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« Timeline of the Mercenary War 240 – 238 BC Peninsular War Painting Guide: British Foot »
Timeline of the Fall of Rome and the Barbarian Kingdoms
By Steven Thomas on 18 Nov 2009 | Last Updated 14 Aug 2013
Timeline of the Fall of Rome and the Barbarian Kingdoms.

4th Century

350’s Julian’s campaigns

The Roman General Julian, who later became Emperor, fought the Germanic Franks and
Alamanni (roughly meaning ‘All people’) to standstill (MacDowall, 1990). Julian was, however,
forced to allow the Franks within the Empire as Foederati (Federates). Under this arrangement the
Franks offered military service in exchange for permanent settlements.

378 Battle of Adrianople

A Gothic coalition destroyed the Roman army at the Battle of Adrianople (MacDowall, 1990). The
Goths had free rein in the Balkans for some years.

394 Battle of the Frigidus

The Emperor Theodosius employed 20,000 Goths in the army that faced the usurper Eugenius in
the west (MacDowall, 1990; Wikipedia: Alaric I). The future Visigoth King Alaric I served as a
leader of foederati in the campaign. The finale of the campaign was the Battle of the Frigidus
fought at the passes of the Julian Alps. The Visigoths suffered disproportionately great losses and
it was widely believed this was a mechanism to weaken the Gothic tribes.
395 Theodosius dies
Upon the death of Theodosius the empire was divided between his two sons, essentially the Latin
speaking west under Honorius and Greek speaking east under Arcadius (MacDowall, 1990;
Wikipedia: Alaric I).

Alaric I became King of the Visigoths (Wikipedia: Alaric I).

396 Visigoths ravage Greece

The Visigoths under King Alaric I ravaged Greece (MacDowall, 1990). The Western Roman
magister militum Stilicho – himself the son of a Vandal – confronted Alaric. After some
manoeuvring Stilicho gave Alaric a military command (magister militum per Illyricum) and
settled his people in the northwest of Greece.

5th Century

402 Visigoths invade Italy

In 401 or 402 the Visigoths under King Alaric I moved into Italy and ravaged the north
(Wikipedia: Alaric I). Stilicho confronted Alaric at Pollentia (in modern Piedmont) and won the
resulting battle (6 Apr 6 402; coinciding with Easter). It was a costly victory for Rome but barred
the further progress of the Visigoths. Stilicho was subsequently criticised for having gained his
victory by taking impious advantage of Easter. Apparently Alaric had trusted to the sanctity of
Easter for immunity from attack. Alaric’s wife was captured.

The Romans defeat the Visigoths again at Verona (Wikipedia: Alaric I). Alaric then left Italy,
probably in 403. He had not indeed “penetrated to the city” but his invasion of Italy had produced
important results. It had caused the imperial residence to be transferred from Milan to Ravenna
and it had necessitated the withdrawal of Legio XX Valeria Victrix from Britain.

One result of the Visigothic activity was the Western Roman Emperor Flavius Augustus Honorius
fortified himself in Ravenna (MacDowall, 1990; Wikipedia: Alaric I).

31 Dec 406 Vandals and Suevi cross the Rhine

The winter of 406 was bitterly cold and the Rhine river froze (MacDowall, 1990). On New Years
Eve German tribes crossed the river and overran the frontier. The main attack comprised Vandals
and Suevi accompanied by a clan of Alans. They were followed by Franks, Burgundians and
Alamanni. These tribes ravaged Gaul.

The Roman army in Britain subsequently proclaimed Constantine as Emperor (MacDowall, 1990).
Constantine crossed the Channel with the army and set himself up in Gaul. The Romans were
never to return to Britain.

407 Constantine III

The Roman army in Britain elected Constantine III as emperor in opposition to Honorius then
crossed to Gaul (Collins, 2004). Constantine made himself master of much of Gaul and Spain but
Britain and Gaul north of the Loie were left to their own devices.

408 First Visigoth Siege of Rome

The Emperor Honorius had Stilicho, his councillors, and the families of the feoderati murdered
(Wikipedia: Alaric I). Some 30,000 aggrieved feodorati joined Alaric in his march across the
Julian Alps. In Sep 408 Alaric laid siege to Rome but in the face of hunger the citizens paid him to
leave off.

409 Second Visigoth Siege of Rome

Having failed to negotiate a settlement with the Emperor Honorius the Visigoth King Alaric I
besieged Rome a second time (Wikipedia: Alaric I). He, however, came to terms with the Roman
senate and set up a rival emperor, the prefect of the city, a Greek named Priscus Attalus. The
incompetent Attalus only lasted 11 months but managed to lose Africa to Honorius.

Suevic Kingdom
Suevic Kingdom during 5th-6th centuries

409 Suevi, Vandals and Alans invade Iberia

In autumn 409, on either 28 Sep or 12 Oct, a loose confederation of “barbarians” crossed the
Pyrenees into Spain (Collins, 2004). These included the Suevi and Vandals – both Germanic
groups – and the ethnically Sarmatian Alans.

Constantine III’s troops in Spain did not resist the crossing (Collins, 2004). The Spanish priest
Orosius wrote that this failure was to hide their own exactions on the civilian population.

The new comers engaged in a short period of looting and destruction before coming to an
agreement with the Roman government (Collins, 2004). However the damage had been done and
the peninsular underwent a period of famine, starvation and cannibalism.

When the usurper Constantine III ordered his general Gerontius to resign his command in
Hispania, Gerontius mutinied and installed Maximus Tiranus as Emperor (Wikipedia: Maximus of
Hispania). Gerontius may have been Maximus’s father. Maximus controlled what was left of
Roman Iberia (MacDowall, 1990) centered around Taragona and Barcelona on the coast. Maximus
fought against the other two emperors, Constantine III and Honorius. Gerontius’s forces defeated,
but did not destroy, Constantine’s forces in the first 18 months of Maximus’s reign. However the
conflict weakened the armies of both usurpers.

Maximus granted the Suevi official recognition (Foedus) for their settlement in Galicia (Collins,
2004). The Suevi kingdom was the first sub-Roman kingdom formed in the territory of the Roman
Empire and was the first to mint coins (Wikipedia: Suebic Kingdom of Galicia; Wikipedia: Suevi).
The Suevi, under king Hermerico, had two sub-tribes the Quadi and Marcomanni, and were
accompanied by a small group of Buri (Wikipedia: Timeline of Germanic Kingdoms). They settled
in Roman Galicia in the northwest. Suevi mainly settled near Braga (Bracara Augusta), Porto
(Portus Cale), Lugo (Lucus Augusta) and Astorga (Asturica Augusta). Bracara Augusta, the
modern city of Braga and former capital of Roman Galicia, became the capital of the Suevi. The
Buri settled in the region between the rivers Cávado and Homem, in the area known as Terras de
Bouro (Lands of the Buri).

410 Visigoths sack Rome

After more futile negotiations with Honorius Visigoth King Alaric I launched a surprised attack on
Rome (Wikipedia: Alaric I). On 24 Aug 410 the Visigoths burst in by the Porta Salaria on the
northeast of city. Alaric subsequently headed south but died of fever in Calabria.

Ataulph (410-415) became King of the Visigoths (Collins, 2004; Wikipedia: Ataulf).

Gerontius, the general of the usurper Maximus, besieged the other usurper, Constantine III, in
Arles from 410 into 411 (Collins, 2004). This effort meant they could do nothing against the
Suevi, Vandals and Alans in Spain. In fact they may not have wanted to as the barbarians could
provide a pool of man power for their own cause.

411 Roman Emperor gives Iberia to Barbarians

The Emperor Honorius formally granted Lusitania to the Alans, Galicia to the Suevi and Hasdingi
Vandals, and Baetica to the Silingi Vandals (Wikipedia: Timeline of Germanic Kingdoms). This
was political expediency as was hiring the Visigoths to drive their barbarian brethren from Iberia.

Constantius III, Honorius’s general, defeated the armies of both usurpers Maximus and
Constantine III (Wikipedia: Maximus of Hispania). Constantius defeated and killed Maximus’s
general, Gerontius, at the Battle of Arles. Maximus subsequently forfeited his Imperial claims and
entered a monastery.

415 Visigoths invade Iberia

King Ataulph of the Visigoths was murdered in a coup in Barcelona (Collins, 2004). The coup was
short lived and the murderer was himself killed only a week later. Ataulph was probably in Spain
making arrangements for the subsequent Visigothic intervention in the peninsular. Wallia became
King and finalised the arrangements.

At the request of the Roman Emperor Honorius the Germanic Visigoths, under King Wallia,
invaded the Iberian Peninsular from Aquitaine (Collins, 2004; Wikipedia: Timeline of Germanic
Kingdoms says King Theodorid rather than Wallia). They fought several campaigns during 415-
419 with the aim of destroying the Alans, Suevi, Vandals and the usurper Maximus. We have few
details of the campaigns but the Alans and Silingi Vandals in the south and east were the main
targets and were crushed.

416 Suevi expansion

The Visigoths invasion allowed the Suevi an brief expansion: at its heyday Suevi Galicia extended
as far as Mérida or Seville (Wikipedia: Suebic Kingdom of Galicia).

By around 416 the Roman emperor only had armies in Italy and Africa (until 432) and in parts of
southern Gaul (Collins, 2004). Those units in Britain, Spain and northern Gaul had been
withdrawn or disbanded.

418 Visigoths kill Alan king

The Visigoths killed the Alan king Attaces in battle (Wikipedia: Timeline of Germanic Kingdoms).
This branch of the Alans subsequently asked the Hasdingi Vandal king Gunderic to accept the
Alan crown. The Alans maintained their ethnic identity within the confederation (Collins, 2004).
There is no mention of the Silingi Vandals after this date and the survivors probably joined the
Hasdingi. [Some authors give the date as 418 and others as 426 (Wikipedia: Alans).]

419 Suevi and Romans defeat Hasdingi Vandals

A new treaty with the empire resulted in the Visigoths withdrawing from the peninsular into
Aquitaine (Collins, 2004). Collins believes this was the empire considered the Bagaudae
(effectively large scale bandit gangs) north of the Loire a greater threat than the surviving Alans,
Suevi and Vandals in the peninsular.

Theoderic I (419-51) became King of the Visigoths (Collins, 2004).

The Vandals expanded to fill the vacuum left by the Visigoths and took over much of the
peninsular (Collins, 2004). However the Suevi, with Roman assistance, beat off an attack by the
Hasdingi Vandals (Wikipedia: Timeline of Germanic Kingdoms).

421 Constantius
Constntius was briefly emperor (Collins, 2004).

422 Vandals defeat Romans

The Magister Militun Castinus led an imperial army from Italy into Spain (Collins, 2004). He had
a detachment of Visigoths with him but they failed to support him at the critical moment and he
was defeated by the Vandals in the province of Baetica and withdrew. Castinus did, however,
captured the usurper Maximus who was taken back to Italy and executed.

423-25 Honorius, Johannes and Valentinian III

When the emperor Honorius died in 423 he was succeeded by Johannes (Collins, 2004). Johannes
was overthrown in 425 by an eastern Roman expedition from Constantinople. The East Romans
installed Valentinian III as emperor.

427 Roman Civil War

A civil war broke out between Boniface, Count of Africa, and Felix, Master of the Soldiers in Italy
(Collins, 2004). This conflict may have been the result of machinations by Aetius, the commander
in southern Gaul. Boniface defeated the first expedition sent by Felix to Africa.

429 Vandals and Alans move to North Africa

The Vandals and the Alans, under King Gaiseric, crossed the straits to North Africa (Collins, 2004;
Wikipedia: Timeline of Germanic Kingdoms). Boniface may have invited the barbarians into his
domain to help in the fight against Felix. If so this was to horribly backfire when the Vandals
established a kingdom in Africa over the next decade.

The Buri vanish into the Suevi kingdom (Wikipedia: Timeline of Germanic Kingdoms).

430 Battle of Mérida

With the Vandal forces in Africa Suevi forces under under Hermigar, moved south from Galicia
(Collins, 2004). A Vandal detachment recrossed from Africa and defeated the Suevi in the Battle of
Mérida. However the Vandal now concentrated their efforts in Africa and effectively abandoned
the peninsular to the Suevi. [Wikipedia: Timeline of Germanic Kingdoms says it was the Alans
that fought and won the battle, that it was against the Suevi and Romans, and that it occurred in
428.]

In May 430 Aetius murdered Felix and seized power in Italy (Collins, 2004). Boniface brought his
army over from Africa and defeated Aetius in battle but died from the wounds he received himself.
Aetius took control of what remained of the Western Roman Empire and without a Roman army
present the Vandals were free to expand in Africa.

438 Peace between Suevi and Galaicos

Hermerico, the first Suevi king of Galicia, ratified the peace with the Galaicos people and, tired of
fighting, abdicated in favour of his son Rechila (438-48) (Collins, 2004; Wikipedia: Timeline of
Germanic Kingdoms).

439 Vandals and Alans capture Carthage

The Vandals and Alans complete their conquest of Roman Africa by capturing Carthage (Collins,
2004).

The Suevi established themselves in Mérida, and the west and south of Spain (Collins, 2004).
Only Tarraconensis remained under direct Roman control (Collins, 2004). Bagaudae began
operating in the middle Ebro and sacked a number of towns.

442 Romans recognise Vandal control of Africa

The Romans recognised the Vandal possession of Africa in a treaty (Collins, 2004).

448 Suevi become Catholic

Suevi king Rechila died and left his expanding state to his son Rechiarius (448-55) (Collins, 2004;
Wikipedia: Timeline of Germanic Kingdoms). Rechiarius, who had converted to Roman
Catholicism circa 447 (Wikipedia: Suevi), imposed his Catholic faith on the Suevi population.
Soon, Rechiarius married a daughter of the Gothic king Theodoric I. Rechiarius also began a wave
of attacks on the Roman province of Tarraconense.

451 Battle of Chalons

The Hunnic leader Attila led a large army of Huns and subject Germans into France (Collins,
2004; MacDowall, 1990). The local Roman commander Aetius managed to scrape together an
army of Romans, Franks, Visigoths, Alans, Bretons and Burgundians. Aetius checked Attila at the
Battle of Chalons on the Plains of Champagne.

Thorismund became King of the Visigoths (Wikipedia: Timeline of Germanic Kingdoms).

452 Attila invades Italy

Attila turned south and invaded Italy (MacDowall, 1990). Famine and the operation of an East
Roman Army in his rear forced him out.

453 Visigoth King Theodoric II

Theodoric II (453-66) became King of the Visigoths (Collins, 2004; Wikipedia: Timeline of
Germanic Kingdoms).

454 Ibero-Romans seek Visigothic help

The emperor Valentinian III had Aetius murdered (Collins, 2004).

According to Wikipedia: Timeline of Germanic Kingdoms the Ibero-Roman population sought

Visigoth help against Suevi incursions.

455 Pope Leo I

The Bishop of Rome proclaimed himself Pope, under the name of Leo I, and assumed control over
all of Western Christianity (Wikipedia: Timeline of Germanic Kingdoms).

The emperor Valentinian III was murdered in revenge for this role in Aetius’s death (Collins,
2004). A Gallic aristocrat called Avitus took the throne with Visigothic military backing.

The Suevi raided the province of Carthaginiensis, ignored Roman diplomatic efforts, and attacked
Tarraconensis (Collins, 2004).

The Vandals sacked Rome (Collins, 2004).

456 Battle of Orbigo

Avitus encouraged his Visigothic allies to counter the Suevi threat to Tarraconensis (Collins,
2004). King Theodoric II of the Visigoths led a large army of Roman foederates, his own
Visigoths and Burgundians directed by kings Gundioc and Chilperic (Wikipedia: Suevi), across
the Pyrenees into Hispania to face his brother-in-law Rechiarius, King of the Suevi. Theodoric
defeated the Suevi at the Battle of Orbigo, on the Orbigo river near modern day Astorga.
Rechiarius was captured and executed by his brother-in-law. The Visigoths took direct control of
most of the peninsular although southern Gaul remained the main area of Visigothic occupation
and Toulouse the administrative capital and main royal residence. The empire retained control of
the coastal regions of Tarraconensis and parts of the Ebro valley. The Suevi were now cornered in
the northwest, in Galicia and northern Lusitania. Rival candidates for the Suevi throne appeared,
grouped in two factions, those who followed Frantán and those who followed Aguiulfo (dependent
of the Visigoths) (Wikipedia: Timeline of Germanic Kingdoms). The river Minius probably
divided the two tribes, Quadi and Marcomanni, that constituted the Suevi nation.

457 Suevi King Maldras

Maldras became King of all the Suevi (Wikipedia: Timeline of Germanic Kingdoms).

458 Majorian
Majorian (458-63) became emperor (Collins, 2004).

459 Suevi divide

After the death of Suevi King Maldras , a new division appeared between Frumario and
Remismundo (Wikipedia: Timeline of Germanic Kingdoms).

460
Majorian, the last emperor to visit Spain, arrived on his way to attack the Vandals in Africa
(Collins, 2004). He made a formal entry into Caesaraugusta (Zaragoza) but didn’t oppose
Visigothic control of the peninsular. He was preparing a fleet at Cartagena for the invasion of
Africa but, in a surprise attack, the Vandals captured the fleet in harbour, and Majorian
subsequently returned to Italy.

461
Ricimer, the Master of Soldiers who was of mixed Suevi and Goth origin, deposed and executed
the emperor Majorian (Collins, 2004).

463 Suevi reunite; Suevi King Remismundo

Remismundo united the Suevi and became King (Wikipedia: Timeline of Germanic Kingdoms).

466 Visigoth King Euric

At this time most Suevi were pagan and their Ibero-Roman subjects Priscillianist (Wikipedia:
Timeline of Germanic Kingdoms). The Suevi unifier Remismund asked the Visigothic king
Theodoric II for a missionary to convert the kingdom (Wikipedia: Suebic Kingdom of Galicia) .
Theodoric II sent an Arian missionary named Ajax who subsequently brought the Suevi into the
Arian church.

Euric (466-84) became King of the Visigoths by murdering his brother Theoderic II (Collins,
2004). Euric expanded Visigothic territory in the south of Gaul by war and treaty.

468 Suevi take Conimbriga and Lisbon

Suevi sacked the Roman city of Conimbriga, near modern Coimbra, and Lusídio, Roman governor
of Lisbon, delivered the city to the Suevi (Wikipedia: Timeline of Germanic Kingdoms).

469 Suevi King Teodemundo

Teodemundo became King of the Suevi (Wikipedia: Timeline of Germanic Kingdoms).

470 Visigoths defeat Suevi

King Euric of the Visigoths drove the Suevi from southern Galicia and Lusitania (Wikipedia:
Timeline of Germanic Kingdoms).

474 Visigoths take Provence and Auvergne

After years of skilful war and diplomacy King Euric of the Visigoths occupied Provence and
forced the Romans to hand over Auvergne (Collins, 2004).

475 Independent Visigothic Kingdom

King Euric (who had unified the various quarrelling factions of the Visigoths) forced the Roman
government to grant the Visigothic kingdom full independence (Wikipedia: Timeline of Germanic
Kingdoms).

4 Sep 476 Fall of Rome

The army in Italy deposed the last Emperor of the Western Roman Empire, Romulus Augustus
(MacDowall, 1990). Their general Odoacer, a chieftain of the Germanic Heruli, proclaimed
himself King of Italy. (Wikipedia: Timeline of Germanic Kingdoms). This is the conventional date
for the fall of the West Roman Empire.

Euric’s Visigothic forces quickly overran the remaining imperial holdings in northeast Spain – the
Ebro valley and Mediterranean coast (Collins, 2004).

484 Visigoth King Alaric II

Visigothic Kingdom
Greatest extent of the Visigothic kingdom
of Toulouse, c. 500

At Euric’s death of natural causes in 484 the Visigoths were the most powerful of the successor
states to the Western Roman Empire (Collins, 2004). Within Gaul the Visigothic kingdom
stretched from the valleys of the Loire and the Rhone rivers to the Pyrenees plus most of Spain.
The exceptions were the northwest were the remnants of the Suevi held out, and small areas
controlled by the Basques and Cantabrians (Wikipedia: Visigoths).

Alaric II (484-507), the son of Euric, became King of the Visigoths (Collins, 2004).

About 486 Clovis

Clovis I, one of several Frankish leaders, crushed Syagrius, the last of the independent Roman
rulers in northern Gaul (Collins, 2004). This made brought the Merovingian Franks to the northern
border of the Visigothic kingdom. Over the following years Clovis expanded east into the lands of
the Alamans, then south down the Rhone into the lands of the Burgundians.

493 Ostrogothic Kingdom in Italy

At the urging of the Eastern Roman Emperor the Ostrogoths moved into Italy and established a
kingdom there (MacDowall, 1990).
494-497 “Goths entered Spain” and “Goths acquired settlements in Spain”
During this period the Visigoths relocated from southern Gaul into Spain although the royal court
stayed at Toulouse (Collins, 2004). Collins believes this is because although they got revenue from
Gallic estates (2/3 of the revenue) the were probably not property owners themselves and the
search for land probably prompted the move across the Pyrenees.

496-7 Burdunellus the Tyrant

In 496 a guy called Burdunellus (Little Mule) set himself up as a tyrant, probably emperor,
somewhere in Spain (Collins, 2004). Collins guesses that it was the Ebro valley, possibly
Zaragoza. A year later Burdunellus’s men handed him over to the Visigothic authorities and he
was executed.

6th Century

506 Peter the Tyrant

The Visigoths took Dertosa and killed the resident tyrant, Peter (Collins, 2004).

507 Battle of Vouillé

The Franks under Clovis I, with an allied contingent of Burgundians, defeated the Visigoths at
Vouillé near Poitiers(Collins, 2004). The Visigoths lost their king, Alaric II – killed in battle,
Toulouse, and control of Aquitaine. Frankish forces reached Barcelona.

Gesalic, an illegitimate son of Alaric II, became King of the Visigoths (Collins, 2004). He made
Narbonne his campital and organised resistance to the Franks. Sometime 507-511 the Burgundians
defeated Gesalic and sacked Narbonne.

508
In support of the Visigoths the Ostrogoths, under Theoderic, overran Provence and forced the
Franks to withdraw from Septimania (Collins, 2004).

511–526 Visigoths and Ostrogoths reunite

Forces of the Ostrogothic King Theodoric drove King Gesalic into exile in Africa (Collins, 2004).
Theodoric favoured Amalaric. Amalaric was the son of Alaric II and Theodegotho (Theodoric’s
daughter), making him Gesalic half-brother. Amalaric was also a minor so Theodoric assumed the
crown himself thus uniting the Visigoths and Ostrogoths. Ostrogothic governors ruled in Spain;
Theudis, who later became king, was one of them. The centre of Visigothic rule shifted first to
Barcelona then inland and south to Toledo (Wikipedia: Timeline of Germanic Kingdoms).

513
Gesalic attempted to regain his kingdom (Collins, 2004). Ostrogothic forces under Ibba, one of
Theoderic’s generals, defeated Gesalic’s army, captured him in flight on the river Durance, and
executed him.

522-3 Visigoth King Amalaric

Amalaric became King of the Visigoths (Collins, 2004; Wikipedia: Timeline of Germanic
Kingdoms says 426).

531 Visigoth King Theudis

Amalaric was defeated by the Franks and then killed in Barcelona (Collins, 2004). He may have
been killed by the Franks or by his own men.

Theudis (531-48), an Ostrogoth and one time governor of Spain, was elected King of the Visigoths
(Collins, 2004). During his reign he defeated an invading Frankish army, lost Ceuta to the
Byzantines, and sent an expedition to recover Ceuta, which failed disastrously. Apparently
Theudis’s personal following comprised the 2,000 armed slaves of his Hispano-Roman wife
(Collins cites Procopius). From this point election rather than dynastic sentiment became the
dominating factor in succession.

548 Visigoth King Theudisclus

King Theudis was murdered (Collins, 2004).

Theudisclus became King of the Visigoths (Collins, 2004). Theudisclus had previously defeated a
Frankish raid into Tarraconensis, which may have been Childebert I’s attempt to capture Zaragoza.

549 Visigoth King Agila

Theudisclus was murdered during a banquet in Seville (Collins, 2004).

Agila (549-54) became King of the Visigoths (Collins, 2004). There is conflicting evidence for the
major events in Agila’s reign but Collins believes:

A Gothic noble called Athanagild revolted in Seville in opposition to Agila’s election.

The Byzantine emperor Justinian I sent imperial army to Spain, probably in support of the rightful
king Agila.
Cordoba also revolted from Agila and stayed free of Visigothic royal authority until 572. It may
have been under imperial control or under independent rule.
550-1 Byzantine’s arrive
The Byzantine emperor Justinian I sent imperial army to Spain, probably in support of the rightful
king Agila (Collins, 2004). The imperials made no effort to reconquer the peninsular but they did
seize a series of ports and fortresses along the south-eastern and southern coasts. They took
control of Granada and southernmost Hispania Baetica to create the province of Spania
(Wikipedia: Visigoths). Cartagena became the administrative centre of the new Byzantine
province.

554
The rebel Athanagild became King of the Visigoths (Collins, 2004). He based himself at Seville
for his on going wars against the Byzantines in the south.

559 Suevi King Teodomiro

Teodomiro became King of the Suevi (Wikipedia: Timeline of Germanic Kingdoms).

568 Visigoth King Liuva I

Athanagild died of natural causes in Toledo (Collins, 2004).

After a five month gap Liuva I became King of the Visigoths (Collins, 2004; Wikipedia: Timeline
of Germanic Kingdoms says 567.)

569 Visigoth King Leovigild

Liuva divided the Visigothic kingdom and gave one half to his younger brother Leovigild (569-
586) (Collins, 2004). Leovigild ws based at Toledo and Liuva at Narbonne. Leovigild also married
Gosuinth, Anthanagild’s widow.

570 Visigoths raid Bastania

Miro became King of the Suevi (Wikipedia: Timeline of Germanic Kingdoms).

King Leovigild of the Visigoths began military actions with the explicit purpose of conquering all
of Hispania (Wikipedia: Timeline of Germanic Kingdoms). From 570 AD Leovigild had a pattern
of annual military campaigns throughout his reign; this may have been true for other Visigothic
kings but we lacks the sources to verify it (Collins, 2004). In 570 Leovigild raided the region of
“Bastania” and drove off an imperial force that tried to stop him at Malaga.

571 Visigoths take Asinoda

A Visigothic force retook Asinoda (Medina Sidonia) and slaughtered the imperial garrison
(Collins, 2004).

In 571 or 573 Liuva I died leaving Leovigild in sole charge of the Visigothic kingdom (Collins,
2004)

572 Britons in Galicia

A Visigothic force retook Cordoba and many other cities and fortresses from the Byzantines
(Collins, 2004). This activity was probably in the Guadalquivir valley. A “multitude of rustics
were killed” and Collins believes these were what were earlier called Bagaudae, i.e. bandits.

Late in the fifth century and early in the sixth century, immigrants from Britain and Brittany
settled in the north of Galicia (Wikipedia: Suebic Kingdom of Galicia), As a result the area
acquired the name Britonia.

?? TODO ?? I need to check but I think this is when the Britons moved to Brittany in France as
well.

Between 572 and 574, Leovigild invaded the valley of the Douro, pushing the Suevi northwards
(Wikipedia: Suebic Kingdom of Galicia). He took most of the northern regions (Cantabria) and
regained part of the southern areas lost to the Byzantines (Wikipedia: Visigoths).
573 Visigoths devastate Sabaria
The Visigoths conquered the region of Sabaria, possibly in the north between Caprara and
Salmantica (Salamanca) (Collins, 2004).

575 Suevi and Visigoth peace

In 575 the Suevi king, Miro, made a peace treaty with Leovigild (Wikipedia: Suebic Kingdom of
Galicia).

583 Suevi King Eborico

In 583 the Suevi King Miro supported the rebellion of the Catholic Gothic prince Hermenegild
and was overthrown as a result (Wikipedia: Suebic Kingdom of Galicia). Eborico (also called
Eurico) became King of the Suevi.

584 Visigoths defeat Suevi

Andeca became King of the Suevi (Wikipedia: Timeline of Germanic Kingdoms).

The Visigothic King Leovigild invades the Suevic kingdom and finally defeated it (Wikipedia:
Timeline of Germanic Kingdoms).

585 Suevi pass from history

Andeca, the last king of the Suevi, held out for a year before surrendering to the Visigothic King
Leovigild (Wikipedia: Timeline of Germanic Kingdoms). With his surrender this branch of the
Suevi vanished into the Visigothic kingdom.

586 Visigoth King Reccared

Reccared became King of the Visigoths (Wikipedia: Timeline of Germanic Kingdoms).

587 Visigoth King becomes Catholic

Reccared, the Visigothic king at Toledo, having been converted to Catholicism put an end to
dissension on the question of Arianism and launched a movement to unify the various religious
doctrines that existed in Hispania (Wikipedia: Timeline of Germanic Kingdoms).

7th Century

601 Visigoth King Liuva II

Liuva II became King of the Visigoths (Wikipedia: Timeline of Germanic Kingdoms).

604 Visigoth King Witteric

Witteric became King of the Visigoths (Wikipedia: Timeline of Germanic Kingdoms).

610 Visigoth King Gundemar

Gundemar became King of the Visigoths (Wikipedia: Timeline of Germanic Kingdoms).
612 Visigoth King Sisebur
Sisebur became King of the Visigoths (Wikipedia: Timeline of Germanic Kingdoms).

621 Visigoth King Suintila

Suintila became King of the Visigoths (Wikipedia: Timeline of Germanic Kingdoms).

624 Visigothic Iberia

Visigothic King Suintila conquered the last Byzantine domains and the Basque Country
(Wikipedia: Timeline of Germanic Kingdoms; Wikipedia: Visigoths). He now controlled all of the
Iberian peninsula.

631 Visigoth King Sisenand

Sisenand became King of the Visigoths (Wikipedia: Timeline of Germanic Kingdoms).

636 Visigoth King Chintila

Chintila became King of the Visigoths (Wikipedia: Timeline of Germanic Kingdoms).

640 Visigoth King Tulga

Tulga became King of the Visigoths (Wikipedia: Timeline of Germanic Kingdoms).

642 Visigoth King Chindasvinth

This seems to be a period of conflict. Nelson (1991) gives these rulers between 642 and 672.

Chindasvinth (642-653)
Suniefred ??
Recceswinth (642-653)
Wamba (649-672)
Wikipedia: Timeline of Germanic Kingdoms has a much simpler progression:

Chindasvinth (642-649)
Recceswinth (649-672)
Wamba (672-680)
I tend to believe Nelson but need to do some more exploration.

649 Visigoth King Recceswinth

Recceswinth became King of the Visigoths (Wikipedia: Timeline of Germanic Kingdoms).

672 Visigoth King Wamba

Wamba became King of the Visigoths (Wikipedia: Timeline of Germanic Kingdoms).

680 Visigoth King Ervig

Ervig became King of the Visigoths (Nelson, 1991).

687 Visigothic King Egica

According to Nelson (1991) Egica ruled (687-702). This makes him overlap Witiza (698-710).
Wikipedia: Timeline of Germanic Kingdoms doesn’t mention Egica and has Witiza assume power
in 701.

698 Visigoth King Witiza

Witiza became King of the Visigoths (Nelson, 1991; Wikipedia: Timeline of Germanic Kingdoms
says 701).

8th Century

710 Visigoth King Roderic

Roderic became King of the Visigoths (Nelson, 1991).

References

Also see my full list of sources.

Collins, R. (2004). Visigothic Sain 409-711. Blackwell.

MacDowall,S. (1990). Goths, Huns and Romans. Argus Books.

Nelson, L. H [Trans.] (1991). The Chronicle of San Juan de la Pena: A Fourteenth-Century

Official History of the Crown of Aragon. University of Pennsylvania Press.

Wikipedia: Alans

Wikipedia: Alaric I

Wikipedia: Ataulf

Wikipedia: Maximus of Hispania

Wikipedia: Suebic Kingdom of Galicia

Wikipedia: Suevi

Wikipedia: Timeline of Germanic Kingdoms

Wikipedia: Visigoths

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