RIOTHAMUS

'Riothamus' (also spelled 'Riotimus', 'Rigothamus', 'Rigotamos'), was a military leader, active circa 470, called "King of the Brittones" by Jordanes, who states in ''The Origin and Deeds of the Goths'':
If the name is a Latinization of "highest leader", as some scholars have suggested, it may be a title, and not a personal name. It has been argued whether Jordanes' "Brittones" refers to the Bretons of Brittany, a Briton colony in Armorica in northwestern Gaul, or of the Britons of Great Britain itself. This distinction, however, may not have had very much meaning at the time as ecclesiastics (such as St. Winwalloe) are recorded as being active, and rulers ruling (traditionally including King Mark), on both sides of the English Channel. Jordanes states that they "came… by way of the Ocean", which has been taken to mean that he was a leader in Great Britain or even the leader of the British people on both sides of the English Channel. He took part in the Roman campaign against Euric, king of the Visigoths. Euric defeated his attack, and Riothamus vanishes from history among the Burgundians. A letter has survived that was written to Riothamus from Sidonius Apollinaris, bishop of Clermont, who requested his judgment for "an obscure and humble person" who has had his slaves enticed away by a group of armed Bretons. ^[1] Another letter from Sidonius Apollinaris records that Riothamus was betrayed by the Praetorian Prefect of Gaul, Arvandus, who told the Gothic king Euric that "the Britons stationed beyond the Loire should be attacked".
Riothamus has been identified as a candidate for the historical King Arthur by some recent scholars (notably Geoffrey Ashe^[2] and Leon Fleuriot). They further note that Riothamus' last known position was near the Burgundian town of Avallon, which might have been the basis for the Arthurian connection to Avalon. In any case, Riothamus' activities in Gaul may be the seed whence grew the tradition (first recorded by Geoffrey of Monmouth in his ''Historia Regum Britanniae'') that Arthur crossed the English Channel from Britain and attacked Rome. Ashe has also suggested a link between Riothamus' betrayal by Arvandus and Arthur's betrayal by Mordred in the Historia Regum Britanniae.^[3]

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References

Notes

1. Letter to Riothamus from Sidonius Apollinaris, introduction and text from Britannia.com
2. ''The Discovery of King Arthur,'' Guild Publishing, London, 1985
3. Ashe, Geoffrey. ''A Certain Very Ancient Book: Traces of an Arthurian Source in Geoffrey of Monmouth's History''. Speculum. 1981

References

★ Letter to Riothamus from Sidonius Apollinaris, introduction and text from Britannia.com