Chapter III: Gallia

„Gallia: land of the barbarians and tyrants. “ – Symmachus I.

Mallius Theodorus, who feels still odd when called Augustus and who did not really wanted this office, is only in that position because he is not made for being Emperor, he is no General, no military talent; he is a philosopher, a well-known writer, not a ruler.

How did it come that he is now Augustus? As the Germans crossed the Rhine in the year 399 AD Mallius Theodorus was in Treverorum, administrating the land between Gibraltar, Rhine and Atlantic, in the name of Emperor Honorius. The Magister Militum, unable to defend the north of Gallia, withdrew to the south but Mallius stayed in Treverorum. Four weeks later Frankish and Burgundian troops conquered the city and captured him. He stayed a prisoner, for several months, until the leaders of the Germans, especially Sigiric a Frankish king, became impatient with the Emperor in Italia, who was neither willing to grant them land nor positions in the Imperium. Sigiric gave Mallius his freedom back and made him with the other tribes’ support Emperor – or Usurper – in exchange for the foederati status and military positions.

The Franks in the north of Gallia expanded their territory to the east and south and Sigiric, the mightiest of their kings and now Comes of the Imperium, claims the military command over all the northern provinces and is able to full fill this ambition at least between the channel and the Mosella. The Alemanians settle between Danubius and the Alps, securing the northern Alpine passes for Mallius. A part of the Burgundians controls the area between both, whereas another part continues to plunder Gallia; together with Alans and the Silingi-Vandals.

After granting and defining the tribes’ territory, Mallius moves with all avaible troops to the south, away from Treverorum, where now Sigiric likes to resides, and the foederati controlled north towards the south, the city of Vienna, which is closer to the Empire’s heartland, Italia. Militarily incompetent Mallius and his more competent generals and backers hope, that the various factions in the war over the Imperium will weaken each other so much, that they can take the rest of the Empire without problems. In the moment the Gallian tactic seems to work, because Honorius’ army is battling Alaric, who crossed the Alps, on the Adriatic coast and Gildo’s troops in the south, which were lucky enough to take Sicilly nearly without casualties and are now advancing into Italia and Hispania. A negative aspect for Mallius is that he has a chronic troop shortage and would be barely able to hold the southern alpine passes; worst of all Britannia is holding to Honorius or better to everyone who won’t take the island’s troops right now. Southern Gallia may be the safest place to be in the Western Empire, for men because they don’t have to fight, just to wait, and for women and children because the Barbarians are plundering and burning down the north; but that can all change in a matter of weeks, maybe only days. It could be the silence before the storm for Gallia.

Map 

The Western and parts of the Eastern Roman Empire in 401 AD.

Red=Western Empire

Purple=Eastern Empire
Blue=Alaric's troops
Gold=Area controlled by Gildo
Green=Mallius Theodorus' Empire; Light Green-Striped=Foederated Peoples and influence