Theodoric I

Theodoric I, sometimes called "Theodorid" and in Spanish, Portuguese and Italian "Teodorico", was the King of the Visigoths from 418–451. He was the illegitimate son of Alaric.cite book|title=The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire|author=Gibbon, Edward
url=http://etext.library.adelaide.edu.au/g/g43d/chapter35.html. But according to newer research (see G. Kampers, 2005, p. 419) Theodoric was the son-in-law of Alaric.] In 418 he succeeded King Wallia.

The Romans had ordered king Wallia to leave Spain and move with his people to Gaul. As king Theodoric completed the settlements of the Visigoths in Gallia Aquitania II, Novempopulana and Gallia Narbonensis. But the Visigoths had no access to the Mediterranean Sea. Theodoric then used the declining power of the Roman Empire to extend his territory to the south. After the death of Emperor Honorius and the usurpation of Joannes in 423 internal power struggles broke out in the Roman Empire. Theodoric used this situation and tried to capture the important road junction Arelate, but the Magister militum Aëtius, who was assisted by the Huns, was able to save the city. [Prosper, "Epitoma chronicon" 1290, in: MGH Auctores antiquissimi (AA) 9, p. 471; "Chronica Gallica of 452", 102, in: MGH AA 9, p. 658; Sidonius Apollinaris, "letters" 7. 12. 3] The Visigoths concluded a treaty and were given Gallic noblemen as hostages. The later Emperor Avitus visited Theodoric, lived at his court and taught his sons. [Sidonius Apollinaris, "carmen" 7. 215sqq.; 7. 495sqq.]

Because the Romans had to fight against the Franks, who plundered Cologne and Trier in 435, and because of other events Theodoric saw the chance to conquer Narbo Martius (in 436) to obtain access to the Mediterranean Sea and the roads to the Pyrenees. But Litorius, with the aid of the Huns, could prevent the capture of the city and drove the Visigoths back to their capital Tolosa. [Prosper, "Epitoma chronicon" 1324 and 1326, in: MGH AA 9, p. 475; Hydatius, "chronicle" 107 und 110, in: MGH AA 11, p. 22-23; Merobaudes, "panegyric", fragment II A 23, in: Vollmer, MGH AA 14, p. 9; Sidonius Apollinaris, "carmen" 7. 246sqq.; 7. 475sqq.] The peace offer of Theodoric was refused, but the king won the decisive battle at Tolosa, and Litorius soon died in Gothic imprisonment from the injuries, which he had received in this battle. [Prosper, "Epitoma chronicon" 1335, in: MGH AA 9, p. 476; Hydatius, "chronicle" 116, in: MGH AA 11, p. 23; Salvian, "de gubernatione dei" 7. 9. 39sqq.] Avitus went – according to the orders of Aëtius – to Tolosa and offered a peace treaty which Theodoric accepted. [Prosper, "Epitoma chronicon" 1338, in: MGH AA 9, p. 477; Hydatius, "chronicle" 117, in: MGH AA 11, p. 23; Sidonius Apollinaris, "carmen" 7. 295sqq.] Perhaps the Romans recognized at that time the sovereignty of the Visigoth state.

A daughter of Theodoric had been married to Huneric, a son of the Vandal ruler Geiseric (in 429?), but later there was a possibility to marry Huneric to Eudocia, a daughter of the Emperor Valentinian III. Therefore Geiseric accused the daughter of Theodoric that she had planned to kill him; so in 444 she was mutilated and sent back to her father. [Jordanes, "Getica" 36, 184] This action caused an enmity between the Visigoths and the Vandals. An enemy of Aëtius, the former Magister militum Sebastianus, came in 444 to Tolosa. [Hydatius, "chronicle" 129, in: MGH AA 11, p. 24 (dated into the year 444); Prosper, "Epitoma chronicon" 1342, in: MGH AA 9, p. 478 (wrongly dated into the year 440)] So there could have emerged strained relations to Aëtius, but Theodoric soon sent his unwelcome guest away who captured Barcelona and was later (in 450) executed at the orders of Geiseric. Theodoric was also an enemy of the Suevic king Rechila in Spain, because Visigoth troops assisted the imperial commander Vitus at his campaign against the Suevi in 446. [Hydatius, "chronicle" 134, in: MGH AA 11, p. 24] But the ability of this people to conduct a strong defence and the better relations between Geiseric and the Roman Empire led Theodoric to change his foreign policy. He therefore married in February 449 one of his daughters to the new Suevic king Rechiar, who visited his father-in-law at Tolosa in July 449. [Hydatius, "chronicle" 140 and 142, in: MGH AA 11, p. 25; Jordanes, "Getica" 44. 229 and 231] At the return Rechiar devastated – according to the author Isidore of Seville with the assistance of Visigoth troops [Isidore, "Historia Gothorum, Vandalorum, Suevorum" 87, in: MGH AA 11, p. 301] – the surrounding area of the city Caesaraugusta and could take Ilerda with a cunning.

Recent scientists doubt, that Theodoric took legislative measures, as it was assumed in earlier times.

When Attila the Hun advanced with his large army to Western Europe and invaded finally Gaul Avitus arranged an alliance between Theodoric and his long-standing enemy Aëtius against the Huns. [Sidonius Apollinaris, "carmen" 7. 332sqq.; 7. 336sqq.; 7. 352sqq.; Prosper, "Epitoma chronicon" 1364, in: MGH AA 9, p. 481; compare Jordanes, "Getica" 36. 187sqq.] Probably Theodoric accepted this coalition because he recognized the danger of the Huns to his own realm. With his whole army and his sons Thorismund and Theodoric he joined Aëtius. The Visigoth and Roman troops then saved the civitas Aurelianorum and forced Attila to withdraw (June 451). [Sidonius Apollinaris, "carmen" 7, 346sqq.; "letters" 7. 12. 3; 8. 15. 1; Jordanes, "Getica" 37. 195; Gregory of Tours, "Historia Francorum" 2. 7; "Vita S. Aniani" 7 und 10, in: MGH, Scriptores rerum Merovingicarum 3. 112-113; 3. 115-116] They followed the Huns and fought against them at the Battle of Chalons near Troyes in about September 451. The most Visigoths fought at the right wing under the command of Theodoric but a smaller force also at the left wing under the command of Thorismund. [Jordanes, "Getica" 38. 197 and 201] The troops of Theodoric contributed decisively to the victory of the Romans. Jordanes records two different accounts of his death: one was that Theodoric was thrown from his horse and trampled to death; the second was that Theodoric was slain by the spear of the Ostrogoth Andag, who was the father of Jordanes's patron Gunthigis. The body of Theodoric was only found at the next day. According to Gothic tradition he was mourned and buried by his warriors on the battlefield. [Jordanes, "Getica" 40. 209 and 41. 214; Hydatius, "chronicle" 150, in: MGH AA 11, p. 26] Immediately Thorismund was elected as successor of his father. Other sons of Theodoric were Theodoric II, Frederic, Euric, Retimer and Himnerith. [Jordanes, "Getica" 36. 190]

Notes

References

* G. Kampers: Theoderid. In: "Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde". vol. 30 (2005), p. 419-421.
* Wilhelm Enßlin: Theoderich I. In: "Realencyclopädie der Classischen Altertumswissenschaft", vol. V A 2, col. 1735-1740.

External links

* [http://etext.library.adelaide.edu.au/g/g43d/chapter35.html Edward Gibbon, "History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire," chapter 35]