Visigoths: history and characteristics of this barbarian town

The Visigoths were part of the so-called "barbarian invasions": penetrations of peoples, mostly of German origin, within the borders of the Roman Empire. These invasions further undermined the already weak position of Rome, and precipitated the fall of the Roman Empire, in the fifth century AD. c.

In this article we offer you a brief journey through the history of the visigoths.

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Where did the Visigoths come from?

As with many ancient peoples, the origin of the Visigoths remains in the shadows. It is known that it was a people that was part of the great family of Indo-European peoples, but the exact location of its origin is unknown.

Here are some theories about it.

The Eastern Goths and the Western Goths

It is important to clarify that the Visigoths were a branch of a much larger group of peoples, the Goths.

In fact, the word visigoths simply means western goths: that is, those who settled in the western part of the Roman Empire.

Both these Visigoths and the Ostrogoths (Eastern Goths) belonged to a large people who moved, from the 4th century AD. C, towards the Roman borders. But where did they come from?

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The Baltic, the original homeland of the Goths?

The Baltic origin of this people is more or less accepted by experts, although there are many historians and anthropologists who continue to have doubts about it. In fact, the tradition that points to the Baltic origin of the Goths (specifically, Scandinavia) is based on confusing and poorly verified sources.

The main source of information is Jordanes, a writer from the time of Justinian (s. SAW), also of barbarian origin, by the way. In his work De origine actibusque Getarum (“On the origin and actions of the Getas”), Jordanes places the homeland of the Getas in the Baltic; specifically, in a place he calls Scandza (or Scandia), and which has come to be identified as Scandinavia.

Another of the sources that have been used to determine the origin of the Goths is San Isidoro de Sevilla who, in his book Historia de regibus Gothorum, Vandalorum et Suevorum (“History of the Kings of the Goths, the Vandals and the Swabians”) recovers the idea of ​​Jordanes and places the Gothic origin back in Scandinavia. However, according to some historians, the identification of the Getas with the Goths is wrong. It would be, then, different peoples, so the theory, based on Jordanes, that the Goths come from Scandinavia would also be wrong.

So where do the Goths come from?

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The new theories

Lately, new theories have appeared in this regard, which point to the mouth of the Vistula River, in present-day Poland, as the original place of the Goths. This hypothesis seems to be supported by archaeological evidence. Indeed, remains of a civilization have been found in the area, which has been called the Wielbark culture, which would have developed between the 1st century BC. C and the fourth century AD. C, dates that would correspond to the rise of the Gothic peoples in Europe.

The remains of this culture show mixed funerary rites, which include burial and cremation, and circular stone constructions. In addition, the Wielbark culture presents a curious poverty of precious materials and iron, a fact that coincides with what was stated by the Roman historian Tacitus (c. I d. C) about the Goths. If this provenance is true, then the Visigoths would be more related to the Latvian and Lithuanian cultures than to the Germanic culture.

Visigoths and Romans

Of the tribes that entered the Empire, the Visigoths are counted as one of the most Romanized peoples. However, in the early days they were only one of the many enemies that the Romans had beyond the borders. And much later, when the Visigoths were already settled in Roman territory and had an alliance with the Empire, their relations were not always friendly, as we will see later.

In the third century AD. C, Rome is submerged in a crisis that historians have called "military anarchy". Indeed, since the death of Emperor Alexander Severus (235 AD. C), ephemeral powers succeed one another in different regions and the economic crisis intensifies.

This political and social instability obviously affects the borders, which are radically affected and greatly weakened. This facilitates the mobilization of the towns that are beyond the Roman limes; towns that, in a generic way, have been called barbarians (a derogatory word of Greek origin that designated foreigners). This is the case of the Visigoths, of whom we know of attempts to penetrate the Empire since the end of the 4th century.

Gala Placidia and Ataúlfo: a union between cultures

At the beginning of the following century, the Visigoths, commanded by their king Alarico I, entered the Italian Peninsula. In 410 they sack Rome, which fills the Romans with terror: the barbarians are at the gates of their house. During the looting, Galla Placidia, the sister of Emperor Honorius, is taken prisoner., which the Visigoths intend to use as a bargaining chip in future negotiations.

Under the command of Ataúlfo, the successor of Alaric, the Visigoths left Italy and, by virtue of a peace treaty with Rome, settled in southern Gaul (412). But the recent union of Ataúlfo with Galla Placidia (in which the legend sees an intense love story) is not to the liking of the Romans; neither is the particular rebellion that the Visigothic king shows towards them. Thus, after a brief period of peace and apparent harmony, the Visigoths once again confronted the Romans, and were defeated by the troops of the Magister Militum Constantius.

King Ataúlfo is assassinated in Barcino, a city where the Visigoths had settled and which, according to many historians, can be considered the first Gothic capital in Hispania. Walia, his successor, tries to establish a new pact with Rome, and gets the promise of food from the Romans and supplies in exchange for fighting Vandals, Swabians, and Alans, who were also giving the Empire trouble. In the pact too the delivery of Gala Placidia, the widow of King Ataúlfo, who finally returns to Rome and ends up marrying Constantius is contemplated.

They are the last breaths of a crumbling Empire. The Western Roman Empire has barely half a century left to live.

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The Visigoths as federates of the Empire

In 418, under the reign of Theodoric I, the Visigoths finally settled in Aquitaine, in southern Gaul, and in other cities outside the province, like Toulouse (Tolosa) which, in the end, will be the capital of his future kingdom. They are foederati (federates) of the Empire: they receive grain and land from Rome in exchange for sporadic military services. Officially, the owner of the lands handed over as foedus is still the Empire; the Visigoths only settled in them by virtue of the Roman hospitalitas. The pact was beneficial for the Romans, since, in exchange for an almost miserable amount of wheat, they had at their disposal side to the powerful Visigothic forces, which could serve them very usefully to fight the other invading towns.

Thus, the Visigoths and Romans join forces to fight the Huns who, under the command of their fearsome leader Attila, had penetrated the Empire with blood and fire, coming from Asia. The conjunction of forces was a success, and the Huns were defeated in the Battle of the Catalaunic Fields, in French Champagne, in 451. The victory had a high price for the Visigoths, since their king, Theodoric, died in combat. After the death of the Visigothic leader, a period of political instability began that the Romans took advantage of in his favour.

The first kingdom: the Visigothic kingdom of Toulouse

The link between the Visigoths and the Romans weakened over time. Theodoric II took advantage of the acute instability that the Empire was going through to expand the Visigothic domain towards the south of Gaul, and also in Hispania. With Euric's arrival on the throne, the distance ended up becoming a new confrontation.

Under this new king, the Visigothic conquests in Hispania multiply; the region becomes an extension of the Visigothic kingdom of Toulouse, except for the inhabited areas by Cantabrians and Basques, part of Baetica and, of course, Gallaecia, which was still in the hands of the suevos

It was clear, then, that the Visigoths were an unstoppable force that threatened to annex the entire western part of the Empire to their kingdom.

Enemies of the Romans, but not of their culture

Despite the growing enmity between King Euric and Rome, this did not mean that the Visigoths wanted to destroy the cultural traces that the Roman Empire had left in Europe. Quite the contrary; We have already said that the Visigoths were one of the most Romanized peoples.

Probably aware of the organizational superiority of the Roman administration, as well as his law, Euric surrounded himself with Roman jurists and developed the famous Codex Euricianus or Eurico Code, a compendium of laws by which both Romans and Visigoths should be governed.

With the final dismemberment of the Roman Empire, which occurred in 476, Euric achieved sufficient freedom to finish conquering part of the territory of the coveted Gaul, and thus put the finishing touch to the first Visigothic kingdom of Toulouse, now, yes, free of any authority roman.

The Visigothic kingdom of Toledo

In the north of Gaul another Germanic power had arisen that was a powerful rival for the Visigoths: the Frankish kingdom of Clovis. The Franks were another of the invading peoples, of Germanic culture and coming from the east of the Rhine.

Its expansion towards the south ended up colliding with the interests of the Visigothic kingdom of Toulouse; Both towns faced each other in the famous battle of Vouillé (507), in which the Visigoths were resoundingly defeated. Humiliated and cornered, they had no choice but to leave Gaul and go back to their Hispanic lands. There they would consolidate a kingdom, with its capital in Toledo, which would survive no less than two centuries and would establish itself as one of the most splendid kingdoms in Europe.

the golden age

At the moment, however, only the central part of Hispania was in the hands of the Visigoths. The Cantabrian and Basque north did not fall within his possessions, nor did Gallaecia, which continued to belong to the Suevi. The south, held by the Byzantines since Justinian's Mediterranean expansion, was also outside their borders.

This is where it comes into play one of the most important Visigothic kings: Leovigildo. Conqueror king par excellence and determined to unify all of Hispania, Leovigildo attacked the Byzantines and launched campaigns of conquest against Suevian Gallaecia. In these campaigns he had successes and defeats; Despite recovering a good part of Byzantine Spania, he did not manage to annex it completely (the Byzantines did not leave the Peninsula until the beginning of the 7th century, with King Suintila).

The Suevian kingdom did fall under the pressure of Leovigildo, and became part of the Visigothic kingdom. He also managed to annex the Cantabrian area, an area that, since Roman times, had been rebellious to any external authority. Leovigildo also entered Basque territory and achieved some military victories there.

Leovigildo is the creator of the Code of Leovigildo, a revision of the laws promulgated by Eurico. Among many of the innovations of the new code, the legalization of mixed marriages stands out. Until then, Hispano-Romans and Visigoths could not marry; Leovigildo's Code lifted the prohibition, a fact that facilitated the construction of a new Romano-Visigothic society.

Conversion to Catholicism

The Visigoths had been, at first, pagans. Later, they converted to Arianism, one of the most widespread Christian heresies of the time. Finally, and very aware of the political and social benefits that it implied, King Recaredo converted to Catholicism in the year 587, conversion that would be ratified, together with that of all the Visigothic nobility, in the III Council of Toledo (589). From then on, all the Visigoths abandoned Arianism and became defenders of the Roman faith.

The Muslim invasions and the end of the Visigothic kingdom of Toledo

The 8th century would mark the end of the Visigothic power in Hispania. King Witiza was assassinated, and the Visigothic nobility was divided into two: those who supported the dead king's side and those who supported the usurper, the new King Rodrigo. The context of political crisis did nothing more than facilitate the already rapid advance of the Muslims: in 711 they penetrated the Peninsula, possibly, and according to some authors, encouraged by the faction opposed to Rodrigo, who trusted the newcomers to finish off the king usurper.

However, the plan did not go as expected. Because The entry of the Muslims did not mean a change of king, but the absolute annihilation of the Visigothic kingdom of Toledo. The Visigothic administration disintegrated, and the Muslims advanced without problems as far as the Pyrenees. Only in the Asturian part was a redoubt free of the invading power; redoubt where, over the years, the first Asturian kingdom would settle.