The Germanic
Visigoths were the Western
Goths, separated
from their Ostrogothic brethren by the divisions caused in the 270s.
The kingdom was based north of the Danube, in the region of modern
Bulgaria and
Romania.
The Balti Goths (or Balthes, Baltungs, or Balthings) took their name from
the Gothic word for bold. They were considered second in status only to the
Amali Goths, but the latter were leading the
Ostrogoths so the Balti were
able to assume leadership in the west, apart from one brief attempt by the
Amali to regain control.
(Additional information from The Oxford History of England: Roman
Britain, Peter Salway, from The Barbarians: Warriors & Wars
of the Dark Ages, Tim Newark (Blandford Press, 1985), from The
Origin and Deeds of the Goths, Jordanes (Dodo Press - and C C Mierow
supplies a different translation from this version alongside some dates
for early kings), and from External Link:
GEN-MEDIEVAL Archives (Rootsweb Ancestry.com.).)
270s
The
Tervingi Goths, led by
the Balti Goths, consolidate their realm between the Dniester and the Danube
in modern western Ukraine, and
become known to the Romans as the Visigoths. They are led by Ilderic, son of
one of the last universal Goth kings, Ovida. His brothers, Respa and Veduc,
command the
Ostrogoths.
fl c.273 - 317
Ilderic
/ Hilderith
Son of Ovida of the
Goths. First ruler of the
Visigoths?
fl c.273 - 317
Ariaric / Ascaric
Brother and co-ruler, or possibly king of the
Ostrogoths.
fl c.317 - 350
Geberic / Geberich
Son of
Ilderic. Claimed as king of
Ostrogoths & Visigoths.
c.330s
The
names of kings of the
Ostrogoths and Visigoths
contains at least two crossovers during the late third and early fourth
centuries, suggesting perhaps that the divisions are not quite so divided
after all until the coming of the
Huns. It is
possible, given the approximate dates for Geberic, that he rules both groups
until the rise of Ermanaric re-establishes the division between Visigoth and
Ostrogoth.
c.340
Apparently now concentrating on the western Gothic territories
(appropriately, if the supposition is correct that he has lost control of
the Ostrogoths to the east),
Geberic conquers Dacia, ejecting the
Vandali.
350 - c.365
There appears to be a gap in the line of Visigothic kings which can only be
explained by Eormanric of the
Ostrogoths extending his
rule westwards to encompass the Visigoths. Given the apparent closeness of
both branches of the Goth people over the past century or so, it would be
entirely natural for all Goths to accept the most powerful king. It is
possible that Athanaric remains a sub-king or co-ruler until the destruction
of the Ostrogothic kingdom in 376.
fl 365 - 381
Athanaric
/ Ažanareiks
376 - 378
The Visigoths are
defeated by the Huns in 376, and flee across the Danube to
seek shelter in the Roman
empire. Badly treated and starved of supplies, they revolt and ravage the land south
of the Danube, killing Emperor Valens in battle. Peace is made and they are allowed
to settle in northern Greece, in Thrace and Moesia, charged with defending the Danube.
fl 376 - 382
Fritigern
/ Frithugairns
Rival of Athanaric. Converted to Arianism.
395 - 410
Alaric I / Alareiks
Balti Goth. Died following a brief illness.
397 - 402
Alaric retreats into Epirus with his Visigoths and the
Western Roman military
commander Stilicho is forbidden by the
Eastern Roman government
from pursuing him. Granted the rank of magister militum per Illyricum by the Eastern Romans in about 399
in order to protect the area from takeover by the Western Romans, Alaric
leads his people through the Alps and winters in northern
Italy in 401. Stilicho collects all his available forces, including units from
Britain, to defeat Alaric in 402, although not decisively.
408
Alaric leads his forces into northern
Italy, undefeated by the
Romans. The following
year Athaulf brings another Visigothic army to reinforce Alaric.
410
Communications (and intrigues) between
Rome and the Visigoths
break down, so Alaric leads the Visigoths to the sack of Rome. Shortly
afterwards, he himself dies.
410 - 415
Athaulf / Adolphus / Ataulfo
Brother-in-law. m
Emperor Honorius’ half-sister, Placidia.
413
Athaulf's accession improves relations with
Rome to an extent, and the Visigoths
are instrumental in defeating the usurper, Jovinus, on the Rhine. The Visigoths subsequently
move south, into Aquitaine in southern
Gaul, accompanied by an important group of
Alani.
414
The Visigoths come into renewed conflict with Emperor Honorius which
culminates in the siege of Vasatis (modern Bazas) in 414. Paulinus of Pella,
a Christian poet who is one of those being besieged inside the city, records
the fact in his work Eucharisticos (Thanksgiving) that the
Visigoths are supported by a group of
Alani. Having previously
established a level of friendship with the unnamed king of these Alani,
Paulinus persuades him to side with the city's
Roman defenders. The
Alani leader does so, turning over his wife and son to the Romans as
hostages. The Visigoths withdraw from Vasatis and retreat into Spain while
the Alani are settled as Roman allies.
415
Sigeric
Amali Goth. Assassinated by the Balti Goths.
415 - 417
Wallia / Vallia
Balti Goth. Helped establish the
Visigoths in Aquitaine.
416
The Siling
Vandali are dissipated by warfare
against the Visigoths,
who are acting as Roman
allies. However, they still maintain their hold on the former Roman provinces
of Lusitania and Baetica (the latter of which includes the city of
Gades). The
Alani are also defeated
alongside their comrades-in-arms.
417 - 418
One of Wallia's grandsons is Ricimer, who is the power behind the throne of the
Western Roman empire
during its last days. Allowed by the emperor to settle in southern
Gaul
in a treaty signed in 418, Theodoric founds the kingdom of the
Visigoths.
Visigoth Kingdom AD 418 - 711
The Visigothic kingdom of Tolosa (Toulouse) was created, with the
consent of Rome,
in the province of Gallia Aquitania, a large and rich region stretching
from the Lower Loire to the Garonne in south-western
Gaul. The Roman
domain of Soissons was
located to the immediate north. The Visigoths straight away forced out
the Alani and
Vandali, and these
groups then headed southwards into Hispania. As part of their settlement
agreement with Rome, the Visigoths were obliged to provide military
support, but essentially they ran an independent kingdom within the
fragmenting Western Empire. Odds and ends from other tribes also
joined them, such as members of the
Scirii.
(Additional information from Atlas historique mondial, Georges
Duby (Larousse, 1978), and from Genealogy of the Kings of France,
Claude Wenzler (Editions Ouest-France, Rennes, 2008).)
Under pressure from
the Visigoths, and from
Roman attacks, the
Vandali to the south
see an opportunity presented by the unsettled conditions in Africa. They and the
Alani migrate to the south of Iberia
from where they invade Roman North Africa. Once there, they
carve out a kingdom over the course of a decade, taking the cities of
Carthage and
Utica, and
leaving eastern, central and southern Iberia back in Roman hands.
446
The
Romanmagister
militum, Aėtius, sends his subordinate, Vitus, to Iberia to put a halt
to Suevi raids.
He leads a combined Romano-Visigothic force into the province of
Carthaginiensis and Baetica, but when his unruly force meets the Suevi in
battle, it is routed. The defeat confirms Suevian control of Lusitania and
Baetica and the loss of the bulk of Hispanic revenues to Rome.
449
Theodoric is forced to change his foreign policy when relations
improve between
Rome and Genseric of the
Vandali.
This weakens Theodoric's own position as Rome's favourite barbarian ally, so
he invites Rechiar of the
Suevi to his
capital at Tolosa (Tolouse), and in February 449 the two put aside the
differences between their peoples. To seal the new peace, Theodoric gives
one of his daughters in marriage to Rechiar.
451
To preserve their new domains, the Visigoths fight on the side of
Rome to
halt the advance of the Huns
at the Battle of the Catalaunian Plains (otherwise known as the Battle of
Chalons), in north-eastern Gaul. Their cousins, the
Ostrogoths (literally,
in the case of Thorismund whose cousin is Valamir, king of the Ostrogoths)
are forced to fight on the side of the Huns. Theodoric, hoping to kill
Attila, is struck by a spear and falls from his horse, to be trampled by his
own cavalry, but the Huns are fought to a standstill and are forced to
withdraw.
Despite his great success over the barbarian tribes of eastern
and central Europe, Attila's stalemate against an allied
Roman-led army in 451 was a blow to his prestige, and his death
soon afterwards caused his empire to crumble
Theodoric
encourages magister militum Avitus to become
Western Roman emperor, which he does. His reign is brief before he
abdicates, but it renews the empire's good relations with the Visigoths.
456
While Emperor Avitus is in trouble in
Italy and
Gaul, Theodoric is away
defeating the Suevi
in north-western Spain with a large army which also consists of
Burgundians
under Gundioc and Chilperic. At the same time, Ricimer (Ricomer), the son of
a prince of the Suevi with a mother who had been the daughter of Wallia
(415-417), secures the position of magister militum in the
Western Roman empire
463
The
Franks and Syagrius of
Soissons unite to defeat the
Visigoths.
466 - 484
Euric I / Eurico
466
After years of equivocal behaviour from the Visigoths, Euric follows a
decisively anti-Roman
policy.
469 - 475
In
two major battles, the Visigoths have to fight a combined army consisting
of Romans, troops from
Soissons under Comes Paulus,
Burgundianfoederati, and joint federate Britanni
(Britons
and Armoricans)
under Riothamus in 469 (470). Experiencing considerable success on the
battlefield, the Visigoths expand to take in more of
Gaul and much of Iberia,
so that the kingdom stretches from
Nantes
to Gadir (Cadiz), and Soissons and
Armorica are cut off from Rome. In 475, in exchange for Provence, Rome is forced
to grant them full independence.
484 - 507
Alaric II / Alarico
Last Visigoth king of Toulouse.
486 - 487
Syagrius, Roman dux of
Soissons, seeks refuge with
Alaric after the
Franks conquer the
former Roman territory.
Syagrius is betrayed and handed over to the Franks.
In AD 469/470 the Visigoths expanded their kingdom to
its largest extent (upper map), reaching Nantes in the
north and Cadiz in the south, but it was not to last -
with the accession of Clovis of the Salian Franks, the
Visigoths had found an opponent who would wrest Gaul
away from their control in stages (lower map), eventually
forcing them entirely south of the Pyrenees (click on
either map to view full sized)
507
Defeated by Clovis,
king of the Franks, the Visigoths are pushed south into
Spain where they rebuild the kingdom. They may still retain portions of
Aquitaine, as the region's overlordship is very uncertain in this period. It
seems likely that it is
Frankish vassals
who are contesting with the Visigoths to secure the region. Alaric's elder
son, Gesalec is tentatively accepted as king, but is unable to hold Narbonne
against the
Burgundians.
507/508 - 512/14
Gesalec
Son.
509 - 526
The
Ostrogoths
intervene at Narbonne, driving out both Visigoths and
Burgundians.
This forces the Franks
and Burgundians to withdraw from the Mediterranean coast. The following year
the Ostrogoths defeat Gesalec in battle and he flees. One further attempt is
made by him to recapture Narbonne, after a year spent in
Aquitaine to gather his
forces. He loses a second battle and is soon captured by the Ostrogoths. The
Ostrogoth king, Theodoric, assumes the Visigothic crown until his death in
526, nominally acting as regent for the infant Amalaric who
is able to take his rightful place as king after Theodoric's death.
526 - 531
Amalaric / Amalarico
Brother. Assassinated.
531 - 548
Theudes / Theudis
548 - 549
Theudegisel
549 - 554
Agila
552
Rome is finally
retaken by Byzantium,
which governs Italy from
Ravenna. This
marks the end of
Ostrogothic rule in Italy.
The Ostrogoths themselves eventually merge into the general Italian
population, becoming indivisible from them, or migrate north of the Alps
where they also merge into the general population. However, the Tauric Ostrogoths
still retain an independent identity.
554 - 567
Athanagild(o)
555
By this point, it seems that
Aquitaine is more firmly under
Frankish control.
A duke is assigned by Chlothar I to govern the region.
567 - 571
Theodomir
569
King Theodemar of the
Suevi in Iberia (or possibly Miro, his successor) convenes the First
Council of Lugo to increase the number of dioceses in his kingdom, possibly
because parts of it are under the religious administration of bishops whose
seats are in the Visigoth kingdom. It would appear that several new dioceses
are in fact created as these are represented in the Second Council of Braga
in 572.
571 - 572
Leuva / Leova I
572 - 586
Leuvigild(o)
/ Leovigild
572 - 574
King Miro of the
Suevi oversees the Second Council of Braga, in which the new dioceses
that had been sought by King Theodemar are confirmed to exist, although the
dates for their founding are unknown. In the same year, following up on a
Visigoth attack in 570 and perhaps prompted further by this loss of
influence over areas of the Suevi kingdom, Leuvigild attacks. He invades the
valley of the Duoro, pushing back the Suevi to the west and north by 574.
580
- 586
Hermenegild / St Ermengild
Son. Exiled, and executed in 586.
580 - 584
Falling out with his father the previous year, Hermenegild now revolts
against him. The quarrel is based on Hermenegild's recent conversion to
Catholicism and his refusal to revert to Arianism, thanks to his marriage to
Ingunthis, the Catholic daughter of Sigisbert I of
Austrasia. He is blockaded
by his father and the
Suebian King
Miro fights to break that blockade, but is defeated. Crucially, Miro is
forced to recognise Leuvigild as a friend and protector to him and his
successors, giving the Visigoths leverage over the whole Suevi kingdom.
Hermenegild reaches an agreement with his father, ending the revolt, but a
further falling out results in the prince being executed by his father just
two years later.
585
The
Suevi, on the
north-western coast of Iberia, are finally absorbed into the Visigoth kingdom.
586 - 601
Recared(o) I /
Reccared I
Brother of Hermenegild.
589
About this year, the Visigoths and their Romano-Hispanic
subjects are led by Recared to abandon Arian Christianity in favour of the
Roman Church.
601 - 603
Leova II
603 - 610
Witterich
610 - 612
Gundemar
612 - 621
Sisebut / Sisebur
621
Recared II /
Reccared II
621 - 631
Swintilla / Suintila
/ Swinthila
631 - 636
Sisenand(o)
636 - 640
Chintila
640 - 642
Tulca / Tulga
642 - 653
Chindaswind / Chindasuinto
653 - 672
Recdeswinth /
Reccaswinth
672 - 680
Wamba
680 - 687
Euric II / Erwig
687 - 702
Ergica / Egica
702 - 709
Witiza
709 - 711
Roderic / Rodrigo
710 - 711
Ceuta, and the Pillars of Hercules, which until very recently had fallen
under the control of the
Byzantine
empire via
Carthage, are apparently turned over to the
Islamic
empire by 'Count Julian', as the empire prepares its invasion of Visigothic
Spain.
711 - 714
The kingdom is overrun by the Moorish Islamic invasion of the
Umayyads,
at the battles of Jerez de la Frontera and Ecija. Cordova is captured
(711), as is Seville and Toledo (712). The Battle of Segoyuela sees Saragossa
captured (713), and Valencia falls (714). In opposition to the occupation
of Iberia, the small Asturian
kingdom is founded in the unconquered and mountainous north-west soon afterwards
(718), while various march counties emerge over the course of the next century,
including that of Urgel (close to
Andorra) of which the first count is a Visigothic noble by the name of
Borrell.
Interestingly in Africa, a
Nubian
splinter state called
Alodia
is founded at some point around the start of the seventh century. The name
could be Visigothic or
Vandali,
deriving from the Germanic
elements ala, meaning 'other' or 'foreign', and od, meaning
'riches' or 'wealth'. Could the creation of the state be influenced by refugees
or captives from either state?
756
The
Umayyad prince, AburRahman, escaping the massacre of his dynasty in
Arabia, establishes himself and his line in Spain. Eventually, in response
to the declaration of the
Fatimid
Shiite caliphate, the Spanish Umayyads proclaim their own emirate of
Spain.
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