Amalafrida (Gothic:𐌰𐌼𐌰𐌻𐌰𐍆𐍂𐌹𐌳𐌰; before 475 – fl. 523) was queen of the Vandals by marriage toThrasamund. She was the daughter ofTheodemir, king of theOstrogoths, and his wifeErelieva. She was the sister ofTheodoric the Great, and mother ofTheodahad, both of whom also were kings of the Ostrogoths.

In 500, Theodoric, ruler over theOstrogothic Kingdom in Italy, arranged a marriage alliance withThrasamund, king of theVandals in North Africa, to further cement his authority over the Vandals. Thrasamund became Amalfrida's second husband. She brought a very large dowry, but also 1,000 Gothic elite warriors plus 5,000 armed retainers.^[1]

After her husband Thrasamund's death, his successorHilderic issued orders for the return of all theCatholic bishops from exile, and Boniface, a strenuous asserter oforthodoxy, bishop of the African Church. In response, Amalfrida headed a party of revolt; she called in the assistance of theMoors, and battle was joined atCapsa, about three hundred miles to the south of the capitalCarthage, on the edge of the Libyan desert.^[2]

In 523, Amalafrida's party was beaten, and Hilderic had her arrested and imprisoned in a successful bid to overthrow Ostrogothic hegemony; he also had her Gothic soldiers killed. She died in prison, exact date unknown.^[3]

Amalafrida had two children, the aforementioned Theodahad andAmalaberga, who marriedHermanfrid, king of theThuringii. It is not known who the father of these children was.

• J.R. Martindale,The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire, vol. 2, Cambridge 1980, pp. 63–64.
• M. Cristini,Il seguito ostrogoto di Amalafrida: confutazione di Procopio, Bellum Vandalicum 1.8.12, in «Klio», 99 (2017), pp. 278–289.

• 6th-century deaths
• Ostrogothic women
• Princesses
• Women in medieval European warfare
• Amali dynasty
• 6th-century Ostrogothic people
• 6th-century queens consort
• 6th-century murdered monarchs

• Articles containing Gothic-language text
• Year of death uncertain
• Year of birth unknown