Visigoths, of

In 419, the settled in south-western upon a decision by the Western , on a territory chosen by the Emperor and his patrician Constance. Toulouse was their royal residence. Over the course of time and the growing independence of the , it became the capital of a kingdom often referred to by historians as the Kingdom of Toulouse. In the space of almost a century, the Visigoth kings established a dynasty and extended their authority from the to the south of , thereby establishing one of the first kingdoms in the West. This kingdom came to an end in the south-west at the start of the , following the death of Alaric II in 507. If all these events are relatively well known thanks to contemporary authors, the material traces of a Germanic presence in our were believed to be minimal. However, the recent discoveries brought to light in the south- west now contradict this belief.

The 1,600th anniversary of the settling of the Visigoths in Toulouse is a great opportunity for the Musée -Raymond, Toulouse’s Museum, to present to the public a part of its history that is often overlooked, by focusing the subject of the exhibition on the capital Tolosa and its territory in the . In connection with written sources, the exhibit will present the results of archaeological research, including some of the most recent and as of yet, unpublished campaigns. It will explore the origin of the Visigoths and the Roman context in which they lived during the last days of the Roman Empire, as well as the material culture typical of this people and specific customs known for the most part thanks to mortuary archaeology.

2 3 THE Visigoth, a barbarian like the others? “During the reign of the emperors, Toulouse was decorated with the name of colony and its Duumvirs erected sumptuous monuments […]. However, those days of glory and peace passed quickly. The north regurgitated its savage hordes, the empire was destroyed and the Goths, victors over the ’s People, established the seat of their authority in this city. Therefore, everything that once bore the imprint of good taste, or was connected to Roman domination, was shattered by the club of ignorance […].” Jean-Paul Lucas, Catalogue du Musée de Toulouse, 1806

This rather harsh judgment by Jean-Paul Lucas, curator of the Musée de Toulouse at the beginning of the 19th century, perfectly illustrates the dual difficulty faced by the Visigoths. Firstly, because they belonged to the so-called “Barbarian” peoples, their history has remained in the shadow of the Roman Empire, a model of civilization, of which they are believed to have brought about the downfall. Secondly, because they were not the , the heroes of the national novel, the Visigoths were long ignored by so-called “Merovingian” archaeology (relating to Mérovée, the mythical ancestor of Clovis). In Spain, where they are celebrated as the founders of the nation, their existence has long been a subject of study by researchers.

Over the centuries, many artists have made use of the figure of the “Barbarian” and the Visigoth. They can be found in painting, sculpture, literature, comics, audio-visual productions, advertising and even video games. However, they are usually represented in the same stereotypical fashion:

2 3 brutal, bestial figures, surviving by means of plundering and destruction.

The adjective “Gothic” which refers to a well-known medieval architectural style is a Renaissance creation. In contrast to “Romanesque” art, considered more ancient and therefore nobler, this term was coined to denigrate the medieval style by giving it a “barbaric” origin. In turn, the medieval and romantic counter-culture movement known as “Gothic” in the late 1970s also borrowed its name.

These pictures are obviously a far from faithful representation of the Visigoths. The term “” actually refers to an ensemble of ancient peoples speaking neither Latin nor Greek, living in Western in the Barbaricum, i.e., beyond the Roman borders of the and the . The Goths belonged to the same linguistic group as the Eastern (tribes originally located between the Elbe and the ) with notably the , and the . The Franks belonged to the group of so-called Western Germanic peoples (between the Rhine and the Elbe).

Although there was no political unity and even less a “Germanic race” on an anthropological level, these peoples shared some cultural traits at the beginning of their history: polytheistic pantheon, aristocratic and warrior values, as well as the placing of mortuary items or artefacts in their tombs.

4 5 Where do the Goths come from? The Goths were first mentioned in the AD by Roman authors who located them in the north of present-day . Nothing is known of their older origins, but according to a legend reported by (6th century), a small group, guided by King , is believed to have left on board several ships to settle in new territory.

The myth however, may contain a grain of truth in terms of the actual archaeological reality: to the west of the mouth of the river Vistula (Poland), archaeologists have discovered tombs whose architecture in stone mounds is identical to those known in southern , Norway and the Islands. These tombs may bear witness to the integration of Scandinavian Germanic tribes into indigenous populations in northern Poland during the first century AD. The Goths may have been born from this fusion, along with the associated archaeological culture known as Wielbark.

Jordanes and the History of the Goths In the , Jordanes, himself a Goth, wrote a work called (History of the Goths). This was a summary of the work, now lost, of his contemporary . Combining legends and historical fact, this work is the oldest account of the history of the Goths, from their origins to the mid-6th century.

4 5 The Goths and The archaeological culture of Wielbark developed in the Vistula basin from the 1st century AD onwards and takes its name from a Polish village where a cemetery with over 3,000 graves was discovered.

Wielbark culture is common to several Germanic ethnicities. The homogeneity of practices and artefacts does not allow researchers to differentiate one group from the other, but written Roman sources suggest that the Goths occupied an important place within this mosaic of populations.

The Goths from the Wielbark territory bordered the and the in the east, and other Germanic groups to the west and south. They controlled part of the and maintained commercial relations with the Roman Empire. Life was organized in open villages where livestock farming, , and various craft activities were practised, as well as the extraction of iron. Funeral rites involved both and burial, and various items were placed in graves to accompany the deceased.

6 7 The Goths on the shores of the Between the end of the 2nd century and start of the 3rd century, carriers of the Wielbark culture left the Vistula basin to head south. We can follow these movements, over a generation or so, via the dissemination of typical archaeological objects and sites. This was the beginning of a great Gothic migration, which took place, according to Jordanes, under King . This journey took the Goths to the shores of the Black Sea, the of ancient authors (current-day ), but also to the plains of and , on the banks of the Danube, on the borders of the Roman Empire. There, the Goths formed alliances with other groups (Gepids, Herules, Carps, , , , etc.) and formed a veritable coalition who, from 238 onwards, launched repeated attacks on the Roman provinces. The material culture that corresponds to this period is called Chernyakhov. Very homogeneous, it can be attributed both to the Goths and their allies.

Goths = + Visigoths It was in the third century that, for the first time, two branches of the Goths were mentioned in written sources: the -Ostrogoths (in Ukraine) and the Tervinges- Visigoths (in Romania and Moldova). Cassiodorus and Jordanes translated Ostrogoths by “Goths of the East” and Visigoths by “Goths of the West”. However, for other authors, the name Visigoth is linked to the adjective “weis” or “wiss” meaning “informed, educated”. In other words, the Visigoths were the “wise, educated Goths”, while the Ostrogoths were the “brilliant Goths”.

6 7 Goths and

In the first centuries of their history, the Goths practised a polytheistic religion. It was when they settled on the banks of the Danube (in the of ) that the Visigoths were Christianized by the , circa 340. Ulfilas practised a variant of : . Thus, the Visigoths were Arians. According to this doctrine, forged by the priest Arius (256-336), Christ did not have the same nature as God. God was uncreated and eternal while Christ was created and did not have the same degree of divinity (he was subordinate to the Father). Arianism was considered heresy by other , especially after the Council of Nicaea (in present-day ), organized in 325 at the instigation of the Emperor Constantine.

Ulfilas Originally from a Roman Christian family captured by the Goths, Ulfilas is believed to have grown up amongst Barbarians whose language he mastered. In 341, he became the bishop of Gothia (the lands occupied by the Goths). He had a great cultural influence on his adopted people. For example, he translated the Bible into the using an alphabet combining Greek, Latin and runic characters.

8 9 Entering the Empire Circa 375, the , coming from the steppes of southern Russia, advanced towards the west. They encountered several tribes in their path, including the Ostrogoths led by Hermanaric who had no choice but to submit, and the Visigoths who resisted for a time before being forced to flee. Some left for the Carpathians range with their chief . The majority of them, led by , asked the for permission to cross the Danube to seek shelter.

Valens agreed to let Fritigern and his followers enter the Empire. They were allowed to settle in the depopulated province of (present-day Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia). In return, Fritigern had to provide soldiers for the Roman army. However, the Roman governors did not honour their part of the contract and mistreated the Visigoths: they imposed exorbitant taxes on them, caused and reduced some of them to slavery.

The Visigoths revolted. Fritigern and his warriors entered the neighbouring province of where they were joined by other Goths and other peoples (Taifals, Gepids, etc.). The Emperor Valens assembled an army. A battle took place near the city of Adrianople in 378. The Goths were victorious; the Emperor was killed.

8 9 The On 9 August 378, near the present-day town of Edirne, in Turkey, a coalition of Germanic tribes, mainly Visigoths and Ostrogoths, inflicted one of the biggest military defeats in its history on the Roman army, led by Emperor Valens.

The course of the battle is mainly known from the account of , a 4th-century Roman officer and historian. It is difficult to estimate the numbers involved, perhaps several tens of thousands of men on both sides, although the Germanic peoples were superior in number. Both armies had heavy and light infantry, a large cavalry, and archers.

The Goths were entrenched behind their carts with women and children. Valens’ army appeared in front of them, infantry in the centre, and cavalry on the wings. The two sides watched each other for hours. To everyone’s surprise, the Roman cavalry stormed without waiting for orders. They were pushed back by the Goths. The Roman infantry then advanced but the Ostrogoth cavalry appeared at the top of a hillock to their left. Their first charge was stopped by the Roman cavalry. However, without reinforcements, the Romans could no longer withstand a new assault by the Goths. Once the Roman cavalrymen were overcome, Fritigern’s infantry reinforced the centre lines while the Ostrogoth cavalry attacked again at the sides. Surrounded on all sides, the Roman army was defeated.

The circumstances of Valens’ death are unclear. According to Ammianus Marcellinus, he was struck by an arrow mid- battle. According to another source, the injured Emperor was

10 11 removed from the battlefield and hidden in a house in a place that was later set on fire by the Goths.

Because it seems to herald the importance of heavy cavalry and the decline of infantry, some historians have regarded the Battle of Adrianople as a milestone marking the end of Antiquity and the start of the . While it is important to qualify this artificial division of history, the political consequences of the defeat at Adrianople were very real for the Empire: the Goths had destroyed the largest military force in the , Valens had no immediate successor to the Eastern Roman throne and the balance of power between the Romans and the Barbarians had changed radically.

10 11 Moving throughout the Empire Following their victory at Andrinople, the Visigoths were now free under the Empire. In search of new territory and means of subsistence, they alternated confrontations and negotiations with the Roman authorities over the course of almost thirty years.

Valens’ successor, Theodosius the Great, moved the Visigoths to Moesia after an agreement made in 382. For several years, the Visigoths served as auxiliaries in the Roman army, but rose up again and plundered the province. In 397, the Visigoths occupied (a region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea) with their king Alaric I, who obtained an official military contract from the Eastern Roman Empire.

In 401, the Visigoths left Illyria, entered the and marched on . In 408, Alaric’s army appeared outside the walls of . The city was not taken but the Visigoths walked away with a huge ransom.

Rome was attacked again in 410 and this time, pillaged by the Visigoths. The storming of the former imperial capital, fallen into the hands of the “Barbarians”, left a lasting mark.

12 13 The Visigoths enter Gaul On 24 April 410, Alaric I led the Visigoth army to the outskirts of Rome. The Visigoths looted the city for three days and Aelia Galla , daughter of the late Theodosius and sister of Emperor Flavius Honorius, was taken . After this episode, known as “The ”, Alaric attempted to embark for , but without success, and died in late 410 in Calabria. Jordanes mentions that he was buried along with many riches in the bed of the river Busento that flows in (Italy):

“The Goths, weeping over their beloved chief, turned the river Busento from its course, near the town of Consentia (…). In the middle of its bed, a hoard of captives dug out a place for his grave and at the bottom of it, they buried Alaric with a large number of precious objects. They then turned the waters back into their initial channel, and so that the place where his body was buried could never be known, all of the gravediggers were massacred.” Jordanes, Getica, 158

Following Alaric’s death, Athaulf, the new leader of the Visi- goths, decided in 413 to move into southern Gaul. He became friendly with the Western Emperor Honorius and settled briefly in , where he married his young captive, Aelia . The Goths took several cities, including Bor- deaux, but they were then sent to Spain by the Emperor to fight the , Alans and Vandals. They settled in , but Athaulf was assassinated in 415. (415-418) succee- ded him and continued to engage in the battles of the .

12 13 The Kingdom of Toulouse (418/419-507) Following their victories in Spain, the Visigoths were summoned back to Gaul by Honorius and negotiated a new treaty with the Roman Empire. In 418 or 419, they settled in the Garonne valley, “from Toulouse to the sea”, on a territory more than likely corresponding to the provinces of Aquitania Secunda and the neighbouring cities of Novempopulanie, Aquitania Prima and . This agreement finally allowed the Visigoths to settle permanently in the region and I (418-451) chose Toulouse as his royal residence.

Not all specialists agree on the status of this “Kingdom of Toulouse”, however. For some, the king was simply Rex Gothorum, “”, the sovereign of a people and not of a territory that remained subject to Roman administration. For others, the Visigoths were largely independent from the first half of the 5th century onwards and therefore, engaged in military expansion campaigns within Gaul and into Spain. The reality of the Kingdom of Toulouse was no longer a subject of discussion under (466-484). The latter exercised autonomous power after the fall of the Western Roman Empire (476) and considerably enlarged his territory. At its peak, the Visigoth Kingdom, the largest Barbarian kingdom in the West, included , , and most of the Iberian Peninsula, with the exception of the north-west.

Following the Battle of Vouillé in 507, Clovis’ Franks took control of Aquitaine by taking Toulouse, forcing the Visigoths to retreat to the Mediterranean coast (Septimania) and into Spain.

14 15 The economy of the Kingdom of Toulouse The installation of the Visigoths in our region did not generate any major economic upheavals. Between the years 410 and 500, the road and river networks remained in place, artisanal centres developed and the countryside experienced a revival of activity, seen in the enlargement and improvement of farm holdings within large agricultural areas (villae). The territory was fertile: it had good land for cultivating cereals, vineyards, many livestock farms and a variety of natural resources (stone, wood, minerals, etc.). Imported and luxury goods, sometimes of distant origin, continued to converge in Toulouse, even after the political fall of the Western Roman Empire (476). Southern Gaul continued to trade with Italy, Spain, and the eastern provinces via the major Mediterranean ports. We also know that the Visigoths maintained diplomatic relations with the Eastern Roman Empire and the neighbouring Barbarian kingdoms (Ostrogoths, Franks, Vandals, Burgundians ...), thereby facilitating the spread of goods and fashions.

14 15 The division of land and rural settlement The concrete arrangements made for the settlement of the Visigoths in the south-west of Gaul, estimated without any certainty at 100,000, are still under debate. It is believed that the lands were shared: two-thirds were given to the Goths (arable and fiscal land, wastelands, forests, herds and slaves), which they then distributed according to their customs. The remaining third stayed in the hands of local owners although the exact details of this division of land are still uncertain.

The Visigoths were not found throughout the territory. They were concentrated close to the main centres of power so that their military services could be rapidly mobilized, if necessary. The only archaeological vestiges that allow us to follow their trace and to imagine their installation in the large Roman agricultural areas, in addition to necropolises, are essentially small accessories of female clothing: combs and fibulae associated with . These objects were found in the residential buildings of the villae, amongst rich decorative elements like sculptures and mosaics, testifying to the newcomers’ adaptation to the Roman way of life.

16 17 Language, culture and law in the Kingdom of Toulouse We know that members of the Roman aristocracy learned the Gothic language to cooperate with the new power and that Vi- sigoth nobles mastered Latin, the language of law, diplomacy and writing within the Kingdom of Toulouse. Classical culture survived in public education, as well as in poetry and theatre, and the Germanic and Roman elites even corresponded in Latin. The Gothic kings kept the framework of the pre-existing administration in the territories that they now occupied. Within the Kingdom of Toulouse, a Visigothic minority held the majority of power over the indigenous population. The latter was still subject to while the Visigoths had their own legislation.

Visigothic law is the oldest known form of “Barbarian” law. Two seminal works have been passed down to us today: the Euricianus (Euric Code) and the (Lex Romana Visigothorum), both written in Latin.

The excerpts from the Euric Code that have been conserved refer to the regulation of the cohabitation between the two peoples, loans, purchases, donations and testaments. This le- gislative code also prohibited between Romans and Visigoths, i.e., alliances between Nicene Christians and Arians.

16 17 The Catalaunian Plains In 451, the king of the Huns, , confronted the Roman general Flavius Aetius and his Barbarian allies in a place called the “Mauriaci Campi” or “Catalaunian Plains”, located somewhere between and Châlons-en-Champagne. The various stages of the battle are known thanks to the account by Jordanes, written a hundred years after the event. Each army consisted of several tribes. Attila’s army included Ostrogoths and Gepids, who had been subject to the reign of the Huns since 375. Aetius’s army was made up of Franks, Burgundians, Alans, and other Barbarians, but especially the Visigoths of Toulouse, led by King Theodoric I and his two oldest sons.

The battle was particularly bloody and resulted in numerous losses on both sides. In the early morning, victory was still undecided. Attila nevertheless turned back. The invasion of Gaul by the Huns was avoided but the protagonists of the battle came to a rapid end. The Visigoth king Theodoric lost his life in the Catalaunian Plains: Attila died in 453 and his empire broke up quickly; Aetius was assassinated by Emperor Valentinian III and the latter in turn died in 455, leaving the Western Roman Empire particularly unstable. The Visigoth kings of Toulouse, Theodoric’s successors, took advantage of this troubled period to extend their influence and their territory.

18 19 Attila, the Huns and the Visigoths The Visigoths and the Huns have a tense and troubled history dating back to the great invasion of 375, at the end of which the Goths were driven from their Danube territory and forced to lead a nomadic lifestyle throughout the Empire. Attila is the most famous of the Hun kings. Following the death of his brother Bleda, he reigned alone from 445 to 453, over a huge territory to the north of the Danube stretching from the Ponto-Caucasian steppes to the Rhine. He received a hefty sum from the Empire in exchange for peace. The Huns were frequently engaged as auxiliaries in the Roman army. They were to be found for example in the ranks of General Litorius who fought against the Visigoth king of Toulouse Theodoric I in 439. In 450, Honoria, sister of the Western Roman Emperor Valentinian III, sought the support of Attila and offered herself to him in marriage. A conflict broke out with the Emperor who opposed it. Perhaps encouraged by the king of the Vandals, Attila entered Gaul with the firm intention of punishing the Roman army and bringing the Visigoths to an end. These events culminated in the Battle of the Catalaunian Plains.

18 19 Genealogy of the Visigoth Kings of Toulouse Jordanes teaches us that two great dynasties, the Balthi and the Amali, shared power over the Goths from the very beginning.

“The [Gothic] nation was divided into families; the Visigoths obeyed the Balthi; the Ostrogoths the illustrious Amali.” (Jordanes, Getica, V) Athanaric (d. 381) was the first Visigoth king (following the separation of the Goths into two branches), coming from the Balthi line. Amalaric (502-531), son of Alaric II, was the last Balthi king. He was related to the Amali through his mother (daughter of the Ostrogoth King ). This filiation can be seen in his name: Amala-ric, the king (reiks) of the Amali.

The Visigothic queen “Pédauque” has been a figure of Toulouse’s popular tradition for centuries. Her name means “goose foot” or “pè d’oa” in the Occitan language. There is even a métro station in her name! This nickname is believed to refer to her immoderate love of water and baths. But it could also mean a lame person. The existence of Queen Pédauque has not been proven. She is perhaps a folkloric creation resulting from the amalgamation between a true Visigoth queen, perhaps the wife of Theodoric I, and several legendary characters, including the Germanic goddess Perchta.

20 21 The Kings of Toulouse Following the treaty signed between Wallia (415-418) and Emperor Honorius, Theodoric I (418-June 451) organized the settlement of the Goths in Aquitaine and fixed the seat of power in Toulouse. Theodoric I is believed to be the son-in-law of Alaric I, the Goth who captured Rome in 410. His daughters, of whom we know very little, were married to Barbarian and Roman princes. One of them was severely mistreated by the Vandals. During his reign, Theodoric I led several military campaigns to enlarge his territory towards the Mediterranean. In 439, he successfully withstood the Roman general Litorius who attempted to besiege Toulouse. Theodoric died in 451 during the Battle of the Catalaunian Plains between the Roman army and its Germanic allies against Attila’s Huns. His eldest son Thorismund (June 451-452), rendered a hero in the Battle of the Catalaunian Plains and a skilled strategist, succeeded his father but he was soon assassinated by his brothers, who disagreed with his policies towards Rome.

Theodoric II came to power (453-466). We know a little about his personality and daily activities thanks to the letters of , a diplomat, bishop and great chronicler of his time. Raised in the Toulouse Court, Theodoric II had as his tutor. The latter was the prefect of the praetorium of Gaul and would later became emperor. Far from the cliché of the barbarian, he was described as a wise prince whose culture was equal parts Roman and Gothic. Like his father, Theodoric II sought to expand his territory and led campaigns in Spain, towards the Loire and the Narbonne region.

In 466, Euric had his brother Theodoric II poisoned and became king. He then launched several military expansion

20 21 campaigns. Euric defeated the imperial army near , fought against Sidonius Apollinaris who was entrenched in the Auvergne and extended his kingdom into Provence but also as far as Tarraconensis (Spain). A zealous Arian, in constant opposition with the Nicene (“Catholic”) clergy, he died in Arles of natural causes in 484, and was succeeded by his son Alaric II. The latter governed the Visigoth kingdom, the most extensive of the Barbarian kingdoms, until his death, which occurred during the battle with the Franks, at Vouillé, in 507.

22 23 Theodoric II described by Sidonius Apollinaris “He is a prince truly worthy of being known [...] because God, the sovereign judge, and nature, joined forces to endow him with the happiest of gifts. [...] His size [...] is well proportioned, below the tallest, and above average. [...] His ears, according to the custom of his nation, are covered by hair that falls in braids. [...] Towards the cavity of his temples, grows a bushy beard, and every day a barber removes with a pliers any hair that grows between the end of his face and his cheeks. [...]

[...] He attends with a small entourage the assemblies of his priests, which precede the dawn of the day; he prays with great attention, but, although he does so in a low voice, one can easily notice that this external observance is more a matter of habit than of religion. The care required by the administration of the kingdom, occupies the rest of the morning. […] It is in the second part of the day that he rises from his seat to visit the treasury or the stables.

[…] His ordinary meals differ little from any other individual [...] After eating, Theodoric often does not take a nap, and if he does, it is a short one. When he wants to amuse himself […] if the roll of the dice is a good one, he is silent; if it is unfortunate, he laughs; he never gets carried away, he always behaves wisely. [...] You would think him, in the middle of his game, as preoccupied with military activities. The only that matters to him is victory.”

Sidonius Apollinaris, Letters, II, 1

22 23 Visigoth Toulouse It has long been considered that the arrival of the Barbarians in Gaul resulted in a brutal schism in the occupation of the land and in particular, a systematic decline of the urban fabric. Today’s archaeology is capable of offering a much more nuanced picture.

The Tolosa of the Visigoth kings was the direct heir to the city of . It retained the layout (90 hectares), the ramparts, road network, living quarters and public facilities that had survived the economic and religious upheavals of the previous centuries.

To the north-west of the city, in an corner formed by the Garonne and the ramparts, near a gate that they had perhaps made their own, the Goths established a monumental complex in the 5th century, possibly the government seat, and, on the other side of the wall, an imposing mortuary building. They certainly would have attended the churches of Saint-Pierre- des-Cuisines and La Daurade. In this part of the old city and outside its walls, there is evidence of a “Gothic quarter”, proof of a real appropriation of the urban space by the new power.

“I will never forget Tolosa, my nurse. A brick rampart surrounds its vast contours: alongside it flows the beautiful Garonne River. Countless peoples add life to this city, neighbouring the snow-capped Pyrénées, and the Cévennes covered with pine trees, located between the cities of Aquitaine and the Iberic nations.” Ausonius, Ordo Urbium Nobilium (Order of Famous Cities), XII,

24 25 Religious buildings in 5th- century Toulouse In addition to the cathedral district, to the east of the city, three churches welcomed the faithful and were home to the dead in the Visigothic period: Saint-Sernin, Saint-Pierre-des- Cuisines and La Daurade.

Circa 400-410, Bishop Exupère oversaw the reconstruction of the Saint-Sernin located above the tomb of the Toulouse martyr. The use of the lime kiln visible in the basement of the Musée Saint-Raymond may be linked to this construction project. Excavations carried out in 1969 in the choir of the present-day basilica revealed the 5th-century apse in the shape of a horseshoe, 6 metres in diameter, which probably surrounded the sarcophagus of Saturnin. To the west, the exact floorplan of the church is uncertain.

Saint-Pierre-des-Cuisines in the Visigothic era is better known: an apse 6 metres in diameter (as in Saint-Sernin), extended the building to the west by a rectangular space (the presbyterium), framed by two annexes to the south and the north, and a nave surrounded by a portico. This church, existing at the same time as that of Saint-Sernin, was erected in the middle of a funerary space present since the 1st-2nd centuries. The Goths undoubtedly frequented it, evidenced by the highly monumental mausoleum they built about twenty metres further north, closely aligned with the church (present-day site of the new school of economics).

Destroyed between 1759 and 1763, the primitive church of Sainte-Marie-La Daurade was famous for its gold mosaics. It was this wall decoration that gave the church its name:

24 25 Sancta Maria Deaurata (Sainte-Marie la Dorée [daurada in the Occitan language]). These mosaics covered an apse, consisting of niches over three levels and separated by spiral columns or decorated with vine branches. A model of the church can be seen on the second floor of the museum.

The decor was dedicated to Mary. The shape and decoration of the apse can be compared to the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem (4th century). If we refer to the text of Sidonius Apollinaris, this church may be the palatial chapel frequented by the Gothic kings.

26 27 A “palace”? In a letter, Sidonius Apollinaris mentions the “royal residence” (regia domus) of King Theodoric II. He refers in particular to a meeting room, stables, treasury and “palatial chapel”.

In 1988, archaeologists unearthed vestiges dating from the 5th century on the site of the former Larrey military hospital (present-day Place Bologne). These constituted the western section of a monumental complex, the ensemble of which remains unknown. Only one other building, excavated in 1989, sixty metres to the east of that spot and adjoining the ramparts and a tower, may be associated with it.

The main entrance to the large building discovered in 1988 is located on the western facade. A succession of rooms formed an axis around which two symmetrical wings were built. Each was framed by narrow galleries, probably on the second floor, and included a hemicycle-shaped room (50m2) opening onto a large interior courtyard (475m2). The northern wing was built adjoining the ramparts dating from the 1st century and this constituted the north wall of the wing. In contrast, the partially excavated wall on the southern side may have been an extension of the Garonne ramparts. From one end to the other, the longitudinal extension of the building is estimated to have reached 90m with a width of 29.5m. Nothing remains of this building destroyed in 1989 in the construction of the Place Bologne residential area. While we cannot confirm that this was the “palace” of the Visigoths, the fact that it dates from the 5th century, its specific layout, scale and dominant position on the edge of the river, not far from the Bazacle ford—undoubtedly with connections to a river port—make a strong case.

26 27 Identifying the Visigoths thanks to funerary artefacts The excavation of tombs since the 19th century has provided the most evidence to prove the presence of the Visigoths in southern Gaul. Certain graves, mainly for women, contained ornaments of the “East Germanic” variety, of which this section presents characteristic examples.

Typical «East Germanic» women’s accessories consisted of two large fibulae at the shoulders and a large belt buckle plate. The shapes and materials of these could vary: large fibulae in silver or bronze, radiate-headed fibulae, crossbow (p-shaped) or aviform (bird-shaped), silver-plated buckle plate and cabochons, stamped or with a cloisonné glass decor. These were sometimes completed with necklaces and earrings.

These jewellery items did not belong to the Roman tradition: their origin can be associated with the so-called “Danube” , that is to say the territories formerly occupied by the Visigoths, as well as the Huns and their Ostrogoth and Gepidic vassals. The tombs of men of East Germanic origin contained few artefacts except for a few crescent-shaped earrings.

It is because these artefacts are attributed to the Eastern Germanic peoples in these Danubian regions and that it appears in the in the geographical region of the Kingdom of Toulouse (Gaul and Spain), that archaeologists believe that these may prove the presence of Visigothic women in our territory. These women were more than likely buried along with these Barbarian objects, which were either directly imported from the Danube, or more likely produced locally, in imitation of Danubian specimens.

28 29 The Germanics and the eagle motif Birds of prey inspired the art of the ancient East and the Greco-Roman worlds, as well as the peoples of Central Asia and the Germanics. Remarkable birds from mountainous regions and steppes were depicted in the 5th and 6th centuries on ornaments of many Barbarian tribes. Three belt buckles presenting the heads of raptors, of the Gepidic type, and the only known examples in , are shown together in this exhibition. The first, of unknown provenance, is conserved in Aire-sur-I’Adour (Landes). The other two were discovered in a funerary context, in Santeuil (Val-d’Oise) and Valentine (Haute-Garonne). The short, sharp beak of the birds of prey of Santeuil and Valentine recalls that of golden eagles, whereas the long curved beak on the Aire-sur-I’Adour model is similar to that of vultures. Vultures are represented on two horse saddles adorned with cloisonné gold plates. Dating from the last third of the 5th century, these exceptional objects were unearthed in a Gepidic princely grave in the village of Apahida (). Two fibulae complete this series of Germanic ornaments inspired by the eagle motif. The first with cloisonné decoration, was unearthed in a tomb from the late 5th-early 6th century in Cutry (Meurthe-et-Moselle). It belongs to the series of large aquiliform fibulae (in the shape of an eagle) of Gothic tradition discovered on the territory in their kingdoms of Gaul, Spain and Italy. The second, featuring an ankh, on a diamond-shaped foot, was found fortuitously in Monteils (Tarn-et-Garonne). At both ends of the radiate-headed tip, we see two small eagle heads whose red glass paste eye occupies the entire surface. It dates from the late 5th-early 6th century.

28 29 Recent archaeological discoveries in the south-west Before the 2000s and the development of preventive archaeology, the objects that could be attributed to the Visigoths in Gaul were relatively rare. A number of them had come from ancient digs and specialists were therefore unable to document the context of their discovery.

For the past twenty years, excavations of necropolises that have uncovered Visigoth tombs have increased in the south, making it possible to add to our knowledge of the subject. Amongst these, the cemeteries of Mouraut (Inrap) and of Seysses (HADES) in Toulousain, Blanzac in Charente (HADES), Saint-Laurent-des-Hommes in Dordogne (Inrap), and also the sites of Pezens and La Mézière in the , and Estagel in the Pyrénées-Orientales,—known from an older period, — have delivered objects characteristic of Eastern Germanic traditions. The ornaments presented in these display cases are being exhibited together for the first time.

30 31 A remarkable discovery: the excavation of the Boulbènes des Vitarelles site in Seysses (31) During the summer of 2018, HADES (the Office of Archaeological Investigations located in Balma), under the scientific responsibility of Sélim Djouad and after prescription from the Regional Archaeology Service of the DRAC Occitanie, excavated a cemetery in the town of Seysses, approximately 20 kilometres south-west of Toulouse.

The 149 tombs of which it was composed were organized into three sections, delimited by two parallel ditches. The site itself stretched along the ancient road connecting Toulouse to Saint-Bertrand-de-.

This cemetery operated for a relatively short period, from the first half of the 5th century to the very beginning of the 6th century and yielded a wide variety of subjects: very young children, young adults, older adults, a person with a severe disability, a skeleton showing traces of violence (severed arms and legs), and a privileged tomb with a sarcophagus.

What made this discovery so exceptional was the fact that this cemetery was perhaps entirely occupied by Visigoths. Indeed, several elements make it possible to attach these tombs to the eastern Germanic sphere: • the use of coffins made from hollowed-out tree trunks (monoxyles) and the architecture of certain tombs which contain a carefully-dug pit in layers (see the multimedia device presented in this section). Parallels can be found in

30 31 the Wielbark and Chernyakhov cultures; • Germanic-style funerary artefacts; • lthe presence of cranial deformations on certain subjects (see the panel devoted to this practice).

This cemetery could be that of a Visigoth or Barbarian allied community, installed with its chief around a villa that was not found during excavations, less than a day by horse from the capital Toulouse. Burials stopped at this site at the beginning of the sixth century, which may correspond to the invasion of the region by the Franks.

The Musée Saint-Raymond was associated with this discovery as early as the excavation phase by the Regional Archaeological Service and HADES, in order to follow the results and take charge of the restoration of the objects recovered. It is from this exemplary collaboration that the possibility of presenting this remarkable site was born.

32 33 Is it possible to identify a Visigoth by their physical traits? As we mentioned in the introduction, there is no such thing as a “Germanic race” or a “Visigothic type”. As with other European peoples, the history of the Goths is the result of centuries of acculturation and intermingling. Advances in biological anthropology, mortuary archaeology and related sciences (the study of isotopes in particular) occasionally make it possible to formulate hypotheses on the origins and history of a group of individuals, but to date, cranial deformations constitute the surest anthropological index of an East Germanic ethnic origin.

The presence of deformed skulls has been proved amongst the Huns, Sarmatians, Alans and certain Eastern Germanic peoples such as the Goths and the Burgundians. This deformation results from the wearing, by infants of both sexes, of tight bands wound around the skull, causing it to gradually lengthen towards the back. It is not known whether the intended result was the deformation of the skull as such or the wearing of a particular headdress that would require an elongated head. Painless and without consequences for the child’s cognitive development, this ethnic tradition seems to have been followed by certain Visigoths in the south-west of Gaul, as in Seysses. It should be noted however, that this practice has no direct link with the 19th-century Toulouse fashion for “elongated skulls”.

32 33 “Regnum Tolosanum occupantibus Francis destruitur” ”The Kingdom of Toulouse, occupied by the Franks, has been destroyed.” Isidore de Séville, Historia Gothorum

The Visigoths are not the only Barbarians to have established a kingdom in the provinces of the Western Roman Empire. The Franks, a Western Germanic tribe, gradually settled west of the Rhine, in the Roman territory of Belgica Secunda, in the 4th and 5th centuries. Upon his advent in 481, Clovis sought to reunify Gaul. In 486, he defeated the Roman in the city of Soissons (the episode of the famous vase). In 492, he defeated the Thuringians who were advancing towards the Rhine. In 496, he was victorious over the Alamans (east of Gaul) and converted to Nicene Christianity (Catholicism), perhaps in an effort to rally the of the cities against the Arian Goths to his project of conquest.

After several unsuccessful attempts against the Visigoths, Clovis crossed the Loire in 507 and killed King Alaric II during the Battle of Vouillé, near . The Franks quickly took control of Aquitaine. The symbol of the Goths’ power, Toulouse was occupied, pillaged and perhaps burned. It would only begin to develop its urban expansion again two centuries later.

The Visigoths retreated to Spain, but kept Septimania in Gaul (former Languedoc-). Protected by the Ostrogoth king Theodoric I who reigned in Italy, they established their new capital in Barcelona, then in Toledo. The true Iberian period of their history thus began. , considered by Spanish nationalist historians as the first “Unificador Nacional”, completed the conquest of the Swiss Kingdom in 585 and pushed back the armies of the Roman Empire from

34 35 the East to the South. In 589, his son Reccared I converted to Catholicism and marked a decisive turning point in the history of the Goths. Several kings succeeded each other until the Arab conquest of the peninsula in 711, which led to the disappearance of the Visigoths as an independent people on the European map.

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