Ataulf Visigoths (abt. 370 - abt. 415)

Husband of Galla Placidia — married 1 Jan 0414 (to 0415) in Narbonne

Died about Sep 0415 at about age 45 in Faventia, Hispania

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Athaulf Visigoths was a member of aristocracy in ancient Europe. Join: Medieval Project Discuss: medieval

Biography

Name

Athaulf's name also appears as

• Athavulf
• Atawulf
• Ataulf
• Latinized as Ataulphus ^[1]

370 Birth and Parents

Athaulf was born about 370 CE ^[1]

Athaulf was born around 0370. His birth place is not known. ^[2]

Athaulf was previously linked to parents Of the Heruli-1 and Of Gothland-1 but this relationship is clearly not right. Rassinot-1 05:03, 21 April 2018 (UTC) and no reliable sourcing exists for it.

Brother-in-law of Alaric

Cawley identifies Athaulf as Adulphus ^[3] brother-in-law of Alaric, ^[1]

First Marriage

Athaulf married at least twice. Reliable sourcing for his first wife has not been found. Athaulf was previously linked as husband to Argotta Franken, but this appears geographically unlikely and no basis has been found for this relationship.

411 Reign

In 410 CE, Athaulf (Ataulf), succeeded his brother-in-law, Alaric I.^[4]

Athaulf, also known as Athavulf, Atawulf, Ataulf, Ataulphus or Adolphus, was King of the Visigoths from 411 to 415. He led his troops from Italia to Gallia and eventually to Hispania. During his reign, he transformed the Visigothic state from a tribal kingdom to a major political power of Late Antiquity.

He was king of the Goths in Spain. ^[3]

Athaulf was was king of the Visigoths from 411 to 415. During his reign, he transformed the Visigothic state from a tribal kingdom to a major political power of Late Antiquity.^[1]

Athaulf was unanimously elected to the throne to succeed his brother-in-law Alaric, who had been struck down by a fever suddenly in Calabria. King Athaulf's first act was to halt Alaric's southward expansion of the Goths in Italy. ^[1]

412 Departure from Italy

In the spring of 412 Athaulf led his followers out of Italy into a momentarily pacified Gaul, living off the countryside, possibly under the advice of Priscus Attalus, whom Alaric had set up as emperor in Rome in opposition to Honorius at Ravenna. With Athaulf was the emperor's half-sister Galla Placida as a "respected hostage." ^[1]

413 Narbonne and Toulouse

Athaulf and the Visigoths took possession of Narbonne and Toulouse in 413. ^[1]

414 Second Marriage to Galla Placida

His second wife ^[5] was a hostage that his predecessor Alaric had taken prior to the fall of Rome, the illustrious Galla Placidia.

When relations with Honorius improved, the alliance was cemented with the marriage between Athaulf and Galla Placidia in January 414. "The nuptials were celebrated with high Roman festivities and magnificent gifts from the Gothic booty. Priscus Attalus gave the wedding speech, a classical epithalamium." ^[1]

On 1 January 414 in Narbonne, Aelia Galla Placidia (392 – 27 Nov 450). ^[6] married Athaulf. ^[7]

Galla Placidia traveled with Athaulf. Their son, Theodosius, died in infancy and was buried in Hispania in a silver-plated coffin. ^[1]

415 Death

In Hispania, Athaulf imprudently accepted into his service one of the late Sarus' followers, unaware that the man harbored a secret desire to avenge the death of his beloved patron. And so, in the palace at Barcelona, the man brought Athaulf's reign to a sudden end by killing him while he bathed. ^[1] Athaulf was murdered in Barcelona during August or September of 415, ending a reign of five years. ^[1]

Galla Placidia was returned to Ravenna where, in 417, at the urging of Honorius, she remarried, her new husband being the implacable enemy of the Goths, Constantius.^[1]

Athaulf died 15 August 415. ^[1]

Athaulf died in August or Sept of 0415 (September has been used arbitrarily in WT). ^[2] He was assassinated by a man he had accepted, unwisely as it turns out, into service (Dubius) who sought to avenge his previous master, a German Chieftan named named Sarus who had been defeated and killed by Atahaulf. This occurred in present-day Barcelona,^[8] then known as Faventia, or, in full, Colonia Faventia Julia Augusta Pia Barcino. ^[9]

Issue

He had children from his first marriage. An excerpt from the book "Defending Rome: The Masters of the Soldiers" indicates that the children from his first marriage (it is not clear if all or only some) were murdered by Athaulf's successor, Singeric, who was the brother of Sarus, mentioned above. ^[10]

1. Theodosius, born 414, died 415. Athaulf had a son, Theodosius (Visgoths) Visigoths by his second wife Galla Placidia, at the end of 0414. Theodosius died the next year, however, eliminating an opportunity for a Romano-Visigothic line.^[8] Theodosius (414 - 415 was re-interred in Old St Peters Basilica, Rome)

Two daughters are also linked to him, Eurica Goths and Theodora Goths.

Cawley reports that Adulphus had a daughter named Eurica who married Gelimer and that Gelimer was born about 425, the son of Gunderic, who died about 427. ^[3] There are potential issues with dating here; if Eurica was the daughter of Ataulf, she must have been born no later than Ataulf's death in 415, which would make her ten years older than Gelimer.

Royaume Europe shows Eurica, daughter of Adulphus of the Goths, born about 440. ^[11] This is more likely for a spouse of Gelimer, but impossible for a daughter of Ataulf.

Research Notes

Ostrogothic Ravenna

Wikipedia: Ostrogothic Ravenna refers only to Ostrogothic rulers of Ravenna following the defeat of the last Roman Emperor Romulus Agustulus in 476.

A marriage between an Ostrogoth in Ravenna, born in 405, and a Frankish woman born in 369, seems quite unlikely.Day-1904 18:11, 19 May 2018 (UTC)

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12} Wikipedia: Athaulf The main sources for the career of Athaulf are Paulus Orosius, the chronicles of the Gallaecian bishop Hydatius, and those of Augustine's disciple, Prosper of Aquitaine. Accessed 11/28/2019 jhd
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} _ WIKIPEDIA: "Athaulf", accessed 04 Oct 2019, (blss)
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} Cawley, Charles. Medieval Lands: A Prosopography of Medieval European Noble and Royal Families, Online at Foundation for Medieval Genealogy Website. SPAIN: VANDALS, SUEVA & VISIGOTHS. Gelimer Accessed 11/28/2019 jhd
4. ↑ Ancient Europe Alaric
5. ↑ _ Gibbon, Edward, "The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire", Chapter 31, 1776, accessed 09 Mar 2020, (blss)
6. ↑ Wikipedia:Galla_Placidia#First_marriage
7. ↑ Hydatius is the primary source for this marriage. Jordanes, writing during the 6th century, says they married 411.
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} _ WIKIPEDIA: "Galla Placidia", accessed 08 Mar 2020, (blss)
9. ↑ _ WIKIPEDIA: "Barcelona", accessed 08 Mar 2020, (blss)
10. ↑ _ Reynolds, Julian, " Defending Rome: The Masters of the Soldiers", p 105, 2011, accessed 09 Mar 2020, (blss)
11. ↑ Royaume Europe "Les Germains, les Rois Vandales", accessed 04 Oct 2019, (blss) ]

See also:

1. Foundation for Medieval Genealogy http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/VANDALS,%20SUEVI,%20VISIGOTHS.htm _ FMG: "Chapter 1. KINGS of the VANDALS, in SPAIN 409-429 and AFRICA 429-533", accessed 04 Oct 2019, (blss) ]
2. Royaume Europe,https://royaumeurope.wordpress.com/germains/vandales/ _ Royaume Europe: "Les Germains, les Rois Vandales", accessed 04 Oct 2019, (blss)
3. Steven's Balagan, Visigothic Kings in Spain, https://balagan.info/visigothic-kings-of-spain _ Steven's Balagan: " Visigothic Kings of Spain", Thomas, Steven, 21 Feb 2001, Last Updated 23 Jun 2018, accessed 04 Oct 2019, (blss) ]

• Hydatius, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydatius

Acknowledgements

• WikiTree profile Ostrogoths-20 created through the import of jefflorrie(1).ged on Sep 10, 2011 by Jeff Johnson.
• WikiTree profile UNKNOWN-83045 created through the import of heinakuu2011-6.ged on Jul 5, 2011 by Johanna Amnelin.
• WikiTree profile UNKNOWN-83666 created through the import of heinakuu2011-6.ged on Jul 5, 2011 by Johanna Amnelin. .
• WikiTree profile UNKNOWN-82799 created through the import of heinakuu2011-6.ged on Jul 5, 2011 by Johanna Amnelin.
• WikiTree profile Spain-64 created through the import of Cato Family Tree_book_EN.ged on Sep 21, 2011 by Linda Cato.
• WikiTree profile Goths-13 created through the import of Cato Family Tree_book_EN.ged on Sep 21, 2011 by Linda Cato.
• WikiTree profile Spain-55 created through the import of jefflorrie(1).ged on Sep 10, 2011 by Jeff Johnson.
• WikiTree profile King Of The Visigoths-1 created through the import of Ancestor's that we lost, the Decendants they left behind_2011-08-28_01 (2).ged on Sep 12, 2011 by Willette Bryant.
• WikiTree profile King Of The Visigoths-1 created through the import of Ancestor's that we lost, the Decendants they left behind_2011-08-28_01 (2).ged on Sep 12, 2011 by Willette Bryant.