10-10-2013, 06:12 AM
Hi Evan, I know you have almost finished your final draft but I found a source for the Alans from Claudian regarding an unnamed Alan king fighting with Stilicho against Alaric in 402AD.
Claudius Claudianus 4th-5th C. From Alexandria
De Bello Pollentino sive Gothico 402 - Claud. Carm. 26, 581-597 (ed. Birt MGH AA X, p. 280-281)
Battle of Pollentia (402AD) between forces of Stilicho and the Visigothic king Alaric. This epic-historical poem gave a prominent role to the auxiliary Alan troops of the Roman faction:
De sextu consulatu Honorii , 404 – Claud. Carm. 28, 223-225 (ed. Birt MGH AA X, p. 243)
When dealing with the battle of Verona (403), he recalls again the episode of Pollentia
Apparently the battle of Pollentia ended in a narrow victory to the Romans and it looks like a “Scapegoating exercise” where the untrustworthy Alans rode away after their king died only to be rallied by Stilicho, and then in combination with his legion attacked the Visigoths and together they won a narrow victory, but Alaric escaped and it was the Alans’ fault in 2 ways, the rash attack of their king before the legion was in position & then his troops fleeing the field, or could this have been a feigned retreat albeit a mishandled one luring the Goths, and the Alans following usual Steppe tactics, turning and combining with Roman legion to finish off Alaric? Claudian seems to be pointing the finger, as well as praising his bravery at the Alan king with Stilicho saving the day but not with the result he wanted. Maybe by the time of Aetius there may still have been some perceived mistrust of the Alans or their leaders, but not their military capabilities so maybe their perceived rashness in battle influenced Aetius dispositions before the battle. But it is a poem although showing some interesting descriptions of Alan King
In his book Sources on the Alans A Critical Compilation Agusti Alemany also points out from Claudian’s description of the Alan king that he was a small man, maybe of mixed blood from an Alano-Hunnic marriage and had a disfigured face but doesn’t know if this is because of cranial deformation or facial disfiguration (maybe both). A little different to the description of Alans by Ammianus Marcellinus who said
Regards
Michael Kerr
Claudius Claudianus 4th-5th C. From Alexandria
De Bello Pollentino sive Gothico 402 - Claud. Carm. 26, 581-597 (ed. Birt MGH AA X, p. 280-281)
Battle of Pollentia (402AD) between forces of Stilicho and the Visigothic king Alaric. This epic-historical poem gave a prominent role to the auxiliary Alan troops of the Roman faction:
Quote: “the Alan submitted to our authority, went wherever our trumpets ordered him to go, and sought death for Latium, taught by **** the glorious [chief] of the Alan people ****, whom nature had moulded with small limbs but great courage and dyed his eyes with a terrible anger. No part of his body was free of wounds and, torn by spears, the glory of his disfigured face shone more proudly. At Stilicho’s command, he went hastily with his swift horsemen and bit the dust of Italy. Fortunate and worthy of the Elysian fields and of these verses, he who, wrongly suspected by us, ardently desired to prove his loyalty even with his death; who, taking the sword for judge, refuted an undeserved accusation with his praiseworthy blood! Deeply affected by the hero’s death his cavalry turned tail and the whole army, deprived of this flank, would have staggered about if Stilicho, who had quickly arranged a legion in battle order, had not started up horseback combat again with infantry support.In his last poem
De sextu consulatu Honorii , 404 – Claud. Carm. 28, 223-225 (ed. Birt MGH AA X, p. 243)
When dealing with the battle of Verona (403), he recalls again the episode of Pollentia
Quote: [Stilicho] would have captured you too, Alaric, and would have put you to death, if the rash ardour of an unwary Alan had not upset the foreseen plan.
Apparently the battle of Pollentia ended in a narrow victory to the Romans and it looks like a “Scapegoating exercise” where the untrustworthy Alans rode away after their king died only to be rallied by Stilicho, and then in combination with his legion attacked the Visigoths and together they won a narrow victory, but Alaric escaped and it was the Alans’ fault in 2 ways, the rash attack of their king before the legion was in position & then his troops fleeing the field, or could this have been a feigned retreat albeit a mishandled one luring the Goths, and the Alans following usual Steppe tactics, turning and combining with Roman legion to finish off Alaric? Claudian seems to be pointing the finger, as well as praising his bravery at the Alan king with Stilicho saving the day but not with the result he wanted. Maybe by the time of Aetius there may still have been some perceived mistrust of the Alans or their leaders, but not their military capabilities so maybe their perceived rashness in battle influenced Aetius dispositions before the battle. But it is a poem although showing some interesting descriptions of Alan King
In his book Sources on the Alans A Critical Compilation Agusti Alemany also points out from Claudian’s description of the Alan king that he was a small man, maybe of mixed blood from an Alano-Hunnic marriage and had a disfigured face but doesn’t know if this is because of cranial deformation or facial disfiguration (maybe both). A little different to the description of Alans by Ammianus Marcellinus who said
Quote:Moreover, almost all the Alans are tall and handsome, with rather fair hairI know it is probably too late to use as I see you have posted a PDF on another thread but I put the quotes in anyway, maybe to provide a bit of background on the Alans & possibility of using a feigned retreat tactic fighting for Romans previously to Chalons. Sorry for lateness again.
Regards
Michael Kerr
Michael Kerr
"You can conquer an empire from the back of a horse but you can't rule it from one"
"You can conquer an empire from the back of a horse but you can't rule it from one"
