The visigoths controlled Rome, and then later went to Spain and founded Hispania. When Muslims conquered the lands, the Visigoths started the Reconquista. They fought the Byzantines for control of land on the south of Spain. Byzantine Empire was on small stretch of land in southern Spain and northern Africa (Casablanca, Morocco, Tunis, ect ect) before the first Islamic Caliphate destroyed their presence and then began attacking the Visigoths.
Visigoths were incredibly important to history of Spain. They had extreme influence in Galicia/Asturias region, and from there they migrated to Ireland and Scotland and all those places, and colonized. Even Celtic people came from Galicia, thats where they got Gaelic, because Galicia was called Gael, and Galicians invented the bagpipes.
There is so much Visigothic history, a TV show if done right will not run out of content for at least 10 years. Its incredible how much influence they had and then became forgotten.
I had the privilege to visit a Visigothic church from 6th century in Galicia 4 months ago. The Spanish gov't do not want to preserve it, an older woman volunteers to take care of it and show it to visitors. Santa Comba de Bande church. Best preserved fresco paintings thanks to cold weather and not many visitors.
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theromanempire-1
8 years ago
hmm.....let me correct a few historical facts u posted the wrong way.
yes visigoths were important for the history of spain and general for the history of the roman empire but u got a few facts wrong.
visigoths were roman federates officially when they controlled rome in 410 AD and it was the cause of many circumstances and betrayals that they occupied rome for 3 days which was due to saru's betrayal to the emperor Honorius who wanted peace with Alaric. Alaric wanted land and Honorius was ready to give him Pannonia and have Alaric as an ally but sarus hated Alaric and broke of the negotiation as he attacked Alaric's men and then Alaric had no choice but to attack rome but he died a while later and then the visigoths went to gaul and established a federate roman-kingdom there and fought with the romans against Attila in 451 AD.
in spain they went after 507 AD but most of time they acted as roman federates and fought in rome's name the sueves of north-western spain .
in 550 AD Athanagild sought the support of Justinian the eastern roman emperor in his war against king agila and patrician liberius conquered south-eastern spain which remained under new rome for 70 years.
until 600 AD the visigoths in spain produced coins having the image of the roman emperor of the east.
1) Visigoths were most of times roman federates and continued to be until 600 AD and the reign of Heraclius.
2) visigoths never founded HISPANIA as u wrongly said. HISPANIA took the name of the former roman province.....spain - Hispania. IT'S A ROMAN NAME.
3) the visigothic kingdom in spain was in theory under the influence of the roman emperor in Constantinople = new rome until 600 AD and the visigoths minted coins bearing the bust of the roman emperor. ALL BARBARIANS OF THE WEST DID THAT ECCEPT THE VANDALS AS THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE ROMANS TOO HOLDING GUARD IN THE WESTERN PROVINCES IN THE NAME OF ROME AND EAST ROME.
4) THERE WERE NEVER A BYZANTINE EMPIRE my friend. the roman empire was nominally one after theodosiu's death in 395 AD and after the last emperor Romulus was deposed in the west in 476 AD ALL THE WESTERN BARBARIAN TRIBES AND THE ELITES RECOGNISED THE EASTERN EMPEROR AS SOLE EMPEROR OF THE ONE AND UNDIVIDED ROMAN EMPIRE UNTIL CHARLEMAGNE RESURRECTED THE WESTERN EMPIRE IN 800 AD.
ONLY AFTER 800 AD THE ROMAN EMPIRE WAS DIVIDED PERMANTELY NOT BEFORE.
BYZANTINE EMPIRE = EASTERN ROMAN EMPIRE
I'm a greek and still today we are called....ROMIOS = ROMAN in greek.
5) The visigothic kings in the 6th century AD publicly declared THE ROMAN EMPEROR OF THE EAST AS THEIR ROMAN EMPEROR TOO AND THAT ANYONE WHO WANTS TO HARM THE EMPEROR IS GUILTY OF TREASON.
6) The visigoths as a nation would not have existed at all if the traitor roman general STILICKO had destroyed them as he could have when he defeated Alaric many times first in Greece after 400 AD and then in Italy but stilicko wanted to use Alaric to defeat more dangerous barbarians and the visigoths were saved by a miracle. of course afterwards the visigoths grew stronger and played a huge part in the western empire's policies until the arabs destroyed them in 711 AD.
those are facts my friend so never again underestimate the power the romans had in the barbarian tribes even after western rome collapsed in 476 AD.
don't forget most of those tribes wanted to serve rome and were placed by rome in the provinces AS ROMAN FEDERATES.
when Justinian landed in spain in 550 AD many cities rebelled against the visigoths and declared for EAST ROME.
Yes the visigoths then made a stand against roman army and they managed to stop them from conquering all spain only cause there was a plague in Europe by then and Justinian could not send re-inforcements so east rome had to settle with part of spain until 626 AD when Heraclius withdrew from spain due to the roman-Persian war.
THE MODERN SPANISH PEOPLE BELIEVE THE ROMANS ARE THEIR ANCESTORS LIKE THE FRENCH PEOPLE AND THE ITALIAN PEOPLE DO.
SPANISH LANGUAGE, FRENCH LANGUAGE, ITALIAN LANGUAGE ARE ALL DERIVED FROM LATIN.
ROME IS EVERYWHERE MY FRIEND......WE THE GREEKS GOT THE ROMAN NAME TOO.
ROME IS IN THE EAST AND IN THE WEST. ROMAN LAW IS EVERYWHERE. ROMAN ROADS.
GREEK-ROMAN CIVILIZATION SHAPED EUROPE.
WE ARE ALL BROTHERS AND THE BARBARIANS WANTED TO BE PART OF THE GREAT ROMAN EMPIRE IN THOSE DARK PAST YEARS.
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pelagius-14590
8 years ago
I have to disagree, because the Byzantine Empire was in southern Spain and northern Africa. Corduba (modern name Cordoba) and Malaca (modern day Malaga) Carthago Spartania (modern day Cartagena) and Tingis is modern day Morroco and Septem (modern day Ceuta).
All those regions are Byzantine empire. The rest of Spain was Visigothic, they fought each other, Visigoths kept eating away at lands. The first Islamic Caliphate came and wiped out all of the Byzantine presence in Spain and slowly brought Muslim rule in Spain.
The Visigoths were strong people, they drove away Vikings time and time again, and the Reconquista was started by Pelagius, king of Asturias in the 7th century and early 8th century. The battle of Covadonga was the first battle of the Reconquista. His son in law is Alfonso I "El Catolico"
The official lineage of Kings in Spain at the beginning it says "Reyes Cristianos de los Godos", Christian Visigothic Kings. The current king Felipe VI is of Visigothic bloodline according to official documents.
Romans had a presence in Spain but it was most likely just for resources, since there are until this day abondoned mines and quarries, and also using northern Spain as a catapult to enter the islands of modern day UK/Ireland.
Ancient Roman civilization was VERY diverse anyway so to say Roman civilization formed Europe its like saying a dozen different countries formed Europe. I know for a fact many ancient Assyrians held high positions in Rome. The movie Gladiator was based on an Assyrian from Syria, he was even offered the Roman Throne 3 times and declined all 3 times.
I myself am from Spain. My last name is Visigothic, it means "Son of Roderic". Can you guess what last name it is? I am also half Assyrian, my middle name is the ancient name of Syria. Technically it was part of Assyria but there was another name.
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theromanempire-1
8 years ago
Rome conquered spain before the Christ was born and became a peaceful roman province for 500 years until the 5th century turmoil begun in 406 AD with the barbarian invasions in western Europe.
In 212 AD emperor Caracalla gave roman citizenship to all free men of roman empire and so Spanish population became Spanish-roman population so when visigoths became masters in spain after 500 AD they had to deal with Spanish-romans who thought they were part of the roman empire.
since u are related to the visigoths u should know what a visigothic king of the 6th century AD said about the eastern roman emperor Justinian.
"THE ROMAN EMPEROR IS GOD ON EARTH AND EVERYONE WHO PLOTS AGAINST HIM IS GUILTY OF TREASON"
Spanish language is derived from latin the rome's language.
Roman emperor Trajan was born in spain in first century AD.
THESE ARE FACTS
If the visigoths were independent from rome why athanagild sought in 550 AD the support of the roman emperor and why they minted coins bearing the name of the roman emperor until 600 AD ?
My friend the visigoths were part of the roman system and the Reconquista u refer happened many centuries later after 1,000 AD. the arabs conquered spain after 700 AD and kept spain for 300 years and then Reconquista begun.
Until 600 AD the visigoths were part of rome's empire even in theory only and not only the visigoths but the franks, the burgudians and your cousins the ostrogoths.
GREAT KING THEODERIC THE OSTROGOTH RULER OF ITALY FROM 493-526 AD AS A VICEROY OF ROMAN EMPEROR ZENO ALSO CONTROLLED SPAIN FOR A TIME (through his infant grandson who was born from a marriage between an Ostrogoth and a visigoth ) AND SPAIN WAS NOMINALLY PART OF THE EMPIRE.
Check those facts.
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