Straddling two great empires, Roman and Islamic, they occupied the peninsula for three centuries (414-711). They were not, contrary to what was thought, a particularly bloody or violent people if we compare them with their predecessors or successors, well… they were distinguished by “their passion for regicides ” easily understandable for being, la goda, an elective and non-hereditary monarchy; therefore, the power struggles between the different factions were fierce and used to end with a king dead or, in the best of cases, tonsured – a practice that prevented them from reigning -.
As a sample, some examples:
- Ataúlfo , the first Hispanic king, was assassinated by a slave named Dubius. There are doubts as to whether he was induced or paid by a rival Visigothic faction or by Emperor Honorius, brother of Gala Placidia (kidnapped by Ataúlfo).
- Sigeric , assassinated 7 days after his reign by the followers of Walia, brother of Ataúlfo.
- Turismundo , strangled by his brothers Teodorico and Frederico.
- Theodosius II , died at the hands of his brother Eurico.
- Amalaric , was assassinated in a church in Barcelona by supporters of Teudis.
- Theudis , he was stabbed by a madman but he still had time to save the life of his murderer – perhaps he had remorse when he remembered that he himself had ordered the death of Amalric-.
- Teudiselo , was killed after getting him drunk at a banquet by the Eagle faction.
- Eagle , died after the civil war against Atanagildo aided by the Byzantines.
- Liuva II , was executed by Witeric.
- Witerico , poisoned at a banquet in Toledo.
- Tulga , he was lucky and was dethroned without bloodshed. He was tonsured after drugging him at a banquet.
- Wamba , suffered the same fate as Tulga and retired to a monastery.
Although there will surely be more cases hidden behind "strange causes", there are also kings who died of natural causes, and even at a very old age:Theodoric , Chindasvinto … So, we now know where that long list of Gothic kings whose learning brought many students – when it was taught at school – headaches comes from.
Source:The Adventure of the Goths – Juan Antonio Cebrián