Witterich
Witterich , Spanish Witerico († April 610 ) was King of the Visigoths from June / July 603 to April 610 . Witterich came to power by overthrowing and murdering his predecessor Liuva II . This ended the dynasty founded by Leovigild ( Leovigild , Rekkared I. , Liuva II.).
His troops fought with little success against the Byzantines , who still ruled areas in the south of the Iberian Peninsula.
Witterich had a daughter named Ermenberga , whom he wanted to marry off to the Frankish king Theuderich II . Ermenberga traveled to the Frankish Empire, but soon after her arrival at Theuderich's court, the Frankish king sent her back to her father, but kept the dowry. Thereupon the enraged Witterich concluded an alliance against Theuderich with Chlothar II. , Theudebert II. And the King of the Lombards , Agilulf , but no military actions took place.
In April 610, Witterich, who promoted Arian restoration efforts, finally fell victim to a conspiracy by the Catholic faction of the court nobility and the Catholic clergy. He was murdered at a banquet, his body was then shamefully dragged through the streets and buried without deference. His ally, the Arian bishop Sunna, was exiled. Witterich's successor was Gundemar .
literature
- Edward A. Thompson : The Goths in Spain . Clarendon, Oxford 2000, ISBN 0-19-814271-4 , pp. 157-159 (reprint of the Oxford 1969 edition).
Remarks
- ^ Rachel L. Stocking, Bishops, councils, and consensus in the Visigothic Kingdom, 589-633 . University of Michigan Press, Ann Arbor 2000, p. 119. ISBN 0-472-11133-7 .
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Liuva II. |
King of the Visigoths 603–610 |
Gundemar |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Witterich |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | King of the Visigoths |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 6th century |
| DATE OF DEATH | April 610 |