Talk:Battle of Faesulae (406)

Wrong Date
I'm quite certain this battle was fought in 406, not 405. Radagasus' invasion commenced in 405, but the final battle was several months later and he was executed in August 406. Once I find some references I shall fix this. --Jmullaly (talk) 03:58, 31 October 2010 (UTC)


 * I think you are right. E A Thompson in "The Huns" pages 37-38 says that the battle took place in early 406.  It was a mixed group of Huns and Alans, followers of Uldin, but not necessarily led by him. comment added by AlanPom (talk • 20:10, 9 September 2011 (UTC)


 * Moved. --тнояsтеn &hArr; 06:19, 3 September 2014 (UTC)

Reliability of Robert Franklin Pennell as Source?
There is quite an long and entertaining section added by user @Refoelp on 17:22, 24 May 2018, which cites Pennell and alleges how 100,000 defeated barbarian escaped into Gaul, ended up in Aquitania, and effectively separated Gaul from the empire forevermore. The section references Pennell's book, "Ancient Rome From the Earliest Times Down To 476 AD" https://gutenberg.org/cache/epub/6989/pg6989-images.html#link2H_4_0058. That book is written as a university history text. It does not cite any sources. Pennell attributes (or confuses) these alleged survivors with the barbarians who crossed the Rhine in 406CE.

Pennell obviously read Gibbon since his story seems to come straight from Gibbon. (So why quote Pennell?) Gibbon also alleges that 100,000 warriors survived the battle and that Stilicho opposed their march (to where?) and facilitated their retreat (to where?). Gibbon says the invasion of Gaul (of 406 CE? He is unclear.) was "was executed by the remains of the great army of Radagaisus." There is no suggestion that this happened immediately after the battle of Faesulae.

Regardless, Pennell should not be cited. RMcPhillip (talk) 21:25, 7 January 2023 (UTC)


 * Neither Gibbon or Pennell should be used in this encyclopedia. Both are outdated.--Kansas Bear (talk) 21:31, 7 January 2023 (UTC)

The entire "Aftermath" section is based on unreliable sources (Gibbons and Pennell, who quotes Gibbons!), so I will delete it. Better no history than historical fiction. Perhaps someone can cite a reliable source that shows the survivors of Radagaisus's army participated in the 406 CE invasion of Gaul. If so, we can have a credible "Aftermath" section. RMcPhillip (talk) 18:38, 2 July 2023 (UTC)