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)
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| 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)
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| 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.
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| 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.
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