The Semispatha and the Saex

[ValentinianVictrix]

The Saxons were definately a known tribe by the time Valentinian I became Emperor. In AD370 the Saxons, after raiding Britain, then turned their attention on the northern coastal towns of Gaul. The local forces under the command of Nannenus could not contain the Saxons, Nannenus, who was himself wounded in an encounter, sent a request to Valentinian for reinforcements. Valentinian despatched Severus, Magister Peditum, with enough troops for the task to aid Nannenus. Severus’ force so terrified the Saxons that they begged for peace and pleaded for negotiations to begin before any fighting took place. A truce was agreed and the Saxons were allowed to return to their homelands by an overland route. However, Severus despatched part of the army to overtake the Saxons and ambush them. Unfortunately, the Romans hidden in ambush revealed their presence too soon and alerted the Saxons to their presence. The Saxons would have wiped them out had not a troop of Roman heavily armoured cavalry (Catafractarii), who were also sent to ambush the Saxons should they have taken another route, intervened and with their support the Roman infantry not only rallied but completely annihilated the Saxon horde.