Theodoric

Theodoric, in Late Latin Theodoricus, in German Dietrich, often called Theodoric the Great (c. 454-526), Ostrogothic king (474-526) and founder of the Ostrogothic Kingdom in Italy. Born in the Roman province of Pannonia, he was, from the age of 7 to 17, a hostage at the court of the Byzantine Empire in Constantinople. In 474 Theodoric was elected king after his father's death, and during the following 14 years he and the Byzantine emperor Zeno engaged in alternate warfare and alliance. In 488, under the auspices of Zeno, Theodoric invaded Italy. He defeated Odoacer, the first Germanic ruler of Italy, in three decisive battles and blockaded him in Ravenna. In 493, when all of Italy had been subdued by Theodoric, Odoacer surrendered and was treacherously slain by the Ostrogothic king. Theodoric then assumed the leadership of Italy and made Ravenna his capital.

Theodoric's reign of 33 years was devoted primarily to the consolidation and development of his new kingdom, and it was a period of nearly unprecedented peace and prosperity in Italy. He zealously promoted agriculture and commerce. Although himself an Arian Christian, he exhibited an unusual tolerance for all other Christian sects. The government was administered by Romans on Roman lines; separate codes of law were used for Romans and Goths. Among the Romans who held high office under Theodoric were the statesmen Anicius Boethius and Flavius Cassiodorus; Boethius, however, incurred the suspicion of the monarch towards the end of his reign and was executed for treason. Theodoric's last years were also marred by growing tension with the anti-Arian Byzantine emperor Justinian I. Theodoric was succeeded by his daughter Amalasuntha as regent for her son Athalaric. The magnificent mausoleum of Theodoric still stands in Ravenna.