Sarus (Roman)

Sarus († 413 in Gaul ) was a late antique Western Roman officer ( comes ) of visigotic descent. In 407 he served the magister militum Stilicho when he was fighting against the usurper Constantine (III) , who had crossed from Britain to Gaul. Sarus had previously fought against Radagaisus in Roman service (see also Battle of Faesulae ). Sarus defeated Constantine's generals Justinian and Nebiogastes in the Rhone Valley (the latter was murdered by Sarus after he had started negotiations), but was then forced by Constantine's generals Edobich and Gerontius to retreat across the Alps to Italy.

Constantine III now closed the Alpine passes and secured his domain; he moved into Arles residence and then turned to Hispania, where they were still loyal to Emperor Honorius . Constantine succeeded in winning Hispania for himself while at the same time troops were being gathered in Italy to counterattack. However, when Stilicho was slain in Ravenna on August 22nd, 408 because of a palace intrigue, Sarus, followed by his men, broke away from Honorius. This took place at a time when the Visigoths under their leader Alaric , with whom Sarus was personally enemies (as well as with Alarich's brother-in-law Athaulf ), roamed uncontrollably in Etruria .

Alaric died in 410; Constantine was executed the following year, 411. In 411, however, a new usurper appeared in Gaul, Jovinus , who had been proclaimed emperor by the Burgundians and Alans . Jovinus fought Honorius and lasted two years until the Visigoths came to Gaul from Italy under their new leader Athaulf to meet with him. Sarus also wanted to join Jovinus, but then there was a battle between Sarus and Athaulf, in which Sarus was killed. A short time later Jovinus was on the run; he was besieged in Valentia ( Valence ), brought to Narbo ( Narbonne ) and executed there.

A former follower of Sarus killed Athaulf three years later in revenge.

literature

• John F. Drinkwater: The Usurpers Constantine III (407-411) and Jovinus (411-413) . In: Britannia 29, 1998, pp. 269-298.

• Guy Halsall: Barbarian Migrations and the Roman West, 376-568 . Cambridge 2007.
• Hermann Reichert , Helmut Castritius :  Sarus. In: Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde (RGA). 2nd Edition. Volume 26, Walter de Gruyter, Berlin / New York 2004, ISBN 3-11-017734 X , pp. 521-525. ( available for a fee via GAO , De Gruyter Online)

• Jeroen WP Wijnendaele: Sarus the Goth: from imperial commander to warlord . In: Early Medieval Europe 27, 2019, pp. 469–493.