Editing Syagrius (section)

==End of Roman Gaul==
[[File:Reame di Siagrio (486).png|300px|thumb|Possible extent of Syagrius's "kingdom", most likely exaggerated]]
[[File:Syagrius brought before Clovis.jpg|thumb|The captured Syagrius is brought before Alaric II who orders him sent to Clovis I]]
Despite being isolated from the surviving portions of the Roman Empire, Syagrius managed to maintain a degree of Roman authority in northern Gaul for twenty years, and his state outlived the end of the Western Empire itself, the last Emperors being overthrown or killed in 476 and 480. Syagrius managed to hold off the neighboring [[Salian Franks]], who were internally divided under kings including [[Childeric I|Childeric]]. However, it is known that Childeric had previously come to the aid of the Gallo-Romans, joining a certain officer named [[Paul (Gallo-Roman)|Paul]] in operations against [[Saxons]] who at one point seized [[Angers]].{{sfn|Gregory of Tours|1916|loc=II.18}}{{sfn|Gregory of Tours|1916|loc=II,19}}

Upon Childeric's death in 481 his son Clovis succeeded him. While Childeric had seen no need to overthrow the last Roman foothold in the west, Clovis assembled an army, issued a challenge, and met Syagrius's forces. Few details are known of the subsequent clash, the [[Battle of Soissons (486)|Battle of Soissons]], but Syagrius was decisively defeated and fled. His domain passed to the Franks.{{sfn|Gregory of Tours|1916|loc=II.27}}

As [[Edward Gibbon]] later wrote, "It would be ungenerous, without some more accurate knowledge of his strength and resources, to condemn the rapid flight of Syagrius, who escaped after the loss of a battle to the distant court of [[Toulouse]]."<ref>{{cite book |last=Gibbon |first=Edward |title=Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire |chapter=Chapter 38}}</ref> Toulouse was the capital of [[Alaric II]], king of the [[Visigoths]]. Intimidated by the victorious Franks, the Visigoths imprisoned Syagrius, then surrendered him to Clovis. He died not long after, stabbed in secret according to [[Gregory of Tours]].{{sfn|Gregory of Tours|1916|loc=II.37}}