Austrovald

Austrovald, Astrobald, and Austrevald^[1] (died 607) was the Duke of Aquitaine from 587.

Austrovald was probably a count of Toulouse until that year, when he was appointed to succeed the dux Desiderius in Aquitaine, by King Guntram.^[2]

Under Chilperic I and then the usurper Gundoald, a dux named Bladast was acting as duke over the region of Aquitaine. The dux Austrovald was sent in 587 to pacify the Basques of Vasconia, a difficult enterprise in which he was none too successful, for he lost many men to captivity and the Basques are found as far as the Garonne by 602.^[3] Bordeaux probably formed the chief fortified frontier city of Austrovald's watch. It is probable that the Basques were forced to pay tribute, but left under their own laws.^[4] It is out of this that a separate Gascon duchy was created in 602, probably within Aquitaine.

In 589, Austrovald held command of the forces of Périgueux, Agen, Saintes, and Bordeaux, when he invaded Septimania.^[5] Twice he marched on Visigothic Carcassonne but failed to take it.^[6]

Austrovald was succeeded by Sereus after a short reign.^[7]

Notes

1. Astrovaldo in Castilian and Austrowalde in French.
2. Collins, p 85. Gregory, IX.7.
3. p 84. Higounet, p 18.
4. Sedycias.
5. Lewis, p 392n67. Gregory, IX.7.
6. VIII.45 and IX.31. Collins, p 85.
7. Monlezun, p 221.

Sources

• Higounet, Charles. Bordeaux pendant le haut moyen age. Bordeaux, 1963.
• Gregory of Tours. Historia Francorum. translated Earnest Brehaut, 1916.
• Wallace-Hadrill, J. M., translator. The Fourth Book of the Chronicle of Fredegar with its Continuations. Greenwood Press: Connecticut, 1960.
• Collins, Roger. The Basques. Blackwell Publishing: London, 1990.
• Sedycias, João. História da Língua Espanhola.
• Lewis, Archibald R. "The Dukes in the Regnum Francorum, A.D. 550-751." Speculum, Vol. 51, No 3 (July 1976), pp 381–410
• Monlezun, Jean Justin. Histoire de la Gascogne. 1864.

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