Cambridge Ancient Hi.. - Index of

the north-western provinces 515
British martyr. 151 In Britain itself, Alban continued to be revered down to
the days of Gildas, who also noted the cult of Julius and Aaron, probably
based at Caerleon. 152
Bishops and charismatics established themselves, or at least were
remembered as establishing themselves, not only in the eyes of their own
congregations and colleagues, but also in the eyes of the barbarians. 153
Their vitae record numerous confrontations between kings and holy men.
Germanus seized the bridle of Goar’s horse, and his action gained him the
admiration of the king. 154 His contemporary, Lupus of Troyes, wrote to the
Alaman king Gebavult, rebuking him for his raids and persuading him to
release the captives taken. 155 Again, however, the largest number of anecdotes
relate to Severinus. The Rugian king Flaccitheus and his son
Feletheus turned to the saint for advice. 156 Feletheus’ wife, Giso, however,
was unimpressed. She urged on her husband the baptism of Catholics as
Arians and also the capture of Romans. She ignored Severinus’ appeal to
stop her wickedness, but was punished when captive goldsmiths held her
son to ransom. Nor was Feletheus always easy to deal with. Hearing that
many Romans had taken refuge in Lauriacum, he marched against the
town, intending to move them closer to his own power centre, in order to
impose tribute on them. He saw these Romans as his people, and wanted
to ensure that the Thuringians and Alamans did not get their hands on
them. Even so, Severinus persuaded the king to let them return to their own
homes. 157
Before he died, the saint admonished Feletheus and Giso once again, 158
and he also attacked the king’s brother, Ferderuchus, for taking Romans
captive. 159 The prince nevertheless went so far as to plunder Severinus’
monastery after the saint’s death – but he was soon killed by his nephew,
who in turn was defeated by Odoacer and fled to Theoderic the Amal. 160
Nor was it only with the Rugi that Severinus had to deal. He also arranged
the return of numerous prisoners taken by the Alaman king Gibuld –
perhaps to be identified with Gebavult in the Vita Lupi. 161
In the Vita Severini we see a society gradually slipping out of Roman rule,
but never quite becoming part of a barbarian state. Feletheus regarded the
people of Noricum Ripense as his subjects (subiectos) – or, to be more
precise, he was determined that no other barbarian ruler should profit from
them 162 – but he did not actually annex their territory. Technically speaking,
at least, the province was not part of a barbarian kingdom while
Severinus was alive. Predatory barbarians are also in evidence in the chronicle
of Hydatius, but in Gallaecia there appears to have been no charismatic
151 Wood (1984) 13. 152 Gildas, De Excidio Britanniae 10. 153 Brown (1996) 77.
154 Constantius, Vita Germani vi.28. 155 Vita Lupi 10. 156 Eugippius, Vita Severini 5, 8.
157 Eugippius, Vita Severini 31. 158 Eugippius, Vita Severini 40. 159 Eugippius, Vita Severini 42.
160 Eugippius, Vita Severini 44. 161 Eugippius, Vita Severini 19. 162 Brown (1996) 77.
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