Cambridge Ancient Hi.. - Index of

20 1. the western empire, 425,76
in western affairs. This was true, in the first instance, of the Goths and
Burgundians of southern Gaul, and the Vandals of North Africa. By the
470s and 480s, however, they had been joined by groups of Franks, particularly
those led by Clovis’ father, Childeric. Previously, Hunnic power was
used by Aetius to contain these groups within designated physical boundaries,
and to minimize their political influence. When Hunnic power collapsed,
the only viable alternative was to include all – or some – of them
within the western empire’s body politic. Such a move was already
prefigured, indeed, in the great alliance Aetius put together in 451 to defeat
Attila on the Catalaunian Plains. The old strategic order was reversed.
Instead of the western Roman state using Hunnic power to control the
immigrant barbarians, in 451 it allied itself with the immigrants against the
Huns. 48
Western imperial politicians clearly understood the new realities. The
first move of Petronius Maximus, for instance – the immediate and selfproclaimed
successor of Valentinian III – was to win Gothic support. His
close associate Avitus was despatched to Toulouse to court the Visigothic
king, Theoderic II. 49 Perhaps the best example of the sea change in western
politics, however, is Avitus himself. While he was still in Toulouse, news
came through that Maximus had been killed in the Vandal sack of Rome
(May 455). Avitus took his place, being proclaimed emperor first by the
Goths and then by Gallo-Roman senators at Arles on 9 July 455. The writings
of Sidonius Apollinaris provide us with a fascinating document from
these tumultuous months of political reordering. As we have seen, some
members of the Roman landowning élite had in the 410s quickly allied
themselves to the Goths. Many, however, remained to be convinced that
this was an acceptable strategy. Around the time of Avitus’ accession,
Sidonius wrote a detailed account of life at the Gothic court. In it, he
records Theoderic’s natural physical perfection, the ordered, rational procedure
of daily business, and the moderation and virtuous nature of the
food, drink and entertainment on offer there. Given that the traditional
images of ‘barbarians’ in Graeco-Roman ideology were irrationality and
sensuality, the letter carries a clear ideological message. Its tone would still
appear to be patronizing in places (particularly in its account of the king’s
willingness to grant requests if you let him win at board games), but its
central theme still rings out clearly. Theoderic was a king close enough to
Roman ways of doing things for him to be properly included within the
Roman order.
Avitus’ regime quickly took off in Gaul, where it combined Goths, Gallo-
Romans and Burgundians, but failed to establish itself in Italy, whose army,
48 A similar analysis: Clover (1978) 171.
49 Valentinian III was murdered on 16 March, Petronius Maximus proclaimed on 17 March: PLRE
ii.751. Avitus’ mission: Sid. Ap. Carm. vii.392ff.
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