The Visigothic Conquest of Provence and the Siege of Clermont (c. 470 CE)

As the Western Roman Empire collapses, the Visigothic Kingdom, under King Euric, takes advantage of Rome’s growing weakness to expand its dominion deeper into Gaul. Around 470 CE, Euric launches a major campaign into Provence, seizing vast territories that had remained under nominal Roman control.

The Visigothic Invasion of Provence

• Euric's forces overrun much of Provence, securing key cities such as Arles and Marseille, vital for Mediterranean trade and defense.
• By doing so, the Visigoths strengthen their hold on southern Gaul, cutting off one of the last remaining Roman strongholds in the region.
• This conquest further isolates Syagrius’ Domain of Soissons in northern Gaul, leaving it as the only significant Roman enclave left.

The Siege of Clermont-Ferrand in Auvergne

• Euric then turns his attention to Clermont-Ferrand, a strategic city in Auvergne that still holds out under Roman rule.
• The city is besieged, likely facing intense pressure from Visigothic forces intent on securing all of central Gaul.
• Sidonius Apollinaris, the bishop of Clermont and a prominent Gallo-Roman aristocrat, plays a key role in organizing resistance against the Visigoths. His letters and accounts provide firsthand testimony of the deteriorating situation.

The Decline of Roman Gaul

The fall of Provence and the siege of Clermont mark a critical turning point in the collapse of Roman authority in Gaul:

• The Visigoths emerge as the dominant power in southern Gaul, effectively supplanting Roman rule in the region.
• The last remaining Roman forces in Gaul are confined to Soissons, under Syagrius, and parts of the Rhône Valley, which will soon fall.
• The Franks, still consolidating power in the north, watch as the Visigoths expand uncontested, setting the stage for future conflicts between these two rising barbarian kingdoms.

Though Clermont resists for some time, it eventually falls to the Visigoths, solidifying their control over Auvergneand bringing an end to yet another Roman outpost in Gaul.