Europe 470: Anagast’s Revolt

Political map of Europe & the Mediterranean on early 470 (Fall of the Western Empire: Anagast’s Revolt), showing the following events: Defeat of the Loire Saxons; Anagast’s Revolt; Gibuld’s raid on Troyes.

At the end of 469 Anagast, the Eastern Roman commander in Thraciae, led his forces in revolt over his being passed over for consul. The crisis was resolved by early 470 when Anagast stepped down, blaming the disgraced general Ardabur, son of the influential statesman Aspar, for orchestrating the rebellion.

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Main Events

469–470 Restoration of Aspar ▲

In late 469, in the aftermath of the failed Roman campaign against the Vandals, the ambitious patrician Aspar reasserted his influence over the Eastern Roman emperor Leo I, who “not merely quit the court… but even came seriously to consider quitting the city itself”. Aspar then conspired to make his son Patricius a caesar and to marry him to Leo’s daughter Leontia, demands that Leo felt compelled to accept in order to regain Aspar’s good will. Fearful of Aspar, an Arian, controlling the succession, the senate incited the people of Constantinople to riot but was otherwise powerless to stop his rise. in wikipedia

469–470 Defeat of the Loire Saxons ▲

After defeating Adovacrius and his Saxons at Angers in late 469, the armies of Childeric, king of the Salian Franks, and Syagrius, Roman general in northern Gaul, pursued the fleeing Saxons onto their island settlements in the Loire river. The islands were plundered savagely and many Saxons were killed, but eventually Childeric, concerned by Alemannic advances in eastern Gaul, made a treaty with Adovacrius and brought the war to an end. in wikipedia

469–470 Anagast’s Revolt ▲

In late 469 Anagast, magister militum per Thracias and the general responsible for killing Attila’s son Dengizich, was sidelined for the position of Eastern Roman consul in favor of his bitter rival Jordanes, magister militum per Orientem. Angered, Anagast led a revolt of the Danubian legions and overran the fortresses of Thraciae. Eventually the Eastern court negotiated an end to the rebellion and Anagast stepped down, blaming the disgraced general Ardabur, son of the influential statesman Aspar, for orchestrating his revolt. in wikipedia

469?–470? Gibuld’s raid on Troyes ▲

In around 469 the Alemanni, perhaps encouraged by the failed Roman campaigns against the Vandals (468) and the Visigoths (469), expanded into Gaul under their king Gibuld. They pushed as far as the neighborhood of Tricassium (Troyes), where they sacked a town. In response, it is said that the bishop Lupus of Troyes met with Gibuld and persuaded him to release captives he had taken. in wikipedia