Aetius

Flavius Aetius (sometimes francized in Aétius ) (v. 395 - September 21st, 454) is a senator and Généralissime of the Roman legions which obtained the titles of “Patrice” and of comes and magister utriusque militiae ( count and Master of the two militia in Latin) in 443.

One said of him that it was “the last of the Romans” because of its victories or alliances with the advantage of Rome (and personal) against the cruel of the Ve century, little before Romulus Augustule, the last emperor of Occident is not deposited in 476.

Biography

It is born with Dorostolus in Mésie at the end of the 4th century. He is the son of Gaudentius, a military chief Barbare with the pay of the Roman Empire high main under of the militia (magister militum) , then of count of Africa .

During its youth in the guards of the palate, it was sent like hostage to the court of Alaric, king of the Visigoth S, then with that of Ruga, king of the Huns where he becomes a friend of the young person Attila. The latter were in turn the principal rivals and combined Roman Empire. With its return, all the honors were granted to him.

Whereas they are caught of it with the Roman Empire the East, Aetius uses them as auxiliary against the Germains which threaten the Gaulle Roman. In same time, it could use of the favors of the party “anti-barbarians” who had triumphed with Rome and had caused the fall of the general romano - vandal Stilicon.

In 426, it became Préfet of the court of Gaules.

It pushed back the Eastern Francs beyond the the Rhine, overcame the Bagaudes Armorique, beat the Francs saliens of the king mérovingien Clodion Hairy the with Hélesmes. This last barbarian chief concludes a treaty with the general in 428. This treaty ( fœdus ) made them “federate” combatant for Rome, and authorized them to settle in the Empire, in fact close to the imperial tax department of Tournai. They were there the origins of the future frank kingdom of Clovis {{Ier}}.

In 428, it was named Magister militum per Gallias by Galla Placidia, then in 429 généralissime at the sides of Flavius Felix.

In 432, it became for the first time consul.

Its competition with the Roman general Boniface, like him senator and favorite of the empress Galla Placidia (mother of the emperor Valentinien III), led it to plot, which ends up attracting the Vandales in Africa.

True Master of the Empire starting from 433, Aetius also beat the Burgondes of the king Gondicaire which had entered in Gaulle and forced them, or rather negotiated their installation in Sapaudie (future the Savoy, precisely territories between the Alps and the Jura).

He fought also the Francs and the Visigoths.

In 435, Galla Placidia granted the title of Patrice to him.

In 437, he became consul for the second time.

Lastly, it charged Goar, king of the Alains, which were established on the the Loire, to supervise the Armoricains. Thus, it contributed by its policy to draw some of the outstanding features of the French territory to the Early middle ages.

Aetius was consul for the third time in the year 446. It is towards 447 that it octroye with Clodion, chief of the Francs, the statute of federate as well as an autonomous territory, within the Empire, around Tournai, that Clodion and its descendants (Mérovée, Childéric {{Ier}} and Clovis) will be charged to protect from the other barbarians. But the notoriety of Aetius is especially due so that the history annoyingly named the Bataille of the fields catalaunic.

When Attila invades the Gaulle in 451, it was Aétius which joins together Burgonde S, Saxons, Alains, Franc S and Visigoth S, and beat the Huns with the catalaunic Champs in 451. This battle actually proceeded with the locality campus mauriacus close to Troyes and marked the end of the invasion of the Huns, carried out by Attila in Gaulle. Aetius ordered there the coalition romano-barbarian at the sides of the king of the Visigoth S Théodoric {{Ier}} and of Burgondes, of Alains, Saxons and Francs which was its allies.

Triumphing, it was finally victim of the jealousies which its victories had brought to him to Rome and of fears of the imperial family reigning with respect to her ambitions and capacity with becoming Roman Emperor by coup d'etat. He dies stabbed on the order of the emperor Valentinien III on September 21st 454, with the great relief of the Christian party which worried about the popularity of this pagan.

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