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Make a donation and receive a gift: http://don.storiavoce.com/ The date of the recapture of Poitiers in 732 by Charles Martel has held a special place in the national novel in France since the 19th century. The Arab presence in the Roman province of Narbonne, for its part, is very little discussed. However, in 719, "Sema, king of the Saracens, besieged and took Narbonne", tells us the chronicle of Moissac which reports the facts from the point of view of the vanquished. Narbonne then became a bridgehead for Arab expansion in the kingdom of the Franks. Raids and raids multiplied, resulting in the taking of booty and captives. But in 721, the Arabs were defeated by the Duke of Aquitaine Eudes in Toulouse. However, they continued to be present in Narbonne until 793. Archaeological sources, coins, seals and burials are the most telling elements to understand the nature of this Arab presence which raises the question: Why does the Battle of Poitiers hold such an important place in the imagination, when it is not the first victory over the Arabs and does not mark their departure from the kingdom of the Franks? The author: Philippe Sénac is professor emeritus at Sorbonne University and former member of the Casa Velasquez. He has just published L'autre bataille de Poitiers. Quand la Narbonnaise était Arabe (VIIIe siècle) (Armand Colin, 160 p., €23.90). *** Facebook: / histoireetcivilisationsmag Instagram: / histoireetcivilisations Twitter: / storiavoce