Page "Louis the Pious" Paragraph 28

On the southwestern frontier, problems commenced early when c. 812, Louis the Pious crossed the western Pyrenees ' to settle matters ' in Pamplona.

The expedition made its way back north, where it narrowly escaped an ambush attempt arranged by the Basques in the pass of Roncevaux thanks to the precautions he took, i. e. hostages.

Séguin, duke of Gascony, was then deposed by Louis in 816, possibly for failing to suppress or collaborating with the Basque revolt south of the western Pyrenees, so sparking off a Basque uprising that was duly put down by the Frankish emperor in Dax.

Seguin was replaced by Lupus III, who was dispossessed in 818 by the emperor.

In 820 an assembly at Quierzy-sur-Oise decided to send an expedition against the Cordoban caliphate ( 827 ).

The counts in charge of the army, Hugh, count of Tours, and Matfrid, count of Orléans, were slow in acting and the expedition came to naught.