Eutharic
Encyclopedia
Eutharic Cilliga was a Visigoth
ic prince from Iberia
(modern day Spain
) who, during the early 6th century, served as Roman Consul
and "son in arms" (filius per arma) alongside the Byzantine emperor Justin I
. He was the son-in-law and presumptive heir of the Ostrogoth
king Theodoric the Great
but died in AD 522 at the age of 42 before he could inherit Theodoric's title. Theodoric claimed that Eutharic was a descendant of the Gothic
royal house of Amali
and it was intended that his marriage to Theodoric's daughter Amalasuintha would unite the Gothic kingdoms, establish Theodoric's dynasty
and further strengthen the Gothic hold over Italy.
During his year of consulship in 519 relations with the East Roman Empire flourished and the Acacian schism
between the Eastern and Western Christian churches was ended. Whilst Eutharic was nominally a statesman
, politician
and soldier
of the Roman Empire, he was also an Arian
, whose views clashed with the Catholic majority; as consul enforcing Theodoric's tolerant policy towards the Jewish people, he incurred resentment from the local Catholics, whose traditions were less than tolerant. Following disturbances in Ravenna
, where Catholics burnt down a number of synagogue
s, Eutharic's siding with the Jewish people of Ravenna was reported with resentment in a fragmentary contemporary chronicle
.
Following the death of Eutharic, his son Athalaric
briefly held the Ostrogothic throne but died at the age of 18. After Athalaric's death, Eutharic's widow moved to Constantinople
where further attempts at establishing a dynasty failed.
line. Eutharic's ancestry has been traced back through his father Veteric and grandfather Berismund to Thorismund
who was king of the Visigoths from 451–453. Eutharic grew up in Iberia
(modern day Spain
) where he had a reputation for being "a young man strong in wisdom and valor and health of body". He was later to become the "son in arms" (filius per arma) to the Byzantine emperor Justin I, a role which indicated a part of his early life may have been spent as a soldier
.
Eutharic's status in both the Gothic and Roman world was elevated by the attentions of Theodoric the Great
who he was related to distantly through their mutual connection with Hermanric. Hermanric was an Ostrogoth chief who ruled much of the territory north of the Black Sea
. Eutharic was descended through five generations from Hermanric, whilst Theoderic was a descendant of Hermanric's older brother Vultwulf.
By the late 5th century Theodoric was king of the Ostrogoths, ruling from Ravenna
in Italy and a close ally of the Roman Emperor Zeno
. Following the death of a rival, Theodoric Strabo
, Theodoric the Great received the titles of patricius and magister militum
from Zeno and in 484 he was appointed consul. Though there was tension between Theodoric and Zeno's successor Anastasius I
, the emperor who followed Anastasius, Justin I
, sought reconciliation with Theodoric whose influence in the Gothic world would make him a powerful ally. Having worked throughout his life to establish a kingdom and strengthen relations with both the church and Rome, Theodoric was keen to establish a dynasty
. His marriage to Audofleda
however had produced only a daughter, Amalasuintha. Therefore, to achieve his ambitions Theodoric would have to ensure he chose a son-in-law with an ancestry equal in strength to his own. His investigations into the Gothic royal lines, which were by this time widely distributed across Europe, led him to Iberia. Here he discovered Eutharic, the last heir of a related branch of the Amali, who had recently assumed the regency of Spain.
More recent studies however suggest that Eutharic's Amali ancestry may have been a deliberate invention on the part of Theodoric to aid his ambitions of establishing dynastic credibility. According to Gesta Theodorici Eutharic belonged to the Gothic house of Alan
rather than the house of Amal. Whilst Jordanes
, in his history of the Goths, does make reference to Eutharic's prudentia et virtus, or pride and valour, this too may have been a fabrication on the part of Theodoric. Those qualities were recognised as requirements of Gothic ethnographic ideology, expressed in their code of civilitas. It would have been highly beneficial for Theodoric's chosen son-in-law to possess them.
and moved to the Ostrogothic
court at Ravenna
in Italy. Here he was given in marriage Amalasuintha, the daughter of the king. It was Theodoric's intention that this union would create a long-lasting dynastic connection between the previously sundered Ostrogoths and Visigoths. Theodoric also named Eutharic his presumptive heir.
Whilst in Italy, Eutharic played an important political role within Theodoric's kingdom. With a court background he had the ability to serve in government and he was respected by the Romans, who admired his liberality and magnificence. Catholic writers of the time however indicate that, whilst his father-in-law was renowned for policies of toleration, Eutharic acted more like a "bigoted Arian".
The nomination was successful, and in January 519 Eutharic took up the position of Western Consul. By granting him Roman citizenship, accepting him as co-consul and calling him a "son in arms", Emperor Justin I sought to restore ties with Theodoric, strained during the reign of Anastasius I
. He showed further favour to Eutharic by conceding the senior consulship to him. It is reported that at the celebrations to mark the assumption there were, "magnificent shows of wild beasts procured from Africa" and that a visiting diplomat, the patricius Symmachus
, sent by the eastern Imperial court to Italy was, "amazed at the riches given to the Goths and the Romans".
During this period Eutharic was eulogised by Cassiodorus
in the Senate. In it he compared Eutharic to great consuls of the past. The short Chronicle, which Cassiodorus wrote to congratulate Eutharic on his consulship, is noted for focusing on Eutharic's accession to a position of high civilian honour, rather than any military victories, as had been more common for past Gothic nobility. Eutharic's time as consul is portrayed largely as a time of prosperity for the western Roman empire with the code of civilitas being promoted. In March 519, the Acacian Schism
which had separated the Eastern and Western Christian churches for the previous 35 years was ended and the churches reconciled. In addition to the prosperity felt by the peoples of the Roman empire, Eutharic's year of consulship has also been described as seeming like "[a year] of bright promise for the Ostrogothic kingdom".
The contemporary Catholic chronicle of the Anonymus Valesianus
portrays Eutharic in a negative light, connecting him with taking the Jews' side in anti-Jewish disturbances in Ravenna over the Jewish congregation's rights to their synagogue; the disagreement prompted a conflict between the Arians and Catholics as the Arian Eutharic chose to side with the Jewish people. It is thought that the outrage expressed by the Catholics at this action was in proportion to Eutharic's being a symbol of the recent reconciliation between the Eastern and Western Churches brought about under the direction of Theodoric.
born in 516, and a daughter, Matasuntha, the dynasty was never established convincingly. Theodoric named Athalaric as his heir in 526, and Athalaric's mother Amalasuintha acted as regent
for her son following Theodoric's death that year. Athalaric died in October 534 at the age of 18. To maintain her power, Amalasuintha brought her cousin, and a nephew of Theoderic, named Theodahad
to the throne. Though he was made to swear fealty to Amalasuintha, Theodahad felt insecure and in December 534 had her imprisoned on an island in Lake Bolsena
where she was eventually murdered on 30 April 535.
Visigoth
The Visigoths were one of two main branches of the Goths, the Ostrogoths being the other. These tribes were among the Germans who spread through the late Roman Empire during the Migration Period...
ic prince from Iberia
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
(modern day Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
) who, during the early 6th century, served as Roman Consul
Roman consul
A consul served in the highest elected political office of the Roman Republic.Each year, two consuls were elected together, to serve for a one-year term. Each consul was given veto power over his colleague and the officials would alternate each month...
and "son in arms" (filius per arma) alongside the Byzantine emperor Justin I
Justin I
Justin I was Byzantine Emperor from 518 to 527. He rose through the ranks of the army and ultimately became its Emperor, in spite of the fact he was illiterate and almost 70 years old at the time of accession...
. He was the son-in-law and presumptive heir of the Ostrogoth
Ostrogoth
The Ostrogoths were a branch of the Goths , a Germanic tribe who developed a vast empire north of the Black Sea in the 3rd century AD and, in the late 5th century, under Theodoric the Great, established a Kingdom in Italy....
king Theodoric the Great
Theodoric the Great
Theodoric the Great was king of the Ostrogoths , ruler of Italy , regent of the Visigoths , and a viceroy of the Eastern Roman Empire...
but died in AD 522 at the age of 42 before he could inherit Theodoric's title. Theodoric claimed that Eutharic was a descendant of the Gothic
Goths
The Goths were an East Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin whose two branches, the Visigoths and the Ostrogoths, played an important role in the fall of the Roman Empire and the emergence of Medieval Europe....
royal house of Amali
Amali
The Amali, also called Amals or Amalings, were the leading dynasty of the Goths, a Germanic people who confronted the Roman Empire in its declining years in the west...
and it was intended that his marriage to Theodoric's daughter Amalasuintha would unite the Gothic kingdoms, establish Theodoric's dynasty
Dynasty
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers considered members of the same family. Historians traditionally consider many sovereign states' history within a framework of successive dynasties, e.g., China, Ancient Egypt and the Persian Empire...
and further strengthen the Gothic hold over Italy.
During his year of consulship in 519 relations with the East Roman Empire flourished and the Acacian schism
Acacian schism
The Acacian schism between the Eastern and Western Christian Churches lasted thirty-five years, from 484-519. It resulted from a drift in the leaders of Eastern Christianity toward Monophysitism, and Emperor Zeno's unsuccessful attempt to reconcile the parties with the Henotikon.-Chronology:In the...
between the Eastern and Western Christian churches was ended. Whilst Eutharic was nominally a statesman
Statesman
A statesman is usually a politician or other notable public figure who has had a long and respected career in politics or government at the national and international level. As a term of respect, it is usually left to supporters or commentators to use the term...
, politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
of the Roman Empire, he was also an Arian
Arianism
Arianism is the theological teaching attributed to Arius , a Christian presbyter from Alexandria, Egypt, concerning the relationship of the entities of the Trinity and the precise nature of the Son of God as being a subordinate entity to God the Father...
, whose views clashed with the Catholic majority; as consul enforcing Theodoric's tolerant policy towards the Jewish people, he incurred resentment from the local Catholics, whose traditions were less than tolerant. Following disturbances in Ravenna
Ravenna
Ravenna is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy and the second largest comune in Italy by land area, although, at , it is little more than half the size of the largest comune, Rome...
, where Catholics burnt down a number of synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
s, Eutharic's siding with the Jewish people of Ravenna was reported with resentment in a fragmentary contemporary chronicle
Anonymus Valesianus
Anonym[o]us Valesianus is the conventional title of a compilation of two fragmentary vulgar Latin chronicles, named for its 17th-century editor, Henri Valois, or Henricus Valesius , who published the text for the first time in 1636, together with his first printed edition of the Res Gestae of...
.
Following the death of Eutharic, his son Athalaric
Athalaric
Athalaric was the King of the Ostrogoths in Italy. He was a son of Eutharic and Amalasuntha. His maternal grandfather was Theodoric the Great. He succeeded his grandfather as king in 526....
briefly held the Ostrogothic throne but died at the age of 18. After Athalaric's death, Eutharic's widow moved to Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
where further attempts at establishing a dynasty failed.
Early life
Eutharic was born around AD 480 to a noble Visigoth family of the AmaliAmali
The Amali, also called Amals or Amalings, were the leading dynasty of the Goths, a Germanic people who confronted the Roman Empire in its declining years in the west...
line. Eutharic's ancestry has been traced back through his father Veteric and grandfather Berismund to Thorismund
Thorismund
Thorismund became king of the Visigoths after his father Theodoric was killed in the Battle of Châlons in 451 CE...
who was king of the Visigoths from 451–453. Eutharic grew up in Iberia
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
(modern day Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
) where he had a reputation for being "a young man strong in wisdom and valor and health of body". He was later to become the "son in arms" (filius per arma) to the Byzantine emperor Justin I, a role which indicated a part of his early life may have been spent as a soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
.
Eutharic's status in both the Gothic and Roman world was elevated by the attentions of Theodoric the Great
Theodoric the Great
Theodoric the Great was king of the Ostrogoths , ruler of Italy , regent of the Visigoths , and a viceroy of the Eastern Roman Empire...
who he was related to distantly through their mutual connection with Hermanric. Hermanric was an Ostrogoth chief who ruled much of the territory north of the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
. Eutharic was descended through five generations from Hermanric, whilst Theoderic was a descendant of Hermanric's older brother Vultwulf.
By the late 5th century Theodoric was king of the Ostrogoths, ruling from Ravenna
Ravenna
Ravenna is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy and the second largest comune in Italy by land area, although, at , it is little more than half the size of the largest comune, Rome...
in Italy and a close ally of the Roman Emperor Zeno
Zeno (emperor)
Zeno , originally named Tarasis, was Byzantine Emperor from 474 to 475 and again from 476 to 491. Domestic revolts and religious dissension plagued his reign, which nevertheless succeeded to some extent in foreign issues...
. Following the death of a rival, Theodoric Strabo
Theodoric Strabo
Theodoric Strabo was an Ostrogoth chieftain who was involved in the politics of the Byzantine Empire during the reigns of Byzantine Emperors Leo I, Zeno and Basiliscus...
, Theodoric the Great received the titles of patricius and magister militum
Magister militum
Magister militum was a top-level military command used in the later Roman Empire, dating from the reign of Constantine. Used alone, the term referred to the senior military officer of the Empire...
from Zeno and in 484 he was appointed consul. Though there was tension between Theodoric and Zeno's successor Anastasius I
Anastasius I (emperor)
Anastasius I was Byzantine Emperor from 491 to 518. During his reign the Roman eastern frontier underwent extensive re-fortification, including the construction of Dara, a stronghold intended to counter the Persian fortress of Nisibis....
, the emperor who followed Anastasius, Justin I
Justin I
Justin I was Byzantine Emperor from 518 to 527. He rose through the ranks of the army and ultimately became its Emperor, in spite of the fact he was illiterate and almost 70 years old at the time of accession...
, sought reconciliation with Theodoric whose influence in the Gothic world would make him a powerful ally. Having worked throughout his life to establish a kingdom and strengthen relations with both the church and Rome, Theodoric was keen to establish a dynasty
Dynasty
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers considered members of the same family. Historians traditionally consider many sovereign states' history within a framework of successive dynasties, e.g., China, Ancient Egypt and the Persian Empire...
. His marriage to Audofleda
Audofleda
Audofleda was a Gothic queen. She was the sister of Clovis I, King of the Franks. She married Theodoric the Great, King of the Ostrogoths , around 493 AD . Theodoric sent an embassy to Clovis to request the marriage...
however had produced only a daughter, Amalasuintha. Therefore, to achieve his ambitions Theodoric would have to ensure he chose a son-in-law with an ancestry equal in strength to his own. His investigations into the Gothic royal lines, which were by this time widely distributed across Europe, led him to Iberia. Here he discovered Eutharic, the last heir of a related branch of the Amali, who had recently assumed the regency of Spain.
More recent studies however suggest that Eutharic's Amali ancestry may have been a deliberate invention on the part of Theodoric to aid his ambitions of establishing dynastic credibility. According to Gesta Theodorici Eutharic belonged to the Gothic house of Alan
Alans
The Alans, or the Alani, occasionally termed Alauni or Halani, were a group of Sarmatian tribes, nomadic pastoralists of the 1st millennium AD who spoke an Eastern Iranian language which derived from Scytho-Sarmatian and which in turn evolved into modern Ossetian.-Name:The various forms of Alan —...
rather than the house of Amal. Whilst Jordanes
Jordanes
Jordanes, also written Jordanis or Jornandes, was a 6th century Roman bureaucrat, who turned his hand to history later in life....
, in his history of the Goths, does make reference to Eutharic's prudentia et virtus, or pride and valour, this too may have been a fabrication on the part of Theodoric. Those qualities were recognised as requirements of Gothic ethnographic ideology, expressed in their code of civilitas. It would have been highly beneficial for Theodoric's chosen son-in-law to possess them.
At the court of Theodoric
In AD 515 Eutharic answered a summons by Theodoric the GreatTheodoric the Great
Theodoric the Great was king of the Ostrogoths , ruler of Italy , regent of the Visigoths , and a viceroy of the Eastern Roman Empire...
and moved to the Ostrogothic
Ostrogothic Kingdom
The Kingdom established by the Ostrogoths in Italy and neighbouring areas lasted from 493 to 553. In Italy the Ostrogoths replaced Odoacer, the de facto ruler of Italy who had deposed the last emperor of the Western Roman Empire in 476. The Gothic kingdom reached its zenith under the rule of its...
court at Ravenna
Ravenna
Ravenna is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy and the second largest comune in Italy by land area, although, at , it is little more than half the size of the largest comune, Rome...
in Italy. Here he was given in marriage Amalasuintha, the daughter of the king. It was Theodoric's intention that this union would create a long-lasting dynastic connection between the previously sundered Ostrogoths and Visigoths. Theodoric also named Eutharic his presumptive heir.
Whilst in Italy, Eutharic played an important political role within Theodoric's kingdom. With a court background he had the ability to serve in government and he was respected by the Romans, who admired his liberality and magnificence. Catholic writers of the time however indicate that, whilst his father-in-law was renowned for policies of toleration, Eutharic acted more like a "bigoted Arian".
Consulship
In 498, as the Empire's nominal vice-regent in Italy, Theodoric had been granted the right to nominate the Western candidate for each year's consular pair. He was however bounded by a restriction: to select only a Roman citizen for the position. To advance Eutharic's standing in the world Theodoric wished him to be made consul for the year 519. To get around the restriction imposed on his nominations, and as a favour to Theodoric, Justin himself nominated Eutharic.The nomination was successful, and in January 519 Eutharic took up the position of Western Consul. By granting him Roman citizenship, accepting him as co-consul and calling him a "son in arms", Emperor Justin I sought to restore ties with Theodoric, strained during the reign of Anastasius I
Anastasius I (emperor)
Anastasius I was Byzantine Emperor from 491 to 518. During his reign the Roman eastern frontier underwent extensive re-fortification, including the construction of Dara, a stronghold intended to counter the Persian fortress of Nisibis....
. He showed further favour to Eutharic by conceding the senior consulship to him. It is reported that at the celebrations to mark the assumption there were, "magnificent shows of wild beasts procured from Africa" and that a visiting diplomat, the patricius Symmachus
Symmachus
Symmachus can refer to several different people of Roman antiquity:*Symmachus the Ebionite , was the author of one of the Greek versions of the Old Testament;*Pope Symmachus, pope from 498 to 514....
, sent by the eastern Imperial court to Italy was, "amazed at the riches given to the Goths and the Romans".
During this period Eutharic was eulogised by Cassiodorus
Cassiodorus
Flavius Magnus Aurelius Cassiodorus Senator , commonly known as Cassiodorus, was a Roman statesman and writer, serving in the administration of Theodoric the Great, king of the Ostrogoths. Senator was part of his surname, not his rank.- Life :Cassiodorus was born at Scylletium, near Catanzaro in...
in the Senate. In it he compared Eutharic to great consuls of the past. The short Chronicle, which Cassiodorus wrote to congratulate Eutharic on his consulship, is noted for focusing on Eutharic's accession to a position of high civilian honour, rather than any military victories, as had been more common for past Gothic nobility. Eutharic's time as consul is portrayed largely as a time of prosperity for the western Roman empire with the code of civilitas being promoted. In March 519, the Acacian Schism
Acacian schism
The Acacian schism between the Eastern and Western Christian Churches lasted thirty-five years, from 484-519. It resulted from a drift in the leaders of Eastern Christianity toward Monophysitism, and Emperor Zeno's unsuccessful attempt to reconcile the parties with the Henotikon.-Chronology:In the...
which had separated the Eastern and Western Christian churches for the previous 35 years was ended and the churches reconciled. In addition to the prosperity felt by the peoples of the Roman empire, Eutharic's year of consulship has also been described as seeming like "
The contemporary Catholic chronicle of the Anonymus Valesianus
Anonymus Valesianus
Anonym[o]us Valesianus is the conventional title of a compilation of two fragmentary vulgar Latin chronicles, named for its 17th-century editor, Henri Valois, or Henricus Valesius , who published the text for the first time in 1636, together with his first printed edition of the Res Gestae of...
portrays Eutharic in a negative light, connecting him with taking the Jews' side in anti-Jewish disturbances in Ravenna over the Jewish congregation's rights to their synagogue; the disagreement prompted a conflict between the Arians and Catholics as the Arian Eutharic chose to side with the Jewish people. It is thought that the outrage expressed by the Catholics at this action was in proportion to Eutharic's being a symbol of the recent reconciliation between the Eastern and Western Churches brought about under the direction of Theodoric.
Death and legacy
Eutharic died in 522 at the age of 42, less than three years after his consulship. His death caused problems for Theodoric who never succeeded in his desire to establish a strong Gothic dynasty. Though Eutharic and Amalasuintha had a son, AthalaricAthalaric
Athalaric was the King of the Ostrogoths in Italy. He was a son of Eutharic and Amalasuntha. His maternal grandfather was Theodoric the Great. He succeeded his grandfather as king in 526....
born in 516, and a daughter, Matasuntha, the dynasty was never established convincingly. Theodoric named Athalaric as his heir in 526, and Athalaric's mother Amalasuintha acted as regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
for her son following Theodoric's death that year. Athalaric died in October 534 at the age of 18. To maintain her power, Amalasuintha brought her cousin, and a nephew of Theoderic, named Theodahad
Theodahad
Theodahad was the King of the Ostrogoths from 534 to 536 and a nephew of Theodoric the Great through his sister Amalafrida. He might have arrived in Italy with Theodoric and was an elderly man at the time of his succession...
to the throne. Though he was made to swear fealty to Amalasuintha, Theodahad felt insecure and in December 534 had her imprisoned on an island in Lake Bolsena
Lake Bolsena
Lake Bolsena is a crater lake of central Italy, of volcanic origin, which was formed starting 370,000 years ago following the collapse of a caldera of the Vulsini volcanic complex into a deep aquifer. Roman historic records indicate activity of the Vulsini volcano occurred as recently as 104 BC,...
where she was eventually murdered on 30 April 535.