Restoring Rome as the Soissons

[Happers]

During the fall of the Western Roman Empire and its official fall in 476 AD/CE a Kingdom was created called the Kingdom of Soissons. This Kingdom was meant to be the last holding of Roman land, it followed early Christianity had Roman Culture, Language and basic way of life, although it ruled over Gallicans (Celts living in France before the Franks).

So my question is, is there anyway this Roman exiled kingdom could either survive into a modern nationstate, or as the title suggests restore at least part of the Roman Empire? Maybe allying with the Byzantines (Eastern Roman) against the now Germanic Kingdoms and Tribes squabbling over the fallen Roman Empire/Western Rome.

Thank you as always for your comments.

 

[Keb]

During the fall of the Western Roman Empire and its official fall in 476 AD/CE a Kingdom was created called the Kingdom of Soissons. This Kingdom was meant to be the last holding of Roman land, it followed early Christianity had Roman Culture, Language and basic way of life, although it ruled over Gallicans (Celts living in France before the Franks).

So my question is, is there anyway this Roman exiled kingdom could either survive into a modern nationstate, or as the title suggests restore at least part of the Roman Empire? Maybe allying with the Byzantines (Eastern Roman) against the now Germanic Kingdoms and Tribes squabbling over the fallen Roman Empire/Western Rome.

Thank you as always for your comments.

Kingdom's a bit of a misnomer (so is Soissons, for that matter - they didn't consider themselves a seperate entity from Rome). The effective rulers still claimed the title Magister Militum per Gallias - the military commander of Gaul. It was more of an enclave of Roman troops severed from the rest of the Western Empire, and it existed as long as the Legions remained effective (they weren't very, though). Also, Gauls. Gallicians would be in Galizia, in Spain -Galatians were in Anatolia (and largely assimilated by this point).

A surviving Soissons has a major problem - it shares a border with the Franks. Holding them at bay in the situation of the full collapse that Roman economy had undergone is a major difficulty. That said, a bit of luck, some successful engagements against the Franks - and the death of the Frankish ruler, could see the Frankish succession rules effectively neuter them, giving Soissons breathing room.

Resotring the Roman Empire is rather unlikely. They might control northern France and Britanny - there is also the possibility that they might expand into Britain, joining forces with the local Romano-British warlords to regain control over parts of it. They lack the economic and population bases to accomplish what, say, Eastern Rome did and the advantages of Roman organization and technology had largely ceased to exist by that point - even when it did, it was no longer the decisive factor it had once been.

 

[Salvador79]

Keb,
the idea of Soissons and the Romano-Britons joining forces is quite fascinating. I´m sure such a construction would not last longer than, say, half a century, but that might be enough to change a lot - primarily concerning Britain, not so much Soissons/Gaul really, as I can`t help but see it ultimately absorbed by the Merowingians and they were Romanising fast themselves anyway so I don`t know how big the difference in Gaul/France could really be. But in Britain, an alliance with the mainland during a critical period could shift the power balance differently from OTL: less Anglo-Saxon power.

 

[NPC]

The biggest problem is we don't know what really went on in Soissons. So if you were to do a TL you would need to make some pretty big assumptions all around. We simply lack significant historical evidence one way or another. There's no evidence of war between Soissons and Brittany so we can assume their relations were reasonably good otherwise one would have tried to crush the other. We have a few letters and notes but no figures for troop number or quality. It's possible that much of the roman soldiers, bands of foederati, and their equipment who were loyal to the Magister Militum per Gallias retreated there. It's also possible that only the dregs and green recruits made it. Apparently the Dominion of Soissons (that's the translation in Total War's which for once I like better then the more common kingdom) threatened to invade Italy but we don't know if it was militarily possible, required help from one or more of the barbarian kingdoms, or just a bluff for the sake of politics.

An interesting point is that there's some archaeological evidence that pagan worship wasn't dead in Gaul or Sub-Roman Britain. Most of the scholarship I've read seems to point to the Arian barbarian kings who actually stamped out paganism which appears to have still been strong in the country side. If those kings were to fall earlier along with the coming of the Dark Ages and the increasing depopulation of cities could have interesting ramifications. Further more if Clovis I is defeated or butterflied away his conversion to Catholicism would have major impacts for the development of the Church and religion as a whole. If Soissons does push into Brittany and Britain there could be some interesting friction between them and the Scoti which could lead to problems with the Church of Ireland. Possibly butterflying away the Irish monks who kept Christianity alive in Gaul and northern Germany.

Due to the lack of information and crazy directions you could go with this, it might be fun to do a self-insert/isot.

As for restoring Rome? Not likely in a short time frame. You would be in for a long haul. But that said the Visigoths are in decline and if the Franks rise could be derailed you might make something happen.

 

[Cuāuhtemōc]

You would need the Franks to be neutered for Roman Gaul to have a minuscule chance of survival. Have Clovis murdered and let his successors (if he had any) rip apart the Franks and leave them susceptible for the Gallo-Roman Syagrius to subjugate them - it wasn't without precedent. Aegidius ruled the Franks as their de facto ruler when Clovis' predecessor Childeric was banished - Syagarius only needs to present himself as the alternative to win them over. He'll need to make nice with the Visigoths - perhaps through minor territorial concessions and a marriage alliance before Soissons can expand to sub-Roman Britain.