12-11-2014, 09:56 PM
Let me be a bit more clear about what I was trying to say:
Basically what I'm saying is that the term Comes may not have always been applied to the commander of a field army, which his how commands like the Comes Tractus Aremoriciani appeared. It seems that these Comites were under the command of the local Dux. The Comes Rei Militaris command was completely separate though, and neither the dux nor the comes had control over each other's forces (I.e. the Comes did not command Limitanei, and the Dux did not command Comitatenses).
Now, Paulinus is mentioned as Comes Paulinus, and the only Comes command in that region on the Loire is the Comes Tractus Aremoriciani, hence why I picked that one specifically. You are right that Aegidius did not control much of Belgica Secunda, the region hadn't been secure since Aetius died, and much of it had been acquired by Childeric. Dr. Kim theorizes that Aegidius and Syagrius were in fact essentially vassals of Childeric. However... he can be a bit overzealous in his work. While I'd say Syagirus possibly was under the control of Childeric/Clovis, Aegidius seems to have been independent of their influence.
Aegidius did react to the removal of his Magister Militum command in 461. Agrippinus and Aegidius went to war over it in 462, when Agrippinus paid the Goths to attack Aegidius, which culminated in the battle fought by Paulinus in 464 alongside Childeric and Odovacar (who then all turned on each other, with Childeric coming out on top and Odovacar going back to the Danube finally after 13 years in Gaul).
Can you post the text please? I'd like to read it. I can't find the Novellae Valentiniani and Theodosiani, for some reason.
Also, it appears in several other places; C. Th. 7.1.18, 7.4.14, for instance. The word did not appear in 7.13.7
Basically what I'm saying is that the term Comes may not have always been applied to the commander of a field army, which his how commands like the Comes Tractus Aremoriciani appeared. It seems that these Comites were under the command of the local Dux. The Comes Rei Militaris command was completely separate though, and neither the dux nor the comes had control over each other's forces (I.e. the Comes did not command Limitanei, and the Dux did not command Comitatenses).
Now, Paulinus is mentioned as Comes Paulinus, and the only Comes command in that region on the Loire is the Comes Tractus Aremoriciani, hence why I picked that one specifically. You are right that Aegidius did not control much of Belgica Secunda, the region hadn't been secure since Aetius died, and much of it had been acquired by Childeric. Dr. Kim theorizes that Aegidius and Syagrius were in fact essentially vassals of Childeric. However... he can be a bit overzealous in his work. While I'd say Syagirus possibly was under the control of Childeric/Clovis, Aegidius seems to have been independent of their influence.
Aegidius did react to the removal of his Magister Militum command in 461. Agrippinus and Aegidius went to war over it in 462, when Agrippinus paid the Goths to attack Aegidius, which culminated in the battle fought by Paulinus in 464 alongside Childeric and Odovacar (who then all turned on each other, with Childeric coming out on top and Odovacar going back to the Danube finally after 13 years in Gaul).
Quote:It doesn't appear in Ammianus or Vegetius. In fact, aside from the Notitia Dignitatum, the only dated reference I can find is NTh 4.1, given in AD438. It could, therefore, be an entirely 5th century expression.
Can you post the text please? I'd like to read it. I can't find the Novellae Valentiniani and Theodosiani, for some reason.
Also, it appears in several other places; C. Th. 7.1.18, 7.4.14, for instance. The word did not appear in 7.13.7
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