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VISIGOTHS

The Visigoths (Visigothi, conventionally interpreted as West Goths) were a Germanic tribe that formed
from the coalescence of the Tervingi and Greuthungi, who had escaped the advance of the Huns by seeking
refuge in Roman Moesia in 376. After a Roman attempt to disarm them, they rebelled against Roman abuse, and
defeated and killed the emperor Valens at the battle of Adrianople in 378. They were came to terms with the
Romans and became federates under Theodosius I, but after his death in 395 the Visigoths, led by Alarich I,
ravaged the Roman province of Thrace. Appointed magister militum in Illyricum, Alarich I began to raid the
territory of the Western Roman Empire, invading Italy and sacking Rome in 410. His successor Athaulf led the
Visigoths into northern Spain as Roman allies, and in 418 Wallia established the Visigoths at Toulouse as
Roman federates. After further clashes in the 420s and 430s, the Visigoths were finally brought to heel by the
Roman magister militum Aetius in 439. In 451 they duly aided Aetius against the Huns of Attila in Gaul, and in
455 king Theuderich II supported the Roman emperor Avitus and was given a free hand in Spain while
dislodging the Suebi from their recent gains. By 470 his brother and successor Eurich had abandoned this
Roman alliance, and he extended Visigothic rule over most of Aquitaine, Spain, and Provence by 476. But in 507
his son Alarich II was killed in battle against the Franks, who conquered most of Aquitaine in 507531 and
forced the Visigothic kingdom (aided by its Ostrogothic allies) to transfer its capital to Toledo. Eurich and
Alarich II attempted to regularize relations between their Gothic and Roman subjects (divided by language,
faith, and culture) by issuing legislative works based on Roman law in 471476 and 506.
Following several bloody disorders connected with the conflict between Arian and Roman Christianity, as
well as a Roman reconquest of part of southern Spain in 551, king Leuvigild conquered the Suevic kingdom in
northwestern Spain by 586. His son and successor Reccared I converted to Roman Christianity in 587,
establishing a long tradition of close cooperation between church and state in Spain. Later Visigothic legal codes
issued in 642 and 661 no longer needed to address the cultural divide, which had been gradually effaced. Sisebut
completed the conquest of the Roman enclave in the south by 616 and imposed his authority over the Basques
in the north, extending Visigothic control over the entire Iberian Peninsula. But even so the Visigothic kingdom
suffered from the almost chronic problem of irregular royal succession. In 711 the usurping king Roderich was
defeated and killed in battle by the armies of the Arab general riq, who proceeded to conquer most of the
Visigothic kingdom, a task completed by his superior, the governor of north Africa (Ifrqiyah), Ms ibn Nuayr.
Names are presented in standardized German forms, followed by modern Spanish forms in italics.

Kings of the Visigoths
395410 Alarich I (Alarico) elected king
410415 Athaulf (Atalfo) brother of wife of Alarich I
415 Sigerich (Sigerico) elected king
415418 Wallia (Valia) elected king; settled in Aquitaine 418
418451 Theuderich I (Teodorico) husband of daughter of Alarich I
451453 Thurismund (Turismundo) son of Theuderich I
453466 Theuderich II (Teodorico) son of Theuderich I; began the conquest of Spain 455
466484 Eurich (Eurico) son of Theuderich I
484507 Alarich II (Alarico) son of Eurich
507511 Geisalech (Gesaleico) son of Alarich II; deposed, died 512
511531 Amalarich (Amalarico) son of Alarich II
531548 Theudis (Teudis) former guardian of Amalarich
548549 Theudegisel (Teudiselo) elected king; son of (?) Theudahad of the Ostrogoths
549555 Achila I (gila) elected king
555567 Athanagild (Atanagildo) usurper; rival since 551
567572 Leuva I (Liuva) brother (?) of Athanagild
572586 Leuvigild (Leovigildo) brother of Leuva I; associated 568
Hermenigild (Hermenegildo)
1
son of Leuvigild; rival 579584; deposed, died 585
586601 Reccared I (Recaredo) son of Leuvigild; associated 584
601603 Leuva II (Liuva) son of Reccared I; deposed, died 603

1
Canonized as saint in 1585.
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603610 Witterich (Viterico) former guardian of Leuva II
610612 Gundemar (Gundemaro) duke of Narbonne
612621 Sisebut (Sisebuto) elected king; married daughter of Reccared I
621 Reccared II (Recaredo) son of Sisebut
621631 Suinthila (Suintila) son of Reccared I; husband of Theodora, daughter of Sisebut;
deposed, died 633
Reccimir (Ricimiro) son of Suinthila; associated c.624631; deposed
631636 Sisenand (Sisenando) son of (?) Suinthila
636639 Chintila (Khintila) son of (?) Suinthila
639642 Tulga (Tulga) son of Chintila; deposed
642653 Chindasuinth (Khindasvinto) usurper
653672 Reccesuinth (Recesvinto) son of Chindasuinth; associated 649
672680 Wamba (Vamba) son of (?) Tulga; deposed
Paulus (Pablo) duke of Narbonne; rival in Septimania 673
680687 Erwig (Ervigio) son of Ardabast, son of Athanagild, son of Hermenigild; husband of
Leuvigotho, daughter of (?) Suinthila
687702 Egica (gica) son of Ariberga, sister of Wamba; husband of Cixilo, daughter of Erwig
702710 Wittiza (Vitiza) son of Egica; associated 698
710711 Roderich (Rodrigo) son of duke Theudefred of Crdoba, son of Chindasuinth
(to the Umayyad Caliphate 711)
Achila II (gila) son of Wittiza; associated 708710; rival and legitimist claimant in
Septimania 710716
Ardabast (Ardn) son of Wittiza; legitimist claimant in Septimania 716720