Athalaric
Athalaric (Latin: Athalaricus; 516 – 2 October 534) was the king of the Ostrogoths in Italy between 526 and 534. He was a son of Eutharic and Amalasuntha, the youngest daughter of Theoderic the Great,[1] whom Athalaric succeeded as king in 526.[2]
| Athalaric | |
|---|---|
 A solidus in the name of Justinian I minted by Athalaric. | |
| King of the Ostrogoths | |
| Reign | 526 – 534 |
| Predecessor | Theoderic the Great |
| Successor | Amalasuintha |
| Born | 516 |
| Died | 2 October 534 (aged 17–18) |
| Dynasty | Amali |
| Father | Eutharic |
| Mother | Amalasuntha |
As Athalaric was only ten years old, the regency of the realm was assumed by his mother, Amalasuntha. His mother attempted to provide for him an education in Roman tradition, but the Gothic people were very concerned about this, and some of the Anti-Roman nobles pressured her to allow them to raise him as they saw fit. As a result of thing ever going feud over how he should be raised and educated, Athalaric drank heavily and indulged himself in vicious excesses from a young age, which ruined his constitution early on. At the age of eighteen he died of overconsumption of alcohol. [2]
References
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Athalaric. |
- Amalasuntha. ISBN 978-0-19-518792-2.
- Chisholm 1911.
Attribution:
- This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Athalaric". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 2 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 825.
Further reading
- Letters of Cassiodorus, Book VIII from Project Gutenberg
- Procopius 'Wars' Book V, trans. H. P. Dewing
- Peter Heather, The Goths (Oxford, Blackwell, 1996).
.svg.png.webp){kind=small}