| Battle of Vouillé | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part ofFranco-Gothic War | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Franks | Visigothic Kingdom | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Clovis I | Alaric II † Apollinaris of Clermont | ||||||||
TheBattle of Vouillé (from LatinCampus Vogladensis) was fought in the northernmarches of Visigothic territory, atVouillé, nearPoitiers (Gaul), around Spring 507 between theFranks, commanded byClovis, and theVisigoths, commanded byAlaric II. The Franks' victory resulted in their conquest ofGallia Aquitania and the death of Alaric II.
After Clovis's victories over theAlemanni east of theRhine and over theBurgundians in theRhone Valley, the Franks' growing power posed a threat to Alaric II's territory inAquitaine andHispania. DespiteTheodoric the Great's attempts to broker a peace between the factions, Clovis began a campaign to seize Aquitaine and Alaric's center of power inToulouse. Alaric, his army, and a force ofAuvergnants militia commanded byApollinaris of Clermont marched north and met the Frankish army inGaul.[2]
Clovis's army was slowed by a rain-swollenVienne River, yet his forces were able to engage the Visigoths south of Vouillé.[3] With his missile troops stationed at the rear of his army, Clovis sent the rest of the army forward to fight hand-to-hand with the Visigoths.[3] Despite being in a superior army in size and equipment, Alaric's soldiers wavered as all of the Auvergnat commanders except Apollinaris were killed.[2] During the melée Clovis allegedly killed the Visigothic king Alaric, whereupon the Visigothic army broke and fled.[3] Clovis's army proceeded south and plundered Alaric's treasure at Toulouse.[2]
After Clovis's success in this battle,Byzantine EmperorAnastasius made him an honorary consul and patrician.[4] The battle forced the Visigoths to retreat toSeptimania, which they continued to hold, and the Franks' success at Vouillé allowed them to control the southwestern part of France and to captureToulouse. Alaric's illegitimate sonGesalec tried to organise a counterstrike atNarbonne, but he was deposed and ultimately killed when Narbonne was taken by Burgundian allies of the Franks. Clovis eventually drove the Goths out ofAngoulême and his son,Theuderic I, defeated the Goths in Hispania.[2]
46°35′00″N0°20′00″E / 46.5833°N 0.3333°E /46.5833; 0.3333
