Chintila

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Statue of Chintila in Madrid ( Francisco de Vôge , 1753)

Chintila († December 20, 639 ) was King of the Visigoths from March 12, 636 to December 20, 639 .

Chintila was raised after the death of King Sisenand . How he came to power and whether an election took place is unknown. He convened the 5th and 6th Councils of Toledo . These councils made special resolutions to protect the king threatened by rebellion and to protect his family after his death. In particular, it was forbidden after the death of the king to reverse his donations to his followers and to encroach on the property of his family. Agreements about future king elections during the lifetime of a ruler were forbidden under penalty of excommunication . It was also stipulated that no one was allowed to gain kingship without a “general” election ( electio omnium ). A provision of the 5th Council of Toledo, according to which only a noble Goth could be elected king and the ambitions of those who were not qualified in terms of origin were to be rejected, shows that in Chintila's time the elevation of a non-Goth to the dignity of king was a conceivable possibility.

The 6th Council of Toledo, held in 638, passed resolutions against the Jews, with King Chintila as the driving force according to the council acts. It was followed by earlier anti-Jewish measures of the kings Rekkared I and Sisebut . Chintila intensified their course by openly announcing his intention to completely exterminate Judaism in his empire and not to tolerate non-Catholics. The Jews, who were previously forcibly converted and then returned to their old faith, had to surrender their religious writings and undertake to renounce the Jewish rites and festivals.

Some hints in the sources indicate that Chintila was faced with fierce opposition from rebellious aristocratic circles. However, he succeeded in having his son Tulga elected as co-regent, thereby securing the succession to the throne. When Chintila died, Tulga was still a minor, but apparently he was able to succeed him peacefully.

literature

  • Dietrich Claude : Nobility, Church and Royalty in the Visigoth Empire . Thorbecke, Sigmaringen 1971, pp. 102-107
  • Edward A. Thompson : The Goths in Spain . Clarendon Press, Oxford 1969, pp. 180-189

Remarks

  1. ^ Edward A. Thompson: The Goths in Spain , Oxford 1969, pp. 181f. suspects that there had already been at least one usurpation attempt by a non-Goth.
  2. ^ Concilium Toletanum VI , c. 3, ed. José Vives, Concilios visigóticos e hispano-romanos , Barcelona 1963, p. 236.
  3. ^ Edward A. Thompson: The Goths in Spain , Oxford 1969, pp. 186f.
  4. ↑ On the opposition to Chintila, see Edward A. Thompson: The Goths in Spain , Oxford 1969, pp. 181-189.

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Commons : Chintila  - Collection of Images
predecessor Office successor
Sisenand King of the Visigoths
636–639 		Tulga
personal data
SURNAME Chintila
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Kindila
BRIEF DESCRIPTION King of the Visigoths (636–639)
DATE OF BIRTH 6th century or 7th century
DATE OF DEATH December 20, 639