One of the greatest frustrations in finding the truth behind Arthurian legends is the lack of written records out of Britain in the 5th century when King Arthur would have lived. Churches were the source of most written documents, and it appears that the Viking raids beginning in the 8th Century destroyed most of those. We have more records from continental sources in this era, especially from someone named Sidonius Apollinaris. What’s more, we have a letter Sidonius wrote to Arthur!
Ok, to be accurate, we have a letter Sidonius wrote to Riothamus. Yet, I and many others are convinced that Riothamus is either a title (it translates to Highest King), or a regnal name adopted by Arthur when he rose to prominence. To learn more about this, you can read The Discovery of King Arthur by the eminent historian, Geoffrey Ashe, whose work inspired my Arthurian series.
Sidonius is quite an interesting fellow: politician, poet, bishop, and diplomat. Most of what we know of Sidonius, and of many things in the Western Roman Empire of his time, is due to the many letters he wrote that have survived. He was born in Lyon, France, around 430 AD to an aristocratic family with a long history of high office. His father, grandfather and possibly great-grandfather were all Praetorian Prefects of Gaul. The family’s influence was such that, in his early 20’s, Sidonius was wedded to Papianilla, the daughter of a future emperor and one of the most powerful families in Gaul. Her wedding dowry included a summer estate on Lake Aydat, south of Clermont-Ferrand, France. They had a son and two daughters.
Papianilla was the daughter of Avitas, one of the more interesting of the short-lived later Western Roman Emperors. Avitas began his career with some diplomatic successes within the Roman government and to the Visigoths before beginning military service under the Magister Militum, Aetius. I know, lots of names, but if you bear with me, they all tie together in some fascinating ways. My last article, The People of the Arthurian Age, Episode IV: The Visigoths, explains more about the importance of Avitas, as well as what’s happening in the Roman world at this point, the late 4th to early 5th Century.
In the mid-450s, the Gallo-Roman nobility appointed Sidonius ambassador to the court of the king of the Visigoths, Theodoric II, at Toulouse. He had direct contact with the king, even playing Tabula, the ancestor of Backgammon, with him. He gives a detailed, flattering and humorous description of Theodoric, who he describes as an example of the ideal king.
Sidonius’ efforts paid off when news came that the Emperor, Petronius Maximus, had been murdered when the Vandals sacked Rome in 455. He influenced Theodoric to support Avitus as the next emperor. The Romano-Gallic nobles agreed, and Avitus was proclaimed emperor. Theodoric sent a strong force of Visigoth warriors with Avitus to join an army of supporters at Arles, and they marched on Italy, forcing the unwilling Roman senate to confirm Avitus as emperor.
It is a testament to Sidonius’ diplomatic and political skill that he did not suffer when Avitus was deposed just over a year later. Majorian, the next emperor, captured Sidonius, but pardoned him. Sidonius crafted a panegyric (a praise poem) for his father-in-law’s overthrower (and possible murderer) and was given the title of Comes (count) and a bronze bust in the Gallery of Writers in Rome’s Trajan’s Forum. He was the last person so honored there. Later, when Anthemius was emperor, his influence among the Gaulish nobility led Anthemius to appoint Sidonius a senator and Praefect (basically the mayor) of Rome in 468.
However, in 466, Theodoric was murdered by his younger brother, Euric, who became king. Unlike his brother, Euric was strongly anti-Roman, and relations with the empire took a dive. The Roman governor of Gaul (in name only, really), Arvandus, sent a letter to Euric in 468, urging Euric to renounce the treaty with Rome and attack the Britons who were north of the Loire river. You can read the details of “The Treason of Arvandus” here.
Why would Euric care to attack the Britons north of the Loire? Britons had been settling in what becomes Brittany at this time for several generations, but they were still a very small population and no threat whatsoever to Euric. Yet, we know that Anthemius made an alliance with someone they called the “King of the Britons” to bring an army by sea to help the empire against Euric. You can read all the details behind this in this article, and you’ll understand why this is thought to be Arthur.
In any event, Arvandus was found out and taken to Rome in chains. Sidonius would have overseen his trial, but chose to resign the post, possibly in the interests of avoiding a conflict of interest, as he claimed Arvandus had been a friend. Arvandus was found guilty and sentenced to death, but Sidonius and other friends convinced Anthemius to spare Arvandus’ life and the traitor was exiled instead.
Sidonius returned to his home at Clermont-Ferrand, to be the bishop and “mayor” of the city. It was around this time that Arthur would have been operating in Gaul around the city of Bourges. Bourges was part of the province of Aquitania Prima. Also around this time, the archbishop of Bourges died, and in the chaos of the era, the city called on Sidonius to appoint a new governing council. This is probably how Sidonius came in contact with a poor farmer who had a grievance against British soldiers in the area. Sidonius sent the following letter (translated by the estimable historian and archaeologist, Keith Fitzpatrick-Matthews):
From Sidonius, Greetings to his friend Riothamus,
• Sidonius Apollinaris, Letters, Book III, Letter 9
I. Let us continue the friendly tone of our conversations, not wishing to mix complaint with greetings so that the opening may be respectful while the content is disagreeable, but because things always happen which a man who stands in my position would face disapproval for mentioning, but would be derelict if he were to remain silent. But we recognise the burden of your honour, which was always so modest that you are embarrassed by others’ crimes.
II. The man who brings this letter is a poor man, with no reputation, and even unworthy because his inaction has brought him damage. He claims that his slaves have run away through the secret enticements of the Britons. It is unclear to me whether the charge is valid, but if you wisely untangle the facts given openly, I suspect that you will find that what this hard-working man claims is correct. That is, if this unarmed, wretched countryman, a poor stranger, can be heard thanks to your fairness and goodness alone, above the noisy vexatious accusations from this strong and numerous group who refuse to appear in court. Farewell.
If you’ve read The Retreat to Avalon, you might recall that letter, and how it plays into the story. The story lines in my books are littered with many references to these obscure events and legends.
A year or so after the battle between the Visigoths and the Britons at Deols, Anthemius sent his son and three generals with an army to deal with Euric. The army was defeated and all four were killed, destroying any Roman hope of recovering Gaul. In 472, Anthemius went to war with his own commander-in-chief, Ricimer, who had a history of treachery involving murdered emperors and influence peddling. Unfortunately, Ricimer prevailed and Anthemius was killed.
Sidonius and his brother-in-law, Ecdicius, spent several years defending Clermont-Ferrand from attacks by Euric. They held out as the Visigoths conquered the regions around them. In 475, Rome made a treaty with Euric, giving him the province of Aquitania (including Clermont-Ferrand) in exchange for Provence, to the east.
Euric imprisoned and exiled Sidonius, but a year or so later let him return and resume his prior office, likely to take advantage of Sidonius’ administrative and diplomatic skill to keep peace with the Gallo-Roman nobility that now answered to the Visigoths. As much as Sidonius liked Theodoric, he despised Euric. Yet, he played his role well, and died sometime between 481 and 490. He was venerated as a saint in Armorica (Brittany and Normandy).
Sidonius provides us with an interesting look into an era we have so little information about. I hope my novels help immerse readers in this fascinating period, and I hope these articles fill in the details I don’t explain in the novels. As always, I love to hear from you in the comments.
Interesting that if this is correct that so far Arthur is following the pattern of those who took troops from Britain to the Continent and they never came back to the detriment of the Britons.
That is a theme touched on in my novels. 😁