85-6 Great Migrations in the 4th century

The Great Migrations in the 4th century

To the Caucasus

As a result of the invasion of the Huns in the last quarter of the 4th century, the Eastern part of the Alans migrate south into the Caucasus and settle permanently in what became the kingdom Alania and now the republic North Ossetia-Alania.

To Western Europe

The western group Alans goes to the west and divides in multiple parts.

One group joins around 400 a group Visigoths and invade Italy. In 402 they where defeated in Raethia by the Roman general Stilicho. Then they become foederati, allies, of Rome and join the Legions.

Other groups migrate along the Danube together with the likewise by the Huns expelled Vandals, Burgundians, Suebes and Quads. They cross the Rhine and invade in 406 Western Europe where they divide into at least two groups.

One group under Goar set itself also under the authority of the Roman emperor and is included in their legions in Gallia.

Others under Respendialis march some years though Gallia and invade about 409 into Spain. They live here twenty years and are then driven out by the Romans and go in 429 to North Africa.

With the Vandals they found the kingdom of Vandals and the Alans in Africa with the capital Carthago

Were the leaders of the Franks Sarmatians?

The Germanic Cugerni or Sicambri, were also called Franks. They lived since the time of Caesar east of the Batavi. They were settled in the first century in the Roman province Germania inferior, later Germania secunda, in Colonia Ulpia Traiana near modern Xanten upstream of Nijmegen, east of Venlo. In this region were also stationed Sarmatians aslimitanei, border troups. They came originally from the Danube Plain. They and the Franks were by treaties associated with the Romans as foederati and defended the borders. In the middle of the 5th century, they were retired to the south and settled in Fanum Martis, now Famars. Childerik, ± 440-480, the first known Frankish king, was in the same time by the Romans assigned to a large area in Tournai. His tomb was discovered in 1652 in the church of Saint Brice and therein were except Germanic also clear Sarmatian marks.

Childerik was a son or at least a descendant of the semi-legendary king Merovech. From Merovech recounts a legend that he is the son of a princess and a sea monster. This shows similarities with the Sarmatian Nart saga. The ancestor of the main gender the Urismagsprung from the commitment of progenitor Achsartag with a sea nymph, daughter of the sea godDonbettir. Clodovech, called by the French Clovis, son of Childeric was leader of probably 500 Franks. Him was given the command of Roman units of allies Sarmatians and Alemanni and he married Clotilde Burgundian princess who had the catholic religion. Clodovech and his entire court took the over the Christian faith, in that way he got the mighty bishops on his hand. He lost however as a result the half his Frankish followers. The conquest of the important city Soissons showed his growing power. The military settlers of other origin assimilated unnoticed with the Franks. (9) An example of the assimilation of the Alans, mainly that in Armorica the later Brittany is demonstrated by the disappearance of the tribal name Alan together with the appearance of the first name Alain. That name is even very popular until now also in the English territories. Even the name Goar remained. After the Christianization of the Alans, which took place about the same time as that of the Franks, we see in the sixth century a bishop and a Saint Alanus and also a St. Goar. A variant name is Eochar. This sometimes occurs alternately in the same person. In the Ossetian, the language of the eastern Alans, the name Goar Changed to Iæukhar. Another Goar is mentioned in 627 as Count of Albi in Aquitaine and succeeded in 630 St. Arnulphus, the oldest known forebear of the Carolingians, as bishop of Metz. This indicates at least a close relationship between the Sarmatian and French nobility and also the settling of Sarmatians or Alans in Aquitaine. The German historian Schmoeckel sees much evidence that the Merovingians and other Frankish nobility as the Carolingians are descendants of the Sarmatians. (10) The latest synthesis of the history of the counts of Limburg shows as the starting point the construction around 1030 of a castle on a cliff above the river Vesdre now called Limbourg sur Vesdre, in an area that was part of a vast and ancient Carolingian domain. This area was since the beginning of the eleventh century in the hands of Count Frederick of Luxembourg, Count in the Mosel Shire.