Forging the Blade, a New Novel About the Goths

[Flavivs Aetivs]

Well, the Alans were foederati - Aetius was an extremly skilled commander, and had given them land along the Loire and east of Auvergne. The Alans were more than foederati - they were run by the roman state, more professional than the usual barbarian recruits. They had been serving Aetius since the 430's it seems, and Thorismund had to take them out before he attacked Arelate. It's likely that Aurelianum was important to the Alans in that some of their members may be in the Roman governemnt there in Gaul, but its rather likely the majority of the Alans had already gone south to Arles to meet up with the Roman Army by the time Attila had attacked.