Alaric II
Alaric II was the king of the Visigoths, ascending to the throne on December 28, 484 CE after the death of his father, Euric. His reign took place during a time when the Visigothic kingdom, often referred to as the kingdom of Toulouse, spanned parts of modern-day Spain and southern Gaul. In 502 CE, Alaric II successfully negotiated peace with Clovis, the Frankish king, ending years of conflict between their kingdoms. Notably, in 506 CE, he issued the Breviarum Alaricianum, a significant legal document that codified Roman law for the Visigoths, drawing from earlier legal texts like the Codex Theodosiusianus. Despite these achievements, Alaric II's reign came to a tragic end in 507 CE when he was defeated and killed by Clovis at the Battle of Vouillé, leading to the collapse of the Visigothic kingdom. His legislative contributions, particularly the Breviarum Alaricianum, would have a lasting impact on legal frameworks in the early medieval period. Alaric II’s legacy reflects the complexities of leadership and the cultural interactions of the time.
Alaric II
Related civilizations: Visigoths, Franks
Major role/position: Visigoth king
Life
Alaric II (AL-uh-rihk) was the son of the Visigoth king Euric and Ragnahild. After Euric died from natural causes, Alaric II became king of the Visigoths on December 28, 484 c.e. The Visigothic kingdom, sometimes referred to as the kingdom of Toulouse, encompassed Spain and southern Gaul. In 502 c.e., Alaric II and the Frankish king Clovis were able to come to terms and end the constant fighting between their kingdoms. In February of 506 c.e., Alaric II issued the Breviarum Alaricianum (also known as Lex Romana Visigothorum, 506 c.e.; “Alaric’s breviary”), which was a Visigothic codification of Roman law based on the Codex Theodosiusianus (438 c.e.; The Theodosian Code, 1952).
The peace between the Franks and Visigoths was short-lived, and in 507 c.e., the Christian Clovis declared war on the Arian Goths. That summer at Vouillé near Poitiers, the Frankish army defeated the Visigoths, and Alaric II was killed, ending the Visigothic kingdom.
Influence
Although the death of Alaric II resulted in the destruction of the Visigoth kingdom, his legislation, the Breviarum Alaricianum, became the basis for Roman law in the early medieval world.
Bibliography
Heather, P. J. The Goths. Malden, Mass.: Blackwell Publishing, 1997.
Jones, A. H. M. The Later Roman Empire, 284-602. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1964. Reprint. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1986.
Wolfram, Herwig. The Roman Empire and Its Germanic Peoples. Translated by Thomas Dunlap. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1997.