Amalaric facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Amalaric
King of the Visigoths
Illustration of Amalaric Painting of Amalaric by a renaissance painter
Rex Hispania
Reign	522 - 531
Predecessor	Gesalec
Successor	Theudis
Born	502
Died	c. 531 (29 years)
Spouse	Chrotilda
Father	Alaric II
Mother	Theodegotha
Religion	later Arianism

Amalaric (Gothic: *Amalareiks; Spanish and Portuguese: Amalarico; 502–531) was a king of the Visigoths. He ruled from 522 until he died in 531. He was the son of King Alaric II and his first wife, Theodegotha. Theodegotha was the daughter of a very important ruler named Theoderic the Great.

Amalaric's Early Life and Becoming King

When Amalaric's father, King Alaric II, was killed in a battle in 507, the Visigothic kingdom faced big problems. This battle was against Clovis I, the king of the Franks. After Alaric II died, his kingdom became very disorganized.

Alaric II had not chosen who would be king after him. He had two sons. One son, Gesalec, was old enough to rule but was not born from a legal marriage. The other son was Amalaric. Amalaric was born from a legal marriage, but he was still a child.

To keep Amalaric safe, he was taken to Spain. His grandfather, Theoderic the Great, then ruled Spain and a region called Provence. Theoderic ruled through a helper named Theudis. Meanwhile, Gesalec was chosen as king, but his rule was not successful.

King Theoderic sent an army to help Amalaric. This army was led by Theudis. They fought against Gesalec, who then ran away. The Ostrogoths also pushed back the Franks and their allies. They got back some important areas, including parts of Gaul. After Clovis died in 511, Theoderic made peace with Clovis's sons. This peace helped the Visigoths keep control of southern Gaul.

In 522, when Amalaric was still young, he was officially named king. Four years later, in 526, Theoderic the Great died. Amalaric then took full control as king. However, he gave the region of Provence to his cousin, Athalaric.

Challenges and Conflicts as King

Amalaric's kingdom faced threats from the Franks in the north. To try and make peace, Amalaric married Chrotilda. She was the daughter of Clovis, the Frankish king.

However, this marriage did not bring peace. Chrotilda was a Christian who followed the Orthodox faith. Amalaric, like many Visigoths, followed a different Christian belief called Arianism. Amalaric tried to make Chrotilda change her religion. He treated her very badly. Chrotilda sent a cloth stained with her own blood to her brother, Childebert I, who was the king of Paris. This showed him how badly she was being treated.

Historians say that we should be careful when reading about these events. The writer who told this story, Gregory of Tours, sometimes let his religious beliefs affect how he wrote about the Franks. But it is clear that the Franks got involved.

Amalaric's Death

Childebert I, Chrotilda's brother, attacked the Visigothic army. He defeated them and captured the city of Narbonne. Amalaric ran away to Barcelona in the south.

In Barcelona, Amalaric was killed by his own men. Some historians believe that Theudis, who used to help Amalaric's grandfather, was involved in Amalaric's death. Theudis certainly gained power after Amalaric died. Chrotilda also died on her way back home. Childebert had her body brought to Paris, where she was buried next to her father, Clovis.

See also

In Spanish: Amalarico para niños