Battle of Orléans (463) 463
Recorded location from Wikidata; battle sites are often approximate. Wikidata lists more than one location for this battle; the first is shown.
Key facts
| Year | 463 | Wikidata P585 (point in time) |
|---|---|---|
| Era | Ancient (before 500) | derived from year |
| Location | France | Natural Earth (modern borders) |
| Continent | Europe | Natural Earth |
| War / conflict | Gothic War of 461–476 | Wikidata P361 |
| Participants | Alans, Romain-Gaul domain of Soissons, Salian Franks, Visigothic Kingdom of Tolosa | Wikidata P710 |
| Coordinates | 47.8846, 1.8769 | Wikidata P625 |
About the battle
The Battle of Orléans took place near Orleans and the River Loire in the year 463, in what is now central France. It was noted in contemporary records as a battle where Frederic, the brother of Theodoric II the king of the Visigoths, was killed leading a fight against either the Gallo-Roman general Aegidius, or in other reports Franks. Modern scholars generally believe that these Franks were allies of Aegidius, fighting either under his command, or that of Childeric I.
The battle was part of a broader border conflict between the Visigoths based in southwestern Gaul and Aegidius and his allies in northern Gaul, with the Loire region between them. The battle was also at least partly driven by larger conflicts within the Empire. In Rome in this period, the last few Western Roman Emperors had limited power over the Roman province of Gaul, and it was in effect divided into territories controlled by different military powers who nominally still fought in the name of Rome. The Visigothic king Theodoric II was an ally of the Roman emperor Libius Severus, while Aegidius had been a close ally of the previous emperor Majorian who had been murdered in 461, and he did not accept the new emperor.
Information about this war is scarce and fragmented. Priscus is the only source to mention a reason for the battle, suggesting that it was a border dispute.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Battle of Orléans (463) (revision 1379775714), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; shortened by selecting paragraphs and trimming at a sentence boundary; formatting and citations removed. No text added.
Nearby battles
- Siege of Orléans (1563) 1563 · 3 km
- Siege of Orléans (1428–1429) 1428 · 3 km
- Battle of Orléans (December 1870) 1870 · 3 km
- Battle of Meung-sur-Loire 1429 · 15 km
- Battle of Coulmiers 1870 · 17 km
- Battle of Jargeau 1429 · 18 km
Other battles of the Gothic War of 461–476
- Battle of Déols 469
Browse more: battles in France · Europe · Ancient battles