Théodoric the Large one

Biography

Wire of the king Thiumidir, Théodoric is born one year after Ostrogoths had put an end to the domination Huns. As of its childhood until the seven years age, where it was sent as an hostage in Constantinople, the priests of the castle taught in Théodoric “the Bible translated for Goths by wise Wulfila. They taught him as the Latin words as one must know when one has to control the nations”. Its military training was very hard and very length, because there was always the possibility that an enemy, or the Roman empire itself, decides to drive out Ostrogoths of Pannonia or to send them to fight with far; their future king was to thus be ready with any possibility. It was the task of military chiefs who to teach to him how to fight and how to direct an army. “With them he learned how to handle the heavy sword slightly, to make use of the lance, to plant with an aim of the infallible arrows. One imposed the hard ones and long rides to him which aguerrirent it. It had to support tiredness and the hunger, the heat of the sun and the icy rain. Sometimes, when the child, exhausted, prepared himself to ask for grace, a severe glance of the old rider made it be rectified on its saddle, and without same as it had been ordered to him, it put his mounting at the gallop”. If that seems cruel towards a child, it is not less than that forged the body and the heart of Théodoric and gave him a will out of the commun run, as well as astonishing military capacities and effectiveness. But Théodoric was not either a being without passion other than the war, it affectionnait particularly the poems of the old men scaldes, where it re-examined the exploits of its ancestors. It is sent, still child, with Constantinople, where it is used as hostage in guarantee of the treaty concluded by his father with the Byzantine Empire. Raised like a Romain, treated well by the emperors Leon I {{er}} and Zénon, he learns much on the government and military control from an empire. Théodoric was very disappointed when it penetrated in Byzance and even when it saw the emperor. It realized that they are the barbarians who saved the empire on several occasions, because the Romans were not any more of the warriors, they were soft and declining. On the other hand, it could quickly recognize the true Master of the empire when it saw it: Aspar, the barbarian general of the empire of Byzance. A certain feeling of superiority towards the Romans was born in him at this time, indicator which the noblest figures were the barbarians with Byzance. Théodoric did not bite either with the trap of the Byzantines who tried to establish in the young barbarians a Roman mentality and of admiration for the empire. It will return only around its seventeenth year and will become almost at once the king of Ostrogoths, into 488. After having proven reliable by overcoming enemy people with volunteers of his people, it started to see larger: Italy. On the other hand, it was to get rid of Byzance above all. When it has a score of years, it turns over in its fatherland and becomes king of the Ostrogoths in 488.

When Théodoric had access to the throne ostrogothic, it hastened to set up a network of information to know at which moment to strike its enemies. It aimed Constantinople at this time. The desired moment came into 475, whereas the Zénon emperor was with the races of tanks, there was a great rising and Zénon had of another choice to only flee. A chaos was now in the city, time that all is calmed to acclaim the new emperor, Basiliscus, which had received the assistance of Théoderic Strabo, which was possibly going to cause the debate again of which is the true king of Goths. That took two years following the forfeiture of Zénon before the perfect moment arrives, and Théodoric penetrated in Byzance. The only reason why Théodoric, in its stratagem, had brought back Zénon under emperor by taking Byzance, it was for the religious question, because the religious leaders of Byzance would never have let it go up on the throne, being to him a arien, therefore an heretic. After this victory with Byzance, Théodoric turned finally to its original intention: Italy, and amorça its countryside in 488. Moreover, it had an unexpected support for this adventure: Zénon, which required of Théodoric to go to drive out Odoacre of Italy, which it agreed to do with joy, because the success of Odoacre in Italy “of a federation of the German auxiliaries was like a spine in its flesh”.

To the same moment, to reaffirm its authority, Zénon sends Théodoric in Italy to relieve Odoacre, king of the Hérules, who reversed the Roman Empire of Occident in 476 and who is vassal more and more stirring up. Italy was, at that time, the field of Odoacre. The descent of Théodoric caused an immense agitation through all the Occident, each barbarian tribe hesitating between pushing back the invader or joining him to divide the spoils. Some joined it, others tried to betray it, but Théodoric did not leave berner and went to the combat into 489, where it will gain with surprise, the men of Odoacre having fled in front of him. Théodoric had from now on Italy into 493, time to eliminate any threat and to put the hand on Odoacre, which fled, and by the fact that there was treason, and certain cruel tribes had decided to go down to Italy to drive out Goths of it. It had to charge Ravenne to eliminate the threat from Odoacre, which arrived into 493, where after two years of head office of Ravenne the former chief of Italy had of another choice only to negotiate peace, but Théodoric killed it later twenty days, having learned that Odoacre brooded a treason again. There was no more pressing threat for Théodoric and its dream. It founds an autonomous kingdom there, granting nevertheless to the Romans the possibility of being subjected to the Roman laws and the Roman jurisdictions, while Goths preserve their own habits. It conquers then the Rhétie, the Norique, the Pannonia and the Dalmatie. Tying matrimonial alliances with everyone barbarian, it contains the franques ambitions , defending the Visigoths against them, in particular at the time of the seat of Arles in 507 - 508 - since 507 and the Battle of Vouillé at the time which Alaric II, king of the Visigoths, was killed by Clovis, Théodoric is the tutor of the young king, Amalaric, then 6 years old. In 524, it takes part in the first division of the kingdom of the Burgondes.

Théodoric had a great influence in Italy. First of all, it almost succeeds in unifying Italy which was always divided. It died without being parvenu there, but the movement was engaged and others after him were going to take the changing, the next one being Charlemagne three centuries later. It also succeeded in introducing a social system mixing the old Roman system and certain aspects ostrogothic. After her death, his/her Amalasonte daughter and her Athalaric grandson were not any more in safety because Ostrogoths saw them from now on, with reason, as heavily romanized beings which wanted to change their culture. Both were assassinated a few years later.

Théodoric is of faith arienne. At the end of its reign, the Byzantine Empereur Justin I {{er}} persecutes the ariens, also Théodoric reacts it by breaking with the pope Jean I {{er}} and by persecuting, on its side, the catholic .

Théodoric dies in 526 of Dysenterie. It is buried with Ravenne, where its tomb constitutes one of the most interesting monuments of the city (it is covered with an enormous cupola monolith). After him, his/her daughter Amalasonte becomes regent for her grandson Athalaric.

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