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Hermeric (died 441[1]) was theking of the Suevi from at least 419 and possibly as early as 406 until his abdication in 438.
Nothing is known for sure about Hermeric before 419, the year in which he is first mentioned; namely, he became king of theSuebi (or Suevi) in the city ofBraga (Bracara Augusta) according to bishopHydatius (who wrote his chronicle around the year 470).[1] Although bishopIsidore of Seville, writing hisHistoria de regibus Gothorum, Vandalorum et Suevorum two centuries after the fact, claims that Hermeric was already king of the Suebi from 406,[2] Isidore based himself on primarily onJerome,Hydatius,Prosper of Aquitaine andOrosius, none of whom mentions Hermeric prior to 419.[1]
Hermeric was apagan and an enemy of theRoman Empire throughout his life. He is given a reign of thirty-two years in most manuscripts ofIsidore of Seville'sHistoria Suevorum, but one manuscript does list his reign as fourteen years.[3]
According to Thompson (1982)'s interpretation of Isidore, Hermeric led the Sueviacross the Rhine along with theVandals andAlans in December 406. They crossedGaul and thePyrenees and settled inHispania.[3] Kulikowski (2000 & 2015) argued that the Suebi probably stayed in northern Gaul throughout 407 to 409, and moved to Galicia between 409 and 411.[1] WhileTheodore Mommsen believed the Suevi werefoederati and Ernst Stein seconded the notion by believing they had made an agreement with theRoman usurperMagnus Maximus whereby they received the western half of Iberia, there is no primary evidence for any alliance between the Suevi and Rome.[4] In 411 (according to Ludwig Schmidt) or 417 (according toFelix Dahn), Hermeric made a treaty with theRoman emperorHonorius, but in fact the only event of note in 411 was the division of Iberiasorte (by lot) between the barbarian peoples.[4] The west of the province ofGallaecia with its capital ofBraga (Bracara Augusta) fell to the Suevi, while the east of the province went to the populousHasdingi.[4] Between 416 and 418, theVisigoths underWallia made war on Hermeric on behalf of Rome.[4]
In 419, after a personal dispute between Hermeric and the Vandal kingGunderic, the Vandals attacked the Suevi and trapped Hermeric in the Narbasian (Erbasian) Mountains before the Roman generalAsterius intervened and the Vandals retreated.[5] Thereafter, until the Vandals left Iberia for Africa in 429, Hermeric remained peaceful, but in 430 he began to raid Gallaecia.[5]
In 431 a Gallaecian namedHydatius went toFlavius Aëtius to plead for help against the Suevi, but Aëtius delayed until 432 the sending of thecomesCensorius. According to Hydatius'Chronicle of contemporary events, the Gallaecianplebs in the better-fortified strongpoints defeated Hermeric and his men, inflicting heavy casualties and taking many prisoners, which forced the Sueves to release the Gallaecian families they had taken captive (430).[6]
In 435, "on episcopal intervention", possibly Hydatius', Hermeric made peace with the Gallaecians.[7] In that same year, Hermeric negotiated through the Catholic bishopSymphosius directly with theWestern Roman Emperor.[7] In 437, Censorius made a second expedition accompanied by Fretimund.
After seven years of illness, Hermeric was forced to retire from the kingship in 438 and pass it on to his sonRechila.[5] The story, recorded in Isidore, that Hermeric sent Rechila toBaetica to defeatAndevotus,Romanae militiae dux, is false, as there is no contemporary evidence that Hermeric retained any authority after his abdication.[8] There appears to have been no principle of elective monarchy among the Suevi and the successes of their raids may have accounted for the contentment of their people.[5] Hermeric's royal line lasted until 456.[9]
In 429, there appeared briefly a Suevic military leader namedHeremigarius operating inLusitania who may have been a joint monarch with Hermeric, but there is no primary source to prove it.[9]
| Gallaecia divided | King of Galicia 409–438 | Succeeded by |
