Ardo
Ardo was the last king of the Visigoths from around 714 to around 721 . Since the Muslim invading army conquered the Iberian Peninsula at that time, Ardo's territory was limited to a relatively small, still shrinking part of the former Visigothic imperial territory.
Very little is known about Ardo. We do not know anything about his origin, the circumstances in which he was raised or his government activities. In contrast to its predecessor Agila II , not even coins have survived from him. The only source evidence for his existence is his mention in a king list, where he is named as the successor of Agilas and his reign is given as seven years.
Agila had already ruled only part of the Visigothic empire; his power extended to at least parts of the Tarraconensis region (north and east of the peninsula) and the part of Septimania north of the Pyrenees, while the south was occupied by the Muslims. The Muslim invasion force had won the decisive battle on the Río Guadalete in July 711 , in which the Visigoth king Roderich fell.
In the years 716–719 the Muslims completed the subjugation of the Tarraconensis. As a result, Ardo's territory was limited to the part of the empire north of the Pyrenees. Soon the Muslims invaded there too. Around 720 they conquered Narbonne , the capital of Septimania. Ardo probably died then or soon after. The last cities of Septimania ( Carcassonne and Nîmes ) did not fall until 725.
It used to be assumed that Ardo was identical to one of the sons of the Visigoth king Witiza named Ardabastus. This assumption was based on the similarity of names. But it cannot be true, because the Witizas family (including the named Ardabastus) belonged, according to a reliable Arab source, to those Goths who quickly came to an agreement with the new rulers and kept their property.
literature
- Dietrich Claude : Investigations into the fall of the Visigoth Empire (711-725). In: Historisches Jahrbuch Vol. 108, 1988, pp. 329–358
Remarks
- ↑ Laterculus regum Visigothorum, Continuatio codicis C Parisini 4667. Ardo reg <navit> ann <is> VII., Quoted from Theodor Mommsen (ed.): Auctores antiquissimi 13: Chronica minora saec. IV. V. VI. VII. (III). Berlin 1898, p. 469 ( Monumenta Germaniae Historica , digitized version )
- ↑ Claude pp. 356-358.
- ↑ Claude pp. 343f., 350.
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Agila II. |
King of the Visigoths 714–720 |
none - end of the Visigoth kingdom |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Ardo |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | last king of the Visigoths |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 7th century |
| DATE OF DEATH | at 721 |