 The Bagaudae of Gaul are obscure figures , appearing fleetingly in the ancient sources , with their 285 uprising being their first appearance . The fourth @-@ century historian Eutropius described them as rural people under the leadership of Amandus and Aelianus , while Aurelius Victor called them bandits . The historian David S. Potter suggests that they were more than peasants , seeking either Gallic political autonomy or reinstatement of the recently deposed Carus ( a native of Gallia Narbonensis , in what would become southern France ) : in this case , they would be defecting imperial troops , not brigands . Although poorly equipped , led and trained – and therefore a poor match for Roman legions – Diocletian certainly considered the Bagaudae sufficient threat to merit an emperor to counter them . 
