ATAÚLFO: BIOGRAPHY, REIGN, MURDER, IMPORTANCE - ARTE - 2025

Ataúlfo was a Visigothic king (372? -415) who came to the throne after the death of his cousin and brother-in-law Alaric I at the beginning of the 5th century. His great legacy has to do with being considered the monarch who began the period of rule of the Visigoths. It was characterized by being a people of Germanic origin that helped the Roman Empire to come to an end.

Ataúlfo's work began as a continuation of the conquering campaigns of Alaric I. Although his first plan was to enter and dominate North Africa through Italy, ultimately his great victory was to establish the Visigoth peoples in some lands of the southern region of Gaul. He managed to conquer Toulouse, Bordeaux and Narbonne.

Raimundo de Madrazo y Garreta, via Wikimedia Commons. His union with Gala Placidia, daughter of Theodosius II, played a very prominent role in the conflict that existed with the Roman Empire. This caused, among other events, that the Germanic peoples had to abandon the lands of Gaul and move to Hispania, where the presence of the Visigoths was maintained for three centuries.

De Ataúlfo highlighted the work he did to form a well-structured government at the political level.

Biography

Almost no data is known about Ataúlfo's life prior to his coronation as king of the Visigoths. He was the son of Atanarico II, who served as judge of the Goth peoples during the fourth century. Even Ataúlfo's year of birth is unknown.

He was part of the Baltinga dynasty that dominated the lands of Hispania and some areas of Gaul from 395 to 531.

He was the first Visigothic king, but among the Goths he was the second to rule the Baltingan dynasty.

Gothic and Visigothic difference

The Goths were civilizations of warriors. Over time they conquered different lands, but they were characterized first by living on the shores of the Baltic Sea and then closer to the Black Sea.

The Visigoth peoples are a division of the Goths. Their classification only depends on the place where they settled to live. In this case it was the group that settled in what is now known as Spain.

Reign

The mandate of Ataúlfo leading the Visigoths only lasted five years, from 410 to 415. He came to power fulfilling the traditions of the Goths. He was voted as leader by an assembly that elected him at the grave of his cousin and brother-in-law Alaric I just as he died.

His mandate was of great relevance for the evolution and political organization of the Visigoths. To begin with, he was the founder of this kingdom and therefore the first king of Spain thanks to the fact that next to his partner, Gala Placidia, they settled in Hispania.

In addition, they became towns of great power thanks to the fact that they were able to consolidate in one area. They also gained military power and a permanent place of residence over the course of several centuries.

Your marriage

The reign of Ataúlfo was of great importance due to his marriage to Gala Placidia. She was a woman who was born when the decline of the Eastern Roman Empire had already begun. She was the daughter of Theodosius I the Great, a member of the Theodosian dynasty.

Historians claimed that when Gala was 20 years old she was captured by the Visigoths during their attacks on Rome. In the end, she married Ataúlfo in Narbonne, an area that today corresponds to France.

There are several theories about the union. For some it was the way Ataulfo ​​managed to join the Roman Empire and gain power. Although there is another group of historians who affirmed that the union, without being liked by the Romans, had more love than political interests on the part of the couple.

The role of Gala Placidia was very prominent in the success of the first Visigoth government. It is believed that she was characterized by being a woman with great aptitudes for politics and was key so that the Visigoths could receive Hispania as their territory.

The couple's first son was named Theodosius. It was an important decision because it definitively marked the union between the Visigoth and Roman civilizations. It was the same name as the father of Gala, who had been the emperor of the empire until 395.

Theodosius, of course, did not live long and was initially buried in Barcelona, ​​since with the passage of time his remains were taken to the Basilica of Saint Peter on Roman soil.

Arrival in Spain

Ataúlfo is designated as the first king of the Visigoths and, therefore, is usually designated as the first king in the history of Spain. However, his arrival on the peninsula was not without controversy.

It all started with a deal between Ataulfo ​​and Emperor Honorius so that the Visigoths could stay in Gallic lands. In return, Ataúlfo had to return Gala Placidia to the Romans, but the Visigoth king never fulfilled his part of the agreement. The Visigoths then expanded their domain and took over other areas such as Narbonne, Toulouse and Bordeaux.

Then, between historians, two theories are used to talk about the arrival of the Goths in Spain. On the one hand, it was stated that Ataúlfo was interested in the lands of Hispania because where he was he was not close to the sea and he was aware of the importance that ports had for the economic and political life of any kingdom.

On the other hand, it was claimed that Ataulfo ​​was punished by the Romans for not fulfilling his end of the bargain. These were dedicated to attack to cross the Pyrenees.

To conquer Spain, Ataúlfo had to fight against other peoples such as the Suevi, Vandals, and Alans who had conquered those lands in previous years. He defeated the vandals and achieved the conquest of Barcelona.

He wanted to work for an understanding with the Roman Empire, but did not have much support. Historians believe that to prevent this union between empires is that they conspired against him and that led to the subsequent assassination of Ataúlfo on August 14, 415.

Situation of Spain

Before the conquest of Ataúlfo and the beginning of the Visigothic reign, the standard of living and importance of Spain was very different from what was later lived. They were territories in a state of complete devastation and ruined.

Before the arrival of Ataúlfo, in 409 the Germanic peoples (Vandals and Swabians) and those of Iranian origin (Alans) caused a large number of fires and deaths in the area. They lived times of great hunger and they also suffered from plagues due to the decomposition of lifeless bodies.

Controversy

Although most have accepted Ataúlfo as the first Visigothic king and therefore of Spain, there are those who question this assertion. The reasons are various.

To begin with, some affirm that during his reign Ataúlfo did not occupy the entire territory of Hispania. For example, it only had control of one area of ​​Tarragona. Although it is also true that there is very little information about the Visigoth presence in these lands.

On the other hand, there are those who prefer to believe that the Catholic Monarchs constituted the first Spanish monarchy. Although it has been shown, without doubt, that the Visigoth kingdom was one of the first to exist on the European continent.

Also the historians have not finished agreeing on the first king of the Visigoths, putting in doubt the importance of Ataúlfo. They have pointed to Leovigildo as the founding monarch of the kingdom and others to Recaredo.

Murder

Neither are all the details about Ataúlfo's death exactly known. It is known that he suffered a conspiracy, although the protagonists of it have not been able to be determined with certainty.

Ataúlfo was assassinated while he was in Barcino. At that time he was dedicated to examining the condition of the horses that were in his possession.

The most accepted theory is that Sigerico, who in the end was the successor of the Visigoth king, planned everything. The person in charge of carrying out the crime would have been a member of the court who had suffered the mockery of the king for some physical characteristic.

In spite of everything, Ataúlfo managed to name his successor before dying. It was not precisely Sigerico who was chosen but the king's younger brother, Walia.

Sigerico did not respect the king's decision and was crowned king of the Visigoths. Sigerico's reign only lasted a week, he was assassinated and then Walia was crowned.

Consequences

In his seven days of reign, Sigerico retaliated against Ataúlfo's family. He killed six of his children and raped Gala Placidia. Then he punished her by condemning them along with other prisoners.

When Walia came to the throne he decided to return Gala Placidia to Emperor Honorius, which improved relations with the Roman Empire.

Importance and recognition

In the end Ataúlfo became the first of the 33 kings who reigned during the time of the Visigoths. The last of them was Rodrigo at the beginning of the 8th century.

A statue of Ataúlfo stands today in the Plaza de Oriente in Madrid, Spain. Along with Ataúlfo there are also four other Visigoth kings: Eurico, Leovigildo, Suintila and Wamba.

References

1. Auvert Eason, E. (1983). Ataulfo, the barbarian king.: Albatross.
2. Bonch Reeves, K. (nd). Visions of Unity after the Visigoths.
3. Eliot, G. (2016). The mill on the Floss. New York: Open Road Integrated Media.
4. Martí Matias, M. (2001). Visigoths, Hispano-Romans and Byzantines in the Valencian area in the 6th century (Spain). Oxford, England: Archeopress.
5. Ripoll López, G. and Velázquez Soriano, I. (1995). Visigothic Hispania. Madrid: History 16, Today's Topics.