Financial support by t+f organisatieadvies for the publication of this thesis is gratefully acknowledged.

Cover image: Ary Scheffer, reçoit la soumission de à (1840). Original in: Château de Versailles, Galerie de Batailles. The image is reproduced with permission of the Agence Photographique de la Réunion des musées nationaux. Design: Erik Goosmann Printed by: Proefschriftmaken.nl || Uitgeverij BOXPress

Pagan, Pirate, Subject, Saint Defining and Redefining 150-900 A.D.

Heiden, rover, onderdaan, heilige Het definiëren en herdefiniëren van Saksen 150-900 n. Chr.

(met een samenvatting in het Nederlands)

Proefschrift

ter verkrijging van de graad van doctor aan de Universiteit Utrecht op gezag van de rector magnificus, prof.dr. G.J. van der Zwaan, ingevolge het besluit van het college voor promoties in het openbaar te verdedigen op dinsdag 3 februari 2015 des middags te 4.15 uur

door

Robert Flierman

geboren op 2 januari 1987 te ’s-Hertogenbosch

Promotor: Prof. dr. M.B. de Jong Copromotor: Dr. R.M.J. Meens

Voor Janneke

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgements viii List of abbreviations xi

Introduction 1

1. The most ferocious of enemies Saxons from a Roman perspective 27

1.1. Ptolemy and the second-century Saxons? 30 1.2. Saxons and 33 1.3. Litus Saxonicum 37 1.4. Saxons in Britain 39 1.5. A panegyrist’s perspective: Claudius Claudianus 45 1.6. Christian moralists: Ambrose and Salvian 48 1.7. Gildas and the Ruin of Britain 51 1.8. Saxons in a changing world: Sidonius Apollinaris 57 1.9. Conclusion 65

2. Rebels, subjects, neighbours Saxons from a Frankish perspective 70

2.1. A Latin panegyrist in a barbarian kingdom: Venantius Fortunatus 73 2.2. The limits of continuity: the curious case of 84 2.3. Saxons in seventh-century Frankish history-writing 97 2.4. Saxons in early eighth-century Frankish history-writing 106 2.5. Conclusion 111

3. Gens perfida or populus Christianus? The Saxons and the Saxon Wars in Carolingian historiography 115

3.1. ‘It could certainly have ended sooner’ 115 3.2. The early roots of fides 122

vi TABLE OF CONTENTS

3.3. Narrating the Saxon Wars 128 3.4. From gens perfida to populus Christianus 131 3.5. ‘Like a dog returning to its vomit’: the insurrection of 792 136 3.6. The benefits of hindsight: remembering the Saxon Wars after 804 140 3.7. Conclusion 145

4. Offering God’s Law to God’s People Saxons in the Capitulatio de partibus Saxoniae 147

4.1. Unexpected advice 147 4.2. The Capitulatio de partibus Saxoniae 151 4.3. Paganism and infidelity 154 4.4. Biblical punishment and sacerdotal ministry 166 4.5. Contextualizing the Capitulatio 172 4.6. Mission from 180 4.7. Richulf, Saxony and the Capitulatio 187 4.8. Richulf and Alcuin 198 4.9. Conclusion 203

5. From defeat to salvation Remembering the Saxon Wars in Carolingian Saxony 206

5.1. A brave new world 206 5.2. Towards a Saxon past 211 5.3. Winners and losers 214 5.4. An episcopal past: Paderborn 224 5.5. Monastic memory: Herford and Corvey 233 5.6. Carolingian counts, founding families: Hessi and Widukind 250 5.7. Saxons writing for Franks: the Poeta Saxo 263 5.8. Conclusion 273

Conclusion 276

Bibliography 286 Samenvatting/ Summary in Dutch 332 Curriculum vitae 339

vii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This thesis could not have been written without the support of teachers, colleagues, friends and family. First of all, I wish to express my deepest gratitude to Mayke de Jong, for taking me on as a PhD student, acting as my supervisor for four years and making sure that the project woul