Theodoric the Great
King of the Ostrogoths, Theodoric (also spelled Theoderic) was persuaded by the Byzantine Emperor Zeno to invade Italy and overthrow Odoacer, who had officially put an end to the western empire and retained his independence as king of Italy. He was quickly successful in this conquest, though it took him some years to root out his foe from Ravenna. He then murdered Odoacer at a banquet after the city had surrendered.
As king, Theodoric tried to reconcile his Ostrogoths with the Italians and initiated civic works that improved living conditions and fostered agricultural growth. Though he showed great appreciation for Roman culture, he gradually distanced Italy from imperial connections and attempted to unite his subjects with Visigoths and Franks.
His secretary, Cassiodorus, wrote a flattering (and now lost) history of the Goths, and Boethius flourished as one of his advisors before Theodoric had him imprisoned and executed. An Arian himself, Theodoric also imprisoned Pope John I for failing to get Byzantine emperor Justin to withcraw an edict against Arianism.
Theodoric was succeeded by his daughter Amalasuntha. His kingdom did not stand united long after his death, and with the invasion of Italy by the Byzantines, the Ostrogoths vanished as a culture.
Important Dates
Died: Aug. 26, 526
On the Web
Catholic Encyclopedia: Theodoric the Great
Useful biography by Franz Kampers.Theodoric the Great
Very nice biography by Mark Furnival at his Peoples of the Dark Ages site.Tribal Migrations
General background on the movements of the Germanic peoples by Professor Gerhard Rempel at Western New England College. Note: The original link is no longer active; the above link is available through the Wayback Machine of the Internet Archive.
In Print
The links below will take you to an online bookstore, where you can find more information about the book to help you get it from your local library. This is provided as a convenience to you; neither Melissa Snell nor About is responsible for any purchases you make through these links.
Theoderic in Italy
by John MoorheadHistory of the Later Roman Empire: From the Death of Theodosius I to the Death of Justinian
by John B. Bury
Related Resources
Early Europe
Directory of sites that offer useful resources for the study of Europe in Late Antiquty, or shortly after the fall of Rome.Rome
An extensive multilevel index from your About.com Guide to Ancient/Classical History, N.S. Gill.
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