Vadomarius

Last updated
Area settled by the Alemanni, and sites of Roman-Alemannic battles, 3rd to 6th centuries Alemanni expansion.png
Area settled by the Alemanni, and sites of Roman-Alemannic battles, 3rd to 6th centuries

Vadomarius (German : Vadomar) was an Alemannic king and Roman general, who shared power with his brother Gundomadus. After instigating an indecisive campaign in Gaul against the Romans, Vadomarius and his brother signed a treaty with the Roman emperor Constantius II in AD 356. Encouraged by Constantius II, Vadomarius employed his Alemanni forces in an attack against Julian (Constantius' Caesar who had revolted against his rule). Vadomarius then concluded a treaty with Julian, after which, he unsuccessfully attempted to play the two Roman figures against one another. When Julian was made aware of this, he arrested Vadomarius and banished him to Hispania. His son Vithicabius succeeded him as king. Later, Vadomarius allied himself with Rome under emperors Jovian and Valens, leading his forces against the usurper Procopius and fighting the Persians on Rome's behalf.

Contents

Life

The life of Vadomarius is best documented by the Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus. According to his writings, Constantius II explicitly went to Valentia to wage war against Vadomarius and Gundomadus, whose forces had been laying waste to parts of Gaul. [1] In 356, Vadomarius and his brother Gundomadus concluded a peace treaty with the Romans after having lost a battle against emperor Constantius II. [2]

The emperor Constantius II (ruled 337-61), Julian's cousin and superior. One of the three sons and successors of Constantine I the Great, he survived his two brothers to become sole emperor in 350. He is portrayed with a halo, as were most Christian emperors of the period. Portrait on a manuscript of the Chronography of 354, Rome 07 constantius2Chrono354.png
The emperor Constantius II (ruled 337–61), Julian's cousin and superior. One of the three sons and successors of Constantine I the Great, he survived his two brothers to become sole emperor in 350. He is portrayed with a halo, as were most Christian emperors of the period. Portrait on a manuscript of the Chronography of 354, Rome

After Gundomadus was treacherously killed by his own people in 357, the Alemanni rallied themselves under Vadomarius, while remaining an ally of Constantius II. [3] Julian's rise to power and Vadomarius' decision to stand by Constantius II was likely the result of intimidation, which subsequently led him to join and lead the Alamannic coalition in AD 357. [4] It is possible that Vadomarius even may have supplied troops to fight against other Germanic tribesman during the Battle of Strasbourg. [4] The evidence for this stems from the fact that he continued acting as an agent of Constantius II in sorting out the mess following the battle—meanwhile, he also kept an eye on Julian. [4] In this regard, historian John F. Drinkwater argues that "Vadomarius should be regarded as Roman." [4] Constantius II even granted Vadomarius and the Alemanni rights to settle along the western bank of the Rhine. [5] Seeking to use the Alemanni against Julian the Apostate, Constantius II then incited the Germanic Alemanni to march upon his erstwhile competitor in the East, having established trust with them. [6] However, Julian's military power was greater than expected and in 359, he crossed the Rhine near Mainz with his forces and scattered his enemies; thereafter he concluded peace treaties with the Alemannic kings Vadomarius, Macrian, Hariobaudes, Urius, Ursicinus and Vestralpus. [7]

In 360, Vadomarius attacked areas along the border of Tyrol, which greatly grieved Julian since it violated the recent treaty. [8] Vadomarius was carrying out these raids along the borders areas per the urging of Constantius II, which were outlined in letters between the two. [9] When Julian learned of these messages, he was incensed and invited Vadomarius to a banquet, at which he was arrested and placed under guard. [10] [6] Vadomarius was subsequently banished to Spain. [11]

After being a Spain for a brief period, Vadomarius then had a distinguished career in the Roman army, [12] rising to the position of dux of Phoenice. [13] Under emperor Valens, Vadomarius employed siege-warfare techniques he would have learned as a Roman soldier to besiege the supporters of the usurper Procopius in Nicaea. [14] He is last heard from fighting against the Persians in Mesopotamia in 371. [13] Vadomarius was succeeded as king by his son Vithicabius, who much like his father, was considered a threat to Rome. [15] The emperor Gratian had Vithicabius murdered when his loyalty to the Roman throne "became suspect." [16] The story of both Vadomarius and his son reveal the manner in which Romans handled their barbarian neighbors, co-opting and recruiting them when it suited their needs but against whom they often used treacherous means. [17]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alemanni</span> Germanic people

The Alemanni or Alamanni were a confederation of Germanic tribes on the Upper Rhine River during the first millennium. First mentioned by Cassius Dio in the context of the campaign of Roman emperor Caracalla of 213, the Alemanni captured the Agri Decumates in 260, and later expanded into present-day Alsace and northern Switzerland, leading to the establishment of the Old High German language in those regions, which by the eighth century were collectively referred to as Alamannia.

Ammianus Marcellinus, occasionally anglicised as Ammian, was a Roman soldier and historian who wrote the penultimate major historical account surviving from antiquity. His work, known as the Res gestae, chronicled in Latin the history of Rome from the accession of the Emperor Nerva in 96 to the death of Valens at the Battle of Adrianople in 378, although only the sections covering the period 353 to 378 survive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Constantius II</span> Roman emperor from 337 to 361

Constantius II was Roman emperor from 337 to 361. His reign saw constant warfare on the borders against the Sasanian Empire and Germanic peoples, while internally the Roman Empire went through repeated civil wars, court intrigues, and usurpations. His religious policies inflamed domestic conflicts that would continue after his death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Constans</span> Roman emperor from 337 to 350

Flavius Julius Constans, sometimes called Constans I, was Roman emperor from 337 to 350. He held the imperial rank of caesar from 333, and was the youngest son of Constantine the Great.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julian (emperor)</span> Roman emperor from 361 to 363

Julian was the Caesar of the West from 355 to 360 and Roman emperor from 361 to 363, as well as a notable philosopher and author in Greek. His rejection of Christianity, and his promotion of Neoplatonic Hellenism in its place, caused him to be remembered as Julian the Apostate in Christian tradition. He is sometimes referred to as Julian the Philosopher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valens</span> Roman emperor from 364 to 378

Valens was Roman emperor from 364 to 378. Following a largely unremarkable military career, he was named co-emperor by his elder brother Valentinian I, who gave him the eastern half of the Roman Empire to rule. In 378, Valens was defeated and killed at the Battle of Adrianople against the invading Goths, which astonished contemporaries and marked the beginning of barbarian encroachment into Roman territory.

The 350s decade ran from January 1, 350, to December 31, 359.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">357</span> Calendar year

Year 357 (CCCLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Constantius and Iulianus. The denomination 357 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jovian (emperor)</span> Roman emperor from 363 to 364

Jovian was Roman emperor from June 363 to February 364. As part of the imperial bodyguard, he accompanied Emperor Julian on his campaign against the Sasanian Empire. Julian was killed in battle, and the exhausted and ill-provisioned army declared Jovian his successor. Unable to cross the Tigris, Jovian extricated his troops from enemy territory by making peace with the Sasanids on humiliating terms. He spent the rest of his eight-month reign traveling back to Constantinople. After his arrival at Edessa, Jovian was petitioned by bishops over doctrinal issues concerning Christianity. He died at Dadastana, never having reached the capital.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Constans II (son of Constantine III)</span> Roman emperor from 409 to 411

Constans II was the son of Western Roman emperor Constantine III, and served as his co-emperor from 409 to 411. Constans was a monk prior to his father being acclaimed emperor by the army in Britain in early 407, an act of rebellion against the ruling emperor Honorius. He was summoned to Gaul, appointed to the position of caesar (heir) and swiftly married so that a dynasty could be founded. In Hispania, Honorius's relatives rose in 408 and expelled Constantine's administration. An army under the generals Constans and Gerontius was sent to deal with this and Constantine's authority was re-established. Honorius acknowledged Constantine as co-emperor in early 409 and Constantine immediately raised Constans to the position of augustus (emperor), theoretically equal in rank to Honorius as well as to Constantine. Later in 409 Gerontius rebelled, proclaimed his client Maximus emperor and incited barbarian groups in Gaul to rise up. Constans was sent to quash the revolt, but was defeated and withdrew to Arles. In 410, Constans was sent to Hispania again. Gerontius had strengthened his army with barbarians and defeated Constans; the latter withdrew north and was defeated again and killed at Vienne early in 411. Gerontius then besieged Constantine in Arles and killed him.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chronology of warfare between the Romans and Germanic peoples</span>

This is a nope your stupid

of warfare between the Romans and various Germanic peoples. The nature of these wars varied through time between Roman conquest, Germanic uprisings, later Germanic invasions of the Western Roman Empire that started in the late second century BC, and more. The series of conflicts was one factor which led to the ultimate downfall of the Western Roman Empire in particular and ancient Rome in general in 476.

The Battle of Strasbourg, also known as the Battle of Argentoratum, was fought in 357 between the Western Roman army under the Caesar Julian and the Alamanni tribal confederation led by the joint paramount King Chnodomar. The battle took place near Strasbourg, called Argentoratum in Ammianus Marcellinus' account, Argentorate in the Tabula Peutingeriana.

Silvanus was a Roman general of Frankish descent, usurper in Gaul against Emperor Constantius II for 28 days in AD 355.

The siege of Autun was a conflict fought between the Roman Empire and the invading barbarian Alemanni tribe, who were ravaging Gaul, in 356 AD. The Romans successfully defended the city, and the barbarians retreated on the approach of reinforcements.

Barbatio was a Roman general of the infantry under the command of Constantius II. Previously he was a commander of the household troops under Gallus Caesar, but he arrested Gallus under the instruction of Constantius, thereby ensuring his promotion on the death of Claudius Silvanus. In 359, both he and his wife Assyria were arrested and beheaded for treason against Constantius, possibly as part of a plot by Arbitio, a senior cavalry commander, and another exponent of the forms of scheming and political intrigue that became such a part of the later Roman Empire.

Macrian or Makrian was the king of the Bucinobantes, an Alemannic tribe, in the late fourth century and the brother of Hariobaudes. Macrian tried to confederate all the north Germanic and Alemannic tribes together against Rome.

Chnodomar was the king of an Alamannic canton in what is now south-west Germany, near the Rhine from sometime before 352 till 357. He seems to have had a recognized position among the other Alamanni.

Flavius Arintheus was a Roman army officer who started his career as a middle-ranking officer and rose to senior political and military positions. He served the emperors Constantius II, Julian, Jovian and Valens. He was appointed consul in 372 alongside Domitius Modestus.

Dagalaifus was a Roman army officer of Germanic descent. A pagan, he served as consul in 366. In the year 361, he was appointed by Emperor Julian as comes domesticorum. He accompanied Julian on his march through Illyricum to quell what remained of the government of Constantius II that year. He led a party into Sirmium that arrested the commander of the resisting army, Lucillianus. In the spring of 363, Dagalaifus was part of Julian's ultimately-disastrous invasion of Persia. On June 26, while still campaigning, Julian was killed in a skirmish. Dagalaifus, who had been with the rear guard, played an important role in the election of the next emperor. The council of military officers finally agreed on the new comes domesticorum, Jovian, to succeed Julian. Jovian was a Christian whose father Varronianus had himself once served as comes domesticorum.

Gundomad or Gundomar, was an Alemannic petty king in the area around Breisgau, Germany in the 4th century. The Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus reports that Gundomad, together with his brother Vadomarius, in 354 concluded a peace treaty at Augst after having been defeated in battle by emperor Constantius II. In 357, Gundomad was killed by his own people for having been to loyal to the Romans. They then made an uprising against emperor Julian.

References

Citations

  1. ↑ Marcellinus 1894, p. 32, [14.10.1].
  2. ↑ Bunson 1995, p. 434.
  3. ↑ Marcellinus 1894, p. 111, [16.12.17–18].
  4. 1 2 3 4 Drinkwater 2007, p. 156.
  5. ↑ Goldsworthy 2009, p. 216.
  6. 1 2 Burns 2003, p. 338.
  7. ↑ Marcellinus 1894, pp. 163–165, [18.2.12–19].
  8. ↑ Marcellinus 1894, pp. 246–247, [21.3.1].
  9. ↑ Marcellinus 1894, p. 247–248, [21.3.4–5].
  10. ↑ Marcellinus 1894, p. 248, [21.3.6].
  11. ↑ Marcellinus 1894, p. 248, [21.4.6].
  12. ↑ Goldsworthy 2019, p. 167.
  13. 1 2 James 2014, p. 42.
  14. ↑ Burns 1994, p. 5.
  15. ↑ Heather 2005, p. 90.
  16. ↑ Goldsworthy 2009, p. 273.
  17. ↑ Burns 2003, p. 339.

Bibliography

  • Burns, Thomas (1994). Barbarians within the Gates of Rome: A Study of Roman Military Policy and the Barbarians, CA. 375–425 A.D. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press. ISBN   978-0-25331-288-4.
  • Burns, Thomas (2003). Rome and the Barbarians, 100 B.C.—A.D. 400. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN   978-0-80187-306-5.
  • Bunson, Matthew (1995). A Dictionary of the Roman Empire. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN   978-0-19510-233-8.
  • Drinkwater, John F. (2007). The Alamanni and Rome 213-496 (Caracalla to Clovis). Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN   978-0-199-29568-5.
  • Goldsworthy, Adrian (2009). How Rome Fell: Death of a Superpower . New Haven and London: Yale University Press. ISBN   978-0-30013-719-4.
  • Goldsworthy, Adrian (2019). Roman Warfare. New York: Basic Books. ISBN   978-1-54169-923-6.
  • Heather, Peter (2005). The Fall of the Roman Empire: A New History of Rome and the Barbarians. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN   978-0-19515-954-7.
  • James, Edward (2014). Europe's Barbarians, AD 200–600. London and New York: Routledge. ISBN   978-0-58277-296-0.
  • Marcellinus, Ammianus (1894). The Roman History of Ammianus Marcellinus. Translated by C.D. Yonge. London: George Bell & Sons. OCLC   681127910.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.