The Miracle of Toulouse 721 AD
Photo from: https://www.lookandlearn.com/history-images/XD542219/Odo-Duke-of-Aquitaine-defeating-the-Umayyads-at-the-Battle-of-Toulouse-721
"Do not work for food that goes bad, but work for food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you, for on him the Father, God himself, has set his seal." Jn 6:27
Miracles
come and go in different ways. Some are obvious, while some are stranger than
others. Here is a story of how the unusual gift of Pope Gregory II helped Duke
Odo to win the Battle of Toulouse.
It was the year 718 when the civil war in the Frankish Kingdom
in Gaul (modern-day France) came to an end. Charles Martel, Mayor of the Palace
and de facto ruler of the kingdom, was the ultimate victor. However, some
nobles managed to gain independence from Charles and established their
territory. One of them was the powerful Duke Odo of Aquitaine, who became
rivals with Charles. Soon, a rising threat will test both of their powers.
Photo from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=0Ty1ewdKolg
By 719, Al-Samh ibn Malik, Umayyad Muslim governor of
Al-Andalus (modern-day Spain and Portugal), entered Gaul and conquered Septimania
in modern South France. The Muslim Governor can now challenge the rule of
Charles and Odo. Not long after, Governor Al-Samh decided to launch an invasion
into Gaul.
Then came the year 721, Governor Al-Samh attacked the
Duchy of Aquitaine with thousands of men. First, the Muslims besieged the well-fortified
city of Carcassone but failed. Instead, Al-Samh attacked the city of Toulouse,
Capital City of the Duchy of Aquitaine. The Muslim governor surprised Duke Odo
with his rapid advance. It made Duke Odo to quickly organize the city defense
before setting out to rally whatever forces he could use to defend the city. He
asked Charles Martel for help, but Charles refused as he saw that the Muslims
as a way to weaken his rival. In the end, Duke Odo had no choice but to face
his superior enemy, who was numerically superior and better equipped, with a
few thousand loyal Aquitanian Horsemen.
At some point, Pope Gregory II found out about the impending
battle. He sent Duke Odo 3 baskets of bread as a sign of support. It was a
strange gesture and would seem like an underwhelming action from the Holy
Father. However, the Aquitanians will soon learn how these uncanny gifts will
play a huge role in their upcoming battle.
Photo from: https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=982
After months of siege, the defenders of Toulouse were at
their last legs as their supplies, numbers, and morale were getting low. One
morning Duke Odo returned and set camp somewhere far from the city. He saw the
grave situation of Toulouse, where his defenders are slowly getting
overwhelmed. Duke Odo made his final preparations for what seemed to be a
desperate fight. He then divided the bread from Pope Gregory II into small
pieces and fed it to his troops, hoping something good will happen. Everything
is ready for the upcoming battle that will decide the fate of Toulouse and all
of Aquitaine.
Later
that morning, Umayyad Muslim scouts reported sightings of a large contingent of Aquitanian Horsemen. Al-Samh informed his officers to intercept the horsemen but he was too late. Duke Odo and his men charged their enemies to great effect. However, the initial shock wore off because the Aquitanians lacked the numbers to break the Muslim line. The duke ordered a retreat that emboldened the Muslims but sapped the morale of the defenders of Toulouse as they slowly accepted their
fate. The Muslims were sure of their victory and rested for the night,
not knowing what awaits them.
Soon, the quiet of the night broke when Duke Odo returned with more riders and charged their sleeping enemies. The loud thundering sound the thousands of charging horses made shocked the Muslims. The enemy force scrambled to form a defensive line, but it was futile as the quick horsemen started hacking each one of them. In the middle of the battle, Governor Al-Samh retreated when he was wounded in battle. The Muslims ran away as soon as they saw their leader leaving the battle. Many enemy soldiers that were slow to retreat got cut down by the Aquitanian Horsemen. The battle was over.
Battle of Toulouse(night)
Photo from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=0Ty1ewdKolg
Soon, the Aquitanians realized a miracle has happened to
them. Those men who were able to eat the bread given by Pope Gregory II lived,
few of them only suffered injuries at worst. The miracle showed the Aquitanians
that Christ has guided them to victory and saved them from death. Unlike their
Muslim counterparts who had thousands of dead men.
The victory gave Duke Odo renown and praise from his fellow Catholic Rulers. It also gave the Muslim Umayyad Forces a setback that prevented them from attacking Gaul for years.
For Charles Martel, this brought him enough time to prepare his Kingdom to fight the Muslims. His chance will arrive 11 years later when the Umayyad Muslims return under Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi to finally put Gaul under the Crescent of Islam. But, his plan will fail when they face in the fields of Tours.
https://enacademic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/610455
https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=982
http://basquemedieval.blogspot.com/2012/09/battle-of-toulouse-721.html
https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Toulouse_(721)
To be continued...
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