VISIGOTHS, viz'i-goths, or WEST GOTHS, the western branch of the Goths (q.v.), who, after the death of Theodosius, broke into Italy under the leadership of Alaric, and captured Rome in 410. Alaric died later in the same year before he had matured his plans, and after his death his brother-in-law Athaulf, who was placed at the head of the nation, turning toward Gaul, made new con quests on both sides of the Pyrenees. He reached Barcelona, where he was murdered m 415; but his successors continued to extend their dominions in Gaul and Spain. Wallia made a treaty with the Romans, and in return for cer tain services received under their nominal suze rainty, though in virtual independence, western Aquitania, with Toulouse as capital. He died in 419. His successor, Theodoric I (419-451), was treated by the Romans as an independent ruler, and took part in the victory over Attila on the Catalaunian Fields in 451, Euric (466-483), third in succession to Theodoric, conquered the Suevi and other races, and is considered the founder of the Visigothic kingdom. Clovis, king of the Franks, on pretense that it was un just to let the heretic Visigoths possess the fair est portion of Gaul, attacked the peaceful Alaric, Euric's successor, and defeated him at Vougle in 507. The Franks obtained possession, with out resistance, of most of the cities in southern Gaul, and the kingdom of the Visigoths would have been in great danger had not Theodoric, king of the Ostrogoths, undertaken its defense. While guardian of the Visigothic prince, his grandson, he embraced the favorable opportu nity to make himself master of a part of the ter ritories still belonging to the Visigoths in south ern Gaul; and after slow separation of the two nations there existed far 'a time an intimate con-. necuon of the Ostrogoths and Visigoths. After his. death, dissensions arose among the Visi goths, and the pernicious influence of differences. of religion became more and•more evident. The kingdom of the Visigoths arose again with new energy under Leovigild (568-586), who totally. subdued the Suevi; improved the laws, limited the power of the nobles, made Toledo the royal residence and tried to render the regal power hereditary. His son Recared adopted the Cath-, olic faith on his accession (586=601), upon which the divisions of the people ceased, and Goths and Spaniards became one nation. Under
his reign was held the Council of Toledo. His conversion had the most important influence on the character of the government. As soon as the Catholic faith became the established re ligion, the clergy, who had been completely sub servient to the king under. the Arian form of Christianity, acquired a predomivant influence, and constituted 'a hierarchy under the direc tion of the papal authority. The Arian bishops had lived quietly in their dioceses, and had no infhienee on the public administration; but the Catholic bishops obtained an active par ticipation in public affairs. The grandees of the lcingdom, usurping the rights of popular repre sentatives, remained no longer the first class in the state; the mode of choosing the king was altered in favor of the bishops; and under weak kings these found it easy to place themselves at the head of the state and to procure exemption from 'all public burdens. As early as 633 the regulation was made that those secular grandees alone should be admitted to the councils who should be pronounced worthy by the bishops. Internal disturbances facilitated the conquest of the country by the Saracens, who were settled on the north coast of Africa. In 675 these Mo hammedans had begun their attempts to settle in Spain, and during die rcign of the weak Roder ick were enabled to execute their project. The Goths were defeated in 711 at Xeres de la Fron tera; the king was slain, and the Saracens spread themselves over the greatest part of the coun try. (See SPAIN). The remainder of the Goths, who, after the downfall of the kingdom, Red to the mountains of Asturia and Galicia, founded there new kingdoms, in which the con stitutions of the Visigoths were in part retained, and which, when their descendants broke forth from their fastenesses and wrested from the Moorish settlers one tract after another, finally gave rise to the lcingdoms of Spain and Portu g.al. The traces of the public institutions of the Visigoths were preserved in the laws. The mast ancient collection of Spanish laws, the Fuero Juzgo, or Forum Judicum (see Ft,no); is drawn from the ancient laws of the Visigoths; and many of their institutions have been re tained to the present day in the provincial laws of Castile and Catalonia. The Spanish language contains a Strong admixture of the Gothic ele ment. Consult Hodgkin, 'Italy and her In vaders'