Henceforward the history of the Visigoths and Ostrogoths flows in two divergent streams. Be fore tracing either of these, however, it should be mentioned that the Goths. for the most part, became converts to Christianity about the middle of the fourth century, adopting the Arian form of belief. Here, also, it may be stated that the term Mcesogoths was applied to certain of the western Goths, who, having settled in Mcesia, de voted themselves to agricultural pursuits, under the protection of the Roman Emperors.
VISIGOTics. Upon the death of Theodosius the Great in 395, and the partition of the Empire between Honoring and Areadius, the renowned rie. King of the Visigoths, invaded Greece with an army of his countrymen. His retreat was purchased by giving him a commission to govern Illyrieum. In 402 he invaded Italy. took and pillaged Rome (410), and was preparing to carry his arms into Sicily and Africa, when his career was arrested by death. (See ALARM ) Marie was succeeded in the sovereignty by Athaulf (410-415), who, having married Placidia, the sister of Honorius, withdrew from Italy into the south of Gaul, and about 412 crossed the Pyrenees into Spain. Athaulf was assassinated at Barcelona, and his successor, Sigeric, dying the same year, the choice of the Goths now fell on Wallia (415-419), who extended his power over a great part of Southern Gaul and Spain, and made Toulouse his capital. The Goths, under this monarch, greatly assisted the Romans in their contests with the Vandals and the Alani. Wallia was succeeded by Theodoric I. (419-451), son of the great Alaric. He lost his life fighting on the side of the Romans against Attila at Chalons, leaving the throne to his son, Thoris mund (451-453), who, however, was assassinated by his brother TI1EODORIC II. (453-466), who was himself assassinated by his brother Eurie (466 483). The reign of Euric was unusually bril liant and successful. He extended the sovereignty of the Visigoths considerably both in France and Spain, introduced the arts of civilization among his subjects, and drew up for their use a code of laws. Under his successors, Alaric II. (483 507 ) and Amalaric (507-531), however, the kingdom of the Visigoths declined before that of the Franks. Alaric II. fell by the hands of Clovis in battle, and Amalaric was killed by the hand of an assassin. Under the latter's successor, Theudis, the rule of the Visigoths was con fined exclusively to Spain. Theudis was in his turn assassinated in his palace at Barcelona in the year 548. It will not be necessary to trace the long line of Visigothic kings that subse quently ruled in Spain from this period down to the year 711. The Visigothic power was com pletely broken by the Saracen invaders on the battlefield of Jerez de la Frontera. (See SPAIN.) OSTROGoTtts. At the coming of the Huns, part of the Ostrogoths had been conquered and com pelled to lend aid; thus they joined Attila in his renowned expedition against Gaul, and fell by thousands under the swords of their kinsmen, the Visigoths, at the battle of Chalons, in 451. After this they obtained a settlement
in Pannonia, where they were joined by the other Ostrogoths, who had, at the coming of the Huns, been admitted within the Roman Empire. In 476 Theodorie. the greatest of the Ostrogoth sovereigns, succeeded to the throne upon the death of his father, Theodemir. He directed his arms almost immediately against the Eastern Emperor, Zeno; and having gained considerable advantages over him, obtained a grant of some of the richest provinces in the Empire. Eventually, he was named chief of the Imperial guard. and consul for the year 484. In 488, with the consent and advice of Zeno, he planned an immense expedition again Odoacer, King in Italy. who had held that position since 476, when he dethroned Romulus Augustulus, the last of the Western emperors. Theodoric utterly defeated Odoaeer, slew him, it is said. with his own hand, in 493, and reigned undisturbed sover eign of Italy until his death in 526. The seat of his empire was at Ravenna, and in 500 he visited Rome. when he convened a meeting of the Senate, and declared that it was his intention to rule the people committed to his charge with even handed justice. To a great extent, he fulfilled this promise, and governed his subjects, upon the whole, wisely and to their advantage. The glory of his reign was, however, sullied by the execu tion of two of the most distinguished men of that age, Bo6thius and Symmachus, upon the plea that they were engaged in a conspiracy against him. In the disorders consequent upon the death of Theodoric, the Emperor Justinian sought to win back Italy to the allegiance of the emperors of Constantinople; and for this purpose he dis patched Belisarius at the head of an army into that country. In 536 Belisarius entered Rome, which he held for his master, although invited by the Goths to become himself their King; but all his and his successor's efforts to subdue the Goths were at that time utterly fruitless. Totila (541-552), a noble Goth, was elected as suc cessor to Vitiges, the antagonist of Belisarius, but was conquered in the battle of Tagina, by the Imperial general Narses, in the year 552. In that battle Totila received his death wound, and was succeeded by Teias, who did all that a brave man could to repair the misfortunes of his coun trymen. It was to no effect, however, for he also was killed in battle in the following year. The Ostrogoths, broken and dispersed by their calamities, henceforward disappear from history as a distinct nation, their throne in Italy being filled by the exarchs of Ravenna; while the na tion generally became absorbed in the indiscrim inate mass of Alani, Vandals, Burgundians, and Franks, who had from time to time established themselves in the dominions of the old Roman Empire. Consult Bradley, The Story of the Goths (New York, 1888).