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Ferreolus of Rodez


Senator of Narbonne

Birth 470 in Rodez, Aveyron, Midi-Pyrenees, France
Death 10 Nov 553 in Narbonne, Aude, Languedoc-Roussillon, France


Ferreolus, also called Ferreolus of Rodez (b. ca 485) was a Gallo Roman senator from Narbonne, then Narbo,
who later lived in Rodez where his family had also held Trevidos, a villa estate near Segodunum, since the mid
fifth century at least. He was the son of Tonantius Ferreolus of Nimes and his wife Industria of Narbo. He was
evidently the senator and relative, Ferreolus, who was reported by Apollinaris of Valence in a letter to Avitus of
Vienne to have visited him in around 520.[1]


Ferreolus experienced the change in rule from the Visigoths to the Ostrogoths after the Battle of Vouille and
from the Ostrogoths to the Franks after the session of Provence to Theodoric of Austrasia after 534. He was a
relative of Parthenius who had served the Ostrogoths and was to become one of Theodoric of Austrasia's key
civil officials. The estates of the Ferreoli in the valley of the Gard (Prusianum) were near the new borderline
between the Franks and Visigoths after the Ostrogoths had ceased to administer Visigothic lands in southern
Gaul and Ferreolus and his family ended up with the Franks as masters since the better part of their properties
fell withing the lands of the new Austrasian kingdom. Much of Prusianum was under the jurisdiction of the See
of Uzes which was effectively a family controlled bishopric throughout the 6th entury and was then held by
Ferreolus' brother Bishop Firminus of Uzes. Part of the properties were apparently in the See of Nimes the
Frankish part of which was smaller than the Visigothic controlled part. A new diocese, Arisitum, was created out
of the Frankish parishes of the See of Nimes by Sigibert of Austrasia about 570 and the bishopric was given to
Ferreolus' son, Deotarius.


The eastern estates thus disposed, Ferreolus then apparently associated with the properties at Segodunum or
other properties near Rodez. One of his children, Tarsicia became a nun at Rodez. Others of his children appear
to have associated with and even relocated to the Austrasian court at Metz and it appears (certainly from his
marriage to Dode) that he was there on occasion as well. Moreover he and his family do not appear to have
occupied the Episcopal See of Rodez though it is arguable some of these estates (Trevidos) may have been part
of the diocese of Arisitum.

He married, after abut 520,Saint Dode, daughter of Chloderic of the Ripuarian Franks (born before 509), with
the following issue:
Ansbertus
Agilulf or Aigulf (born 537), Bishop of Metz (590/591 – 601)
Babon
Deotarius, Bishop of Arisitum
Ragenfred


Ancestry Sources and citations
Christian Settipani, Les Ancêtres de Charlemagne (France: Éditions Christian, 1989).
Christian Settipani, Continuite Gentilice et Continuite Familiale Dans Les Familles Senatoriales Romaines
A L'epoque Imperiale, Mythe et Realite, Addenda I - III (juillet 2000- octobre 2002) (n.p.:
Prosopographica et Genealogica, 2002).
Martin Heinzelmann, "Gallische Prosopographia" in Francia, Vol. 10, (1982)

Ferreolus of Rodez - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferreolus,_Senator_of_Narbonne
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References
^ Heinzelmann, 1. 1982, p. 609. "Ferreolus 4"

 

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