Egica facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Egica |
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Egica in the 9th-century Codex Vigilanus
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| King of the Visigoths | |
| Reign | 15 November 687 – 701/703 |
| Predecessor | Erwig |
| Successor | Wittiza |
| Born | c. 610 Visigothic Kingdom |
| Died | 701/703 (aged 91–93) Visigothic Kingdom |
| Spouse |
Cixilo
(m. invalid year) |
| Issue | Wittiza Oppas |
Egica (born around 610, died between 701 and 703) was a Visigoth king who ruled Hispania (modern-day Spain and Portugal) and Septimania (part of modern-day France). He became king in 687 and ruled until his death. Egica was related to a previous king, Wamba, as his nephew.
Contents
Becoming King of the Visigoths
Egica became king after his father-in-law, King Erwig. Egica was married to Erwig's daughter, Cixilo, around the year 670. Before Erwig died on November 14, 687, he named Egica as the next king. Egica was then crowned and officially became king on November 24.
Promises Made by Egica
When Egica married Cixilo, he made a promise to King Erwig. He swore he would protect Erwig's children. Later, just before Erwig died, he asked Egica to make another promise. This second promise was to always be fair and give justice to all the people.
Solving a Royal Problem
Soon after becoming king, Egica felt these two promises were difficult to keep at the same time. He believed that being fair to everyone might mean not being able to fully protect Erwig's children. So, in May 688, he called a big meeting of bishops called the Fifteenth Council of Toledo. He asked them to help him decide which promise to follow.
The council decided that Egica could separate from his wife, Cixilo. However, they only partly let him out of his promise to protect Erwig's children. Egica waited a few years until a powerful bishop named Julian died in 690. After that, he called another meeting. This new meeting led to Erwig's widow, Liuvigoto, being sent to a convent, a place where religious women live.
Important Events During Egica's Rule
King Egica's time as ruler saw some notable events, including new buildings and challenges to his power.
Building a Church
In 691, King Egica started the construction of an important church. This church was called San Pedro de la Nave. It was built in a place known today as Zamora, in Spain.
A Rebellion Against the King
In 693, a powerful church leader named Sisebert, who was the metropolitan of Toledo, tried to overthrow Egica. Sisebert wanted another man named Suniefred to become king instead. The rebels even took control of Toledo for a short time. They made coins with Suniefred's name on them, showing he was meant to be the new king.
However, their plan to kill Egica and some of his important advisors failed. As a result, Sisebert lost his church position and was banned from the church. His family was also stopped from holding any official jobs in the future. Other people who joined the rebellion and their families were forced into slavery.
Laws Made by King Egica
Egica made several new laws during his reign, some of which were very strict.
Laws About Jewish Communities
In 693, Egica created very strict laws against Jewish people. He claimed this was because he believed there was a plan by Jewish people, both inside and outside the country, to overthrow Christian leaders.
Under these laws, all land owned by Jewish people was taken away. Jewish people were also made to serve Christians. All Jewish children over the age of seven were taken from their families and raised as Christians. However, these laws were not always put into practice. In some towns, Jewish people were very important for the economy, so the laws were not enforced there. Also, as the Visigothic kingdom became weaker, these laws were mostly only followed in the capital city.
Changes to Trial by Ordeal
Egica also changed an old law about how people were judged if they were accused of stealing. Before Egica, if someone was accused of stealing goods worth a lot of money (300 solidi), they had to go through a "trial by boiling water." This was a dangerous test where the accused had to put their hand in boiling water. If their hand healed quickly, they were thought to be innocent. Egica changed this law so that anyone accused of stealing, no matter how small the amount, had to go through this difficult trial.
Egica also lowered taxes for people. However, this did not seem to make him more popular. He also got the bishops to agree to say prayers for him and his family in every main church in Hispania.
Egica's Death and Who Ruled Next
Egica made sure his son would become king after him.
Sharing Power with His Son
As early as 694, Egica began to rule alongside his son, Wittiza. Even though Wittiza was still young, Egica wanted to make sure he would take over smoothly. In 700, one of Egica's last actions was to have Wittiza officially crowned as king.
The End of His Reign
Egica died peacefully in his bed sometime between 701 and 703. He was able to ensure that his son Wittiza would become the next king.
Other Children of Egica
Egica had another son named Oppas. Oppas later became an Archbishop or Bishop of Seville. He joined forces with Musa bin Nusair and Tariq ibn Ziyad against King Roderic during the Umayyad conquest of Hispania, which was when Muslim armies conquered parts of Spain. Egica also had a son named Sisebuto. Sisebuto and his descendants became leaders of the Christians in Coimbra, a city in modern-day Portugal.
Sources
- Collins, Roger. The Arab Conquest of Spain, 710–97. Oxford University Press, 1989.
- Collins, Roger. Visigothic Spain, 409–711. Blackwell Publishing, 2004.
- Thompson, E. A. The Goths in Spain. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1969.
Images for kids
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Egica in the 9th-century Codex Vigilanus
See also
In Spanish: Égica para niños
