.
At Bourges, Arthur would be only 65 miles south of Orleans (Aurelianis), a strong city belonging to Syagrius. His eastern flank would be protected by the Burgundians, who, while unreliable Roman allies, were not friends of the Visigoths. Euric’s capital at Toulouse (Tolosa) was 300 miles to the south. Bourges would do as a place to wait for Syagrius and Anthemius to gather their armies and converge from the north and south to deal with Euric.
Jordanes says Arthur arrived in the land of the Bituriges by ship. It’s unlikely he could have sent the entire army by boat up the Loire from Nantes. More likely, most of his army would have marched along the Roman road to somewhere between Tours and Orleans, which would put them in the region of Bourges, while he and his personal guard rowed up river with the supplies.
This is still quite an undertaking, and Arthur would not want to risk Euric heading off his new plan. So Arthur will have to use some unconventional methods in order to reach his goal. That will be the subject of an upcoming post. I hope you enjoyed this and, as always, I enjoy hearing your comments and questions.
