The Whole North Into Gaul

[Flavivs Aetivs]

Yeah. I actually spent all day yesterday writing a treatise on the origin of the Huns (for a mod on another forum, nothing serious).

I'll check out those links. Right now I'm kind of stuck on some of Attila's tribes, which we know almost nothing about.

[Flavivs Aetivs]

So I was working on my section on the Army of Aetius, and I know the Notitia presents evidence of Barbarians being recruited as monpower for Roman units:

Salii
Heruli Seniores
Equites Heruli Iuniores

However, there is one unit that intrigues me:

Lanciarienses Sabarienses

The second name sounds like it dervies from a Hunnic Tribe (The Sabirs). The Sabirs weren't on the Roman border at this time (they were in the caucasus... )

But the name sounds like it's based on Hunnic (Proto-Turkic): question is, could they have been Hunnic?

The Huns are recorded as being skilled with the Javelins, but they weren't infantrymen...

However, in the East there is this unit:

Equites catafractarii Biturigenses

That sounds a lot like the Bittugur Huns (one of the Groups under Attila that followed his sone Dengzich).

Thoughts on this unit as well?

[Renatus]

According to Maenchen-Helfen p.146, the lanciarii Sabarienses (which is presumably the unit you are referring to) derive their name from the town of Sabaria in Pannonia Prima ( the modern Szombathely in Hungary).

The Bituriges were a Gaulish tribe, one branch of which had its capital at Avaricum, the modern Bourges. That the tribe gave its name to a unit of catafractarii is consistent with other instances in which the name of such a unit betrays a Gaulish origin.

[Flavivs Aetivs]

Thanks for the information Renatus.

[Flavivs Aetivs]

Well, my article has gotten so long that it can no longer be submitted as an article to most journals.

I think, in the end, I'm not going to submit it, but try and make it a book. There's just so much detail that has to go into each section that it essentially warrants one.

[Flavivs Aetivs]

So I think I've come up with a Chapter Outline:

I. Introduction
II. "And Fought with Craft Before he Made War."
- The Emperor Marcian
- Honoria's Proposal
- The Death of Chlodio and Eudoxius the Doctor
- Gaiseric's Bribe
- The Hun Diplomatic Campaign
III. "The Last of the Romans"
- Flavius Aetius
- The Roman Army in 450 AD
IV. "And these were his Auxiliaries..."
- Goths of Aquitaine
- Salian Franks
- The Alans
- The Armoricans
- The Burgundians
- The Saxons
- The Riparienses
- The Olibrones
V. "The Scourge of God"
- Attila the Hun
- The Hunnic Army
VI. "After the Warlike Rugian..."
- The Amals and the Goths
- The Gepids
- The Burgundians and Franks
- The Thuringians, Rugians, Scirians, and Herulians
VII. "The Whole North into Gaul..."
- The Hunnic Plan of Attack
- The Romans Respond
- The Siege of Aurelianum
VIII. "A Fight Whose like no Ancient Time has ever Recorded"
- The Location of the Battle
- The Order of Battle
- The Engagement
- The Aftermath of the Battle
IX. "Cadavera Vero Innumera"
- The Collapse of the Hunnic Dominion
- The Assassination of Aetius
- The Fall of Rome
X. References/Index/ETC.

What do you guys think?

[Timianus]

Eagerly awaiting this!

[Flavivs Aetivs]

I changed the titles around, so the Chapter Titles are quotes, while the sub-titles (headings for sections) are more serious.

I also renewed my library card and placed on hold several books I need. I have to re-read quite a few as well.

[Michael Kerr]

Hi Evan, are there any books or articles you are particularly after?
Regards
Michael Kerr

[Flavivs Aetivs]

Not at the moment, no, but thanks. I'll keep it in mind Michael.

[Flavivs Aetivs]

Revisiting the earlier idea of a hunnic unit possibly being in the Notitia, what about the Tongrecani? Where are they from?

[Nathan Ross]

what about the Tongrecani? Where are they from?

Tongres, surely? ;-)

(The earlier Roman Aduatuca Tungrorum or Tongrorum had probably already changed to the later Tongri, named after the pagus as with several other cities the west. Several of the other legiones palatina listed in the ND are named after places or areas - Divitenses after Castrum Divitia, Moesiaci etc. Tongrecani were probably the same.)

[Flavivs Aetivs]

That's what I was thinking, but I wanted to be sure. Thanks Nathan.

[Flavivs Aetivs]

It's been a while since I posted on here, but I thought I'd go ahead and say my first draft of the book is about halfway finished. I hope to finish the draft over the summer and have some members here read it, if you guys are up to it.

Right now I'm somewhere around 70 pages out of a projected 150.

[Michael Kerr]

Hi Evan, I thought you have been a bit quiet on the Hun front lately.
Regards
Michael Kerr