The Goths & the Muslim Conquest of Spain: An Examination of Conquerors and Chronicles of Early Medieval Spain edited by Kenneth Baxter Wolf

The Goths were a Germanic barbarian tribe which appeared in history during the end of the Roman Empire. Gothic history on the Iberian peninsula also shaped medieval Europe. Within Conquerors and Chronicles of Early Medieval Spain edited by Kenneth Baxter Wolf presents the Gothic history of Spain within the medieval sources of Chronicle by John of Biclaro, History of the Kings of the Goths by Isidore, The Chronicle of 754, and The Chronicle of Alfonso III. These sources frame the history of Gothic Spain within the context of the Muslim invasion of Spain. John of Biclaro and Isidore both viewed the Visigoth military conquests and Catholic conversion as signs that the Visigoths were constructing a newChristian empire. The writers who followed faced the failures of the Visigoths to defend their kingdom from Muslim invaders, but John of Biclaro and Isidore set a pattern for the historians who followed them. (Wolf, xvi-xvii)

Islamic expansion into Spain

            The Visigoths settled Spain and ruled during the period before the Muslim invasion. These sources provide insight into how the “Visigothic Kings were transformed from heretical barbarians into the legitimate heirs of Christian imperial rule in Spain.” (Wolf, xvii) John of Biclaro was born in Lusitania and became a Catholic. The structure for his history revealed influence from Sextus Julius Africanus and Eusebius of Cesarea. Much of his history occurs after the reign of Eastern emperor Justinian and John dates his events according to their rule and the years of the Visigoth kings. John greatly admired the Kings of Toledo and presented their rule as restorers of Christian rule. John reveals King Leovigild’s battles as restoring the kingdom “to its former boundaries the Goths, which by that time had been diminished by rebellions of various men.” (60) While southern Spain was a province of Justinian, John ignored the fact that Leovigild’s conquests came at the expense of the emperor in Constantinople. His admiration for Leovigild leads John to avoid details regarding his Arian faith. He does include Leovigild’s invitation to Arian bishops to discuss the prospect of allowing Arian converts from Catholicism to convert without a second baptism. This practice allowed converts inclined toward the Arian doctrine out of self-interest rather than a change of heart.” (68) John’s wording appears to sound more critical of the Catholics who convert to Arianism than the King, since the King allowed an easier route for conversion. (7)

King Leviogild statue in Madrid

            The distinguishing mark of Reccared’s succession to the throne was his conversion to Catholic Christianity. John describes his reign as one of piety and devotion, with the construction of many churches and monasteries. (73) His account of Reccared differs from his earlier reports because John offers commentary on the rule of the King as a Christian King and inheritor of Christian Rome. Victory over the Franks and his conversion to Catholicism appear as the actions of a “Christian emperor.” (10) While Nicea declared Arianism heresy, John declares that Arianism prospered until it had been “cut at its very roots so that it will not sprout up again, a Catholic peace having been bestowed upon churches everywhere.” (75) John infused great symbolism into the Kings of Toledo to demonstrate that they were Christian rulers blessed by God.

            Isidore of Seville was the archbishop of Seville and chronicled his account after the histories of Eusebius. He wrote his History of the Kings of the Goths after he finished his Chronicle. Isidore presents Spain as the most blessed of provinces and the “pride and the ornament of the world.” (79) For such a blessed land, Isidore connects the ruling Goths to a rich and ancient history. He transforms the Goths from fierce barbarians into powerful kings. (15) Referring to Ambrose, Isidore takes Ambrose’s attempt to connect Goths to Gog as a scourge as seen in the Old Testament book of Ezekial. Isidore instead substitutes the word Getae and makes a genealogical connection to the line of Japheth in an attempt to provide the Goths with a biblical heritage. (15, 107)

            Isidore stressed the military prowess of the Goths and claimed that when the “Ethiopians, Indians, Persians, Medes, Greeks, Scythians, and the rest of the eastern peoples were summoned to fight against Julius, the Goths resisted him more powerfully than the rest.” (81) Blame for the Gothic attachment to Arianism goes toward Emperor Valens, who tempted the Goths with heresy by sending Arian missionaries.

Like John of Biclaro, Isidore saw the reign of Reccard as the arrival of a righteous Christian King and placed the symbols of the Christian emperor upon Reccard. “The victories that his Goth’s won were to be, like those enjoyed by the early Romans,  a simple function of their valour and strength.” (22) The succession of Sisebut to the throne also marks a period of piety and praise from Isidore. The attempt by Sisebut to compel the Jews to convert to Christianity happened because of Sisebut’s zeal when he should have called the Jews to “faith through reason.” (105) Isidore attempts to describe ideal Christian rulers characterized by faith and prudence, inheritors of Christian Rome.

The Chronicle of 754 occurs after the events described by Isidore who presented the rule Sisebut and Suinthila as a Christian rule destined for a long blessed rule. The Chronicler faces a different situation than Isidore for he must understand how Christian Kingdoms fell to Muslim rule. He begins with the reign of Emperor Heraclius who the writer portrayed as a ruler chosen by God but given over to the praise of the people after the military victory against the Persians. Heraclius receives a dream that “he would be ravaged mercilessly by rats from the desert,” as well as many “astrological signs.” (113) Many histories point to this sin as the root cause of the fate which befell the Gothic rulers and the  Arabic military victories fulfilled the vision of Heraclius. The Chronicler avoided interpreting the Muslim invasion as a scourge but instead dealt with each Muslim ruler individually and tends to avoid religiously charged language. Descriptions of the Caliphs bore a remarkable similarity to descriptions of the Visigothic or Frankish rulers. The reality of the conquest of Christian Spain by non-Christian Muslim rulers appears to limit the ability of the Chronicler, therefore he avoided interpretation.

The Chronicle of AlfonsoIII plows within the same territory as the Chronicle of 754 but unlike 754, The Chronicle of Alfonso III does not take a religious neutral perspective when discussing Muslims but rather views the Muslim invaders as a plague and punishment sent by God to a sinful people. The Chronicler begins his account with accession of King Wamba and covers nothing later than the death of Ordono I in 866. His account appears as a continuation of  Historyof the Kings of the Goths by Isidore and seeks to make a connection between the Gothic and Asturian kingdoms. The Austurian throne in Oviedo continues the Gothic rule on the Iberian peninsula as the legitimate rulers of Spain and the remnant of Christian imperial rule. Raids led by Alfonso represented the remnant of God carrying the fight against the Muslim scourge with the eventual reclaimation of their “promised land.” (45)  The problems for the Toledo monarchy began with an attempt on the life of Wamba through poison by Count Ervig. The loss of his senses forced Wamba to abdicate the throne and Ervig rose to the throne. Ervig died without an heir and his son in law Egica became king and married the daughter of Ervig Cixilo. Wamba denounced Cixilo due to his bitterness of losing the throne. Cixilo gave birth to Witiza, who assumed the throne upon the death of his father. But Witiza “was a reprobate and was disgraceful in his habits. He dissolved the councils. He sealed the canons. He took many wives and concubies.” (164) The sin of the King as the representative head of the people caused the favor of the Lord to fall from the Kingdom. Because, “the kings and priests forsook the Lord, all the armies of Spain Perished.” (164)

The largest section of the Chronicle recounts the story of Pelayo’s resistance at Covadonga. Pelayo appaears as the hope for the restoration of the Kingdom to the Goths. His dialogue with Oppa the bishop of Toledo contrasts the righteous Pelayo with the collaborator Oppa. Pelayo places his trust in Christ as the one who will restore the kingdom and rid the land of the invaders. He reminds the bishop that the church is like a mustard seed and says, “Christ is our hope that through this little mountain, which you see, the well-being of Spain and the army of the Gothic people will be restored.” (168) The Chronicler sees the future of the Goths continuing through the promise of God to restore the remnant.

Pelayo, victor at Covadonga and first King of Asturias. From Wikipedia

 

Conquerors and Chroniclers of Early Medieval Spain. Translated by Kenneth Baxter Wolf. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, 1990.

The Goths: The Gothic History of Jordanes, An Examination

The Gothic History of Jordanes.  edited by Charles C. Mierow, Merchantville, NJ:Princeton University Press, 1915.

The Goths were a Germanic barbarian tribe which appeared in history during the end of the Roman Empire. The Goths were instrumental in turning back the invasion of Western Europe by the Huns. One of the sources for Gothic history is the Getica written by the Gothic writer Jordanes.

            Jordanes was a Goth who held the position of military secretary likely wrote his history in Constantinople in 551. He was a convert to Nicene Christianity from Arianism and was possibly a bishop since there was a Bishop Jordanes in Constantinople during the same time. Jordanes based much of his history upon the work of Cassiodorus Senator, who was a secretary to Theodoric the Great and his successor Athalaric. Like Cassiodorus, Jordanes wished to elevate the Goths as partners with Rome to bring “peace and prosperity” to both people. (Mierow, 16) Jordanes’ use of Latin reveals a writer unskilled in the language but he is very open about the fact that he was “unlearned” before his conversion. But Jordanes remains important as the earliest surviving work of a Gothic historian.

            Jordanes begins his history by detecting the origin of the Goths within the geography of Europe, Asia, and Africa. He identifies the island of Scandza as the birthplace of the Goths under their King Berig. An examination of the geography Jordanes provides clearly identifies Scandza as Scandinavia and much of his early history contains mythical elements. Berig led the Goths from Scandza in three ships across the sea and eventually into the region of Scythia in central Eurasia, north of present-day Iran. Upon leaving Scandza, King Berig encounter the Vandals and “subdued” the barbarian tribe. (57) Jordanes presents the Goths within the midst of ancient and mythical history to portray the Goths as an important tribal group alongside the Roman Empire. He has the Goth’s present during the sacking of Troy and in an alliance with Phillip of Macedon during his conquest of Greece. By placing the Goths alongside the Egyptians, Amazons, and Persians, Jordanes gives the Goths a rich heritage comparable to the Greeks and Romans.

            The Getica becomes more historical as the Goths encounter the Romans in the Third Century A.D. The Goths fought alongside Emperor Maximian against the Parthians and alongside Constantine against Licinius. Jordanes becomes a valuable source through his historical accounts of the Huns, but he mixes his account of the origin Huns with the mythology of the Goths. King Filimer, the fifth king after the exodus from Scandza discovers witches among the Goths in Scythia. He expels the witches, who begin as a “

savage race, which dwelt at first in the swamps, a stunted, foul and puny tribe, scarcely human and having no language save one which bore but slight resemblance to human speech. Such was the descent of the Huns who came to the country of the Goths. (85)

            Jordanes marks the division of the Goths between the Ostrogoths who settled in the East and the Visigoths who settled in the West. The Visigoths become key players during the reign of Valens. Valens, an Arian, meets an untimely end at the Battle of Adrianople (Hadrianople) when he is wounded and after seeking shelter within a hut he burns to death after the Goths set fire to the structures. Jordanes clearly makes a connection between Valens’ heresy and his dishonorable death. Arian treachery appears when Valens’ lieutenant, Lupicinus invites Gothic chieftain Fritigern to a feast with the intention to kill him when Fritigern lays down his guard. But, Fritigern turns the table on the Romans when he hears the cries of his men and kills the Romans generals. While Jordanes wishes to establish a connection between the Goths and the Romans, Romans tied to Arian heresy meet their deserved judgment.

Battle of Adrianople Taken from about-history.com

            The relationship between the Romans and the Goths receives emphasis when King Alaric and the Visigoths send an embassy to Emperor Honorius and promise to settle if allowed to settle in Italy peacefully, but fearing the Visigoths Honorius promises homes in Gaul and Spain. After leaving the Goths met an army led by the patrician Stilicho who attacked the Goths. Throwing back the attack the Goths under Alaric went on to sack Rome, but they “did not set the city on fire, as wild peoples usually do, nor did they permit serious damage to be done to the holy places.” (94) When Athavulf became king, he sacked and stripped Rome “bare like locusts” and took the sister of Emperor Honorius, Placidia as his wife. Athavulf departed Rome with her wealth, but leaving Honorius Augustus, “pleased at heart because he was now a sort of kinsman of his.” (96)

 Painting of the meeting of Pope Leo and Attila created in 1514 by Raphael taken from Stanford History Education Group

            By the Fifth Century, Attila ruled over the Huns and all the tribes of Scythia. Attila was a fierce warrior, who was a “lover of war.” (102) Gaiseric, the king of the Vandals enticed Attila to attack the Visigoths since he feared Theodorid, kingof the Visigoths. The Visigoths allied themselves with the Romans to defend themselves against Attila and his Huns. At The Battle of the Catalaunian Plains, the Romans under General Flavius Aetius combined their forces with the Visigoths under King Theodoric I. Jordanes records the inspirational speech of Attila and the battle resulted in the death of Theodoric when his horse threw him and then trampled by his own men. The Hun advance ended with the battle but the Huns continued to loot and pillage Gaul. Eventually the Huns arrived outside Rome but Attila and his army left after a visit from Pope Leo I persuaded him to depart peacefully.

A painting of Attila riding a pale horse, by French Romantic artist Eugène Delacroix (1798–1863) from Wikipedia

            Attila returned to his home country but threatened violence again when tributes promised by Theodosius failed to arrive. He promised more violence and warned Marcian the Emperor of the East of devastation. Attila turned toward the Visigoths but then moved his army in a different direction. Visigoth king Thorsimud sensed Attila’s trick and stopped the advance of Attila’s forces. The Visigoths routed Attila, who fled to his home territories. Jordanes reports Attila’s death as a disgraceful end. After a round of drunkenness, his attendants found Attila laying on the ground without any wounds but dead from an effusion of blood pouring from his mouth. (123)

Jordanes presents the history of the Goths in an effort to present the formerly barbarian Goths as admirable and worthy partners with the Romans. They excel in battle and as they remain faithful to Nicene Christianity the promises of God for blessings are assured. He concludes his work with the defeat of the Goths by the emperor Justinian through his consul Belisarius. But the Goths were a praiseworthy foe as illustrated by the reception of King Vitiges into Constantinople and awarded the title of Patrician.