| Athanaric | |
|---|---|
 Imaginary 1782 portrayal of Athanaric | |
| King of theThervingi | |
| Reign | 369–381 |
| Predecessor | Aoric |
| Successor | Alaric I |
| Died | 381 Constantinople,Roman Empire |
| House | Balti dynasty |
| Father | Aoric |
| Religion | Gothic paganism |
Athanaric orAtanaric[1] (Latin:Athanaricus; died 381) was king of several branches of theThervingianGoths (Latin:Thervingi) for at least two decades in the 4th century. Throughout his reign, Athanaric was faced with invasions by theRoman Empire, theHuns and a civil war with Christian rebels. He is considered the first king of theVisigoths, who later settled inIberia, where they founded theVisigothic Kingdom.[2]
Athanaric made his first appearance in recorded history in 369, when he engaged inbattle with theRoman emperorValens and ultimately negotiated a favorable peace for his people. During his reign, many Thervingi had converted toArianChristianity, which Athanaric vehemently opposed, fearing thatChristianity would destroyGothic culture. According to the report ofSozomen, more than 300 Christians were killed inAthanaric's persecution during the 370s.
Fritigern, Athanaric's rival, was an Arian and had the favor of Valens, who shared his religious beliefs. In the early 370s, Athanaric successively fought Fritigern in acivil war. Along with his generalsMuderic and Lagarimanus, Athanaric was later defeated by the invadingHuns. Temporarily fleeing toCaucaland in theCarpathians, Athanaric was received byTheodosius I inConstantinople in 381, where he signed a treaty of friendship with theRoman Empire.[3]
Socrates Scholasticus,Sozomen, andZosimus refer to conflicts between Fritigern and Athanaric.[4][5][6]Ammianus Marcellinus andPhilostorgius do not record such conflicts.
According to Socrates, Fritigern and Athanaric were rival leaders of theThervingian Goths. As this rivalry grew into warfare, Athanaric gained the advantage, and Fritigern asked for Roman aid.Emperor Valens and the Thracian field army intervened, Valens and Fritigern defeated Athanaric, and Fritigern converted to Christianity, following the same teachings as Valens followed.[4] Sozomen follows Socrates' account.[5]
According to Zosimus, Athanaric was king of the Goths. Sometime after their victory atAdrianople, and after the accession of Theodosius, Fritigern,Alatheus and Saphrax moved north of theDanube and defeated Athanaric, before returning south of the Danube.[6]
In 376, Valens permitted Fritigern's people to cross the Danube and settle on Roman soil to avoid theHuns, who had recently conquered theGreuthungi and were now pressing the Thervingi then living inDacia.
In 381, Athanaric unexpectedly came toConstantinople. According toJordanes, he negotiated a peace with the new emperor Theodosius, that made some Thervingifoederati, or official allies of Rome, allowed to settle on Roman soil as a state within a state.[7]Orosius (Historiae adversum paganos 7, 34) andZosimus (New History 4, 34, 3-5) affirm this, but another source,Ammianus Marcellinus (Res gestae 27, 5, 10) tells us an entirely different story. According to him, Athanaric was banished by his fellow tribesmen and forced to seek asylum on the Roman territory. Cf.Themistius (oratio 15, 190-1), who likewise describes Athanaric as a supplicant and a refugee.
A peace and a treaty with the Thervingi (or Visigoths), who still fought the Romans inThrace, was concluded in 382 and it lasted until the death of Theodosius of Constantinople, in 395.
Athanaric Died: 381 | ||
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| First | King of the Visigoths 371–381 | Vacant Title next held by Alaric I |
| International | |
|---|---|
| People | |
