More Merovingian- Kingdom of Soissons

[Michael Kerr]

Bernard S. Bachrach mentions that the armies of the Merovingian kingdoms were composed not only of Franks, who were at times if not often a minority, but also of Saxons, Alamans, Taifals, Alans, Burgundians, and Gallo-Romans. These peoples had their own military customs and there is no reason to believe that they gave them up simply because they came under Frankish political domination and probably wore their Roman garb and weapons until possibly the 6th Century. Bachrach in his paper "PROCOPIUS, AGATHIAS AND THE FRANKISH MILITARY" mentions that Frankish law permitted these groups to maintain their identity as a people. Gregory of Tours describes the bellicose habits of the Taifals more than two centuries after a small group of them was settled by Rome near Poitiers in the 4th Century and the Alans & Alamans probably made up the bulk of Clovis' cavalry even though both Procopius and Agathias seem to think that cavalry was not a big part of Merovingian warfare, same as bowmen. Because the Franks were not Arians these various groups found it relatively easy to assimilate into Frankish society.

Regards
Michael Kerr