Page "Alaric II" Paragraph 3

The earliest documented event in Alaric's reign concerned providing refuge to Syagrius, the former ruler of the Domain of Soissons ( in what is now north western France ) who had been defeated by Clovis I King of the Franks.

According to Gregory of Tours ' account, Alaric was intimidated by Clovis into surrendering Syagrius to Clovis ; Gregory then adds that " the Goths are a timorous race.

" The Franks then imprisoned Syagrius, and once his control over Syagrius ' former kingdom was secure Clovis had him beheaded.

However, Wolfram points out that at the time " Clovis got no farther than the Seine ; only after several more years did the Franks succeed in occupying the rest of the Gallo-Roman buffer state north of the Loire.

" Any threat of war Clovis could make would only be effective if they were neighbors ; " it is nowhere written that Syagrius was handed over in 486 or 487.