Cambridge Ancient Hi.. - Index of

the burgundian kingdom, 412,534 115
Burgundians crossed the river and established a kingdom in the vicinity of
Mainz. In the political vacuum that followed they gave their backing to the
short-lived Gallic imperial regime of Iovinus (411–13) and Sebastianus
(412–13). Little is known of the Burgundians after the destruction of these
usurpers by the Visigoths. In 435 they negotiated a treaty with the Roman
magister militum, Aetius, following some conflict, but soon after they were
attacked by the Huns (436/7). The latter may have been in the employ of
Aetius, as he used them against other groups in Gaul at this time. The
Burgundian king Gundichar was killed and many of his followers massacred.
8 In 442 the survivors were established in Savoy, probably on the
orders of Aetius. According to the Chronicle of 452 this involved a division
of lands, implying the application of the system of hospitalitas. 9 As in the
case of the Visigoths, argument continues as to whether this should be
taken to mean a physical division of estates or a fiscal procedure.
The Burgundians next appear, now under the rule of two kings, Gundioc
and Chilperic I, as allies of the Visigoths. In 456 they accompanied
Theoderic II on his campaign against the Suevic ruler Rechiarius, and in
consequence were given more extensive lands to occupy, probably in the
central Rhône valley and to the east of it. By 463 Gundioc had received the
Roman military office of magister militum, possibly from his brother-in-law
Ricimer, who dominated the imperial government in Italy at this time. 10
Nothing more is known of Chilperic I. Gundioc probably died in 473/4,
and the kingdom was divided between his four sons. One of these,
Gundobad, had succeeded his uncle Ricimer as magister militum in Italy in 472
and had provided the main military prop for the imperial regime of
Glycerius (473–4). He abandoned Italy to go and contend with his brothers
Godigisel, Chilperic II and Godomar for part of the Burgundian kingdom.
The settlement reached in 474 was unstable, and conflicts between the
brothers continued. Chilperic II, who controlled Lyons and Geneva, was
murdered by Gundobad at some unspecified date. In 500 Godigisel
obtained the help of the Frankish king Clovis and was able to expel
Gundobad from his kingdom, forcing him to take refuge in Avignon.
However, after the Franks left, Gundobad besieged and captured Godigisel
at Vienne and tortured him to death. 11 As nothing more is known of
Godomar, it seems that Gundobad thereby reunited all the parts of the
Burgundian kingdom under his own rule. He was an Arian, but was willing
to receive theological treatises from Avitus, the Catholic bishop of Vienne.
Various of the laws that he issued have survived in the code that was promulgated
in the reign of his son. 12
8 Prosper, Epit. Chron. 1322, ed. Mommsen MGH AA 9, p.475; Chron. Gall. A cccclii 118, ed.
Mommsen p. 660. 9 Chron. Gall. A cccclii 128, ed. Mommsen p. 660. 10 PLRE ii.523–4.
11 Marii Episcopi Aventicensis Chronica s.a. 500, ed. Mommsen MGH AA 11, p.234. On Chilperic II
see Greg. Tur. Hist. ii.28, ed. Krusch and Levison pp. 73–4. 12 See ch. 10, pp.284,6 below.
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