4.

THE VISIGOTHS IN
HISPANIA
 In 409, a series of Germanic peoples: the Suebi, Vandals
and Alans invaded the Iberian Peninsula. The Visigoths
came to Spain as allies of Rome to expel the invaders.
4.1. The formation of the Visigothic kingdom of Toledo
● From 415, the Visigoths pushed the Vandals and
Alans into North Africa and the Suebi into
present-day Galicia. In the middle of the 5th
century, they settled in southern Gaul, where they
formed the kingdom of Tolosa.
● Later, the Franks, who came from the north of
Gaul, defeated the Visigoths (Battle of Vouillé,
507) and drove them south of the Pyrenees and
into Hispania. Here, they organised a kingdom
that survived for over two hundred years with its
capital in Toledo (554).
 4.2. The organisation of the kingdom
The Visigoths were a
minority (about 150000 of
a population of six million)
but held most of the land
and, along with the great
Hispano-Roman
landowners, formed the
aristocratic and privileged
social group.
The Visigothic monarchy established a
kingdom based on:
● a strong monarchy. Theoretically
elected but often hereditary, the
monarch relied on institutions, such
as the Aula Regia (advisory body of
nobles and clergy) and the Councils of
Toledo (religious and civil assemblies),
where laws were made.
● control of the entire Peninsula. They
expelled the Suebi (585), conquered
Byzantine territories in southern
Spain (572-623) and stopped the
advance of the Franks in the north.
 ● the legal and religious unification of the Visigoths and
Hispano-Romans. King Leovigild repealed the law banning mixed
marriages, Reccared achieved religious unity by converting to
Catholicism (587) and, Recceswinth established a single law for
the kingdom, the Liber Iudiciorum (654).

However, internal divisions between the nobles in the early 8th

century allowed a Muslim army to defeat the last Visigothic King
(Roderic) and conquer most of the Iberian Peninsula (711).
 4.3. Culture
● Over two hundred years, a cultural fusion took place between the
Hispano-Romans and the Visigoths. The role of the Christian clergy was
very important in this process. They knew how to read and write and were
great conservers of Roman culture, St Leander and St Isidore of Seville
are examples of clergy who were also intellectuals in Visigothic
Hispania.
● The importance of the Church and the fusion of Roman tradition with
Germanic influences is also reflected in art and architecture. Many small
churches were built (San Juan de Baños, San Pedro de la Nave, etc).
Stone blocks, marble, columns and reliefs from the Roman era were used
in the construction of these churches.
● Metal and gold work was also important, and influenced by Germanic
tastes and techniques.
ACTIVITIES
15.Why did the Visigoths leave southern Gaul?
What was the Visigothic monarchy based on?
16. Correct the sentences.
a. The Visigoths pushed the Vandals into France.
b. The Aula Regia was a book of law.
c. Reccared achieved religious unity by converting to
Islam.
d. A Byzantine army conquered most of the Peninsula
in 711.
 TEST YOUR COMPETENCES
17. Read the text about the description of Charlemagne's coronation and answer the questions.

Two days later it was Christmas. St.Peter's Basilica was full of people wearing colourful clothing and
shiny ornaments.Charlemagne entered, wearing sandals and dressed in the Roman style with a long
tunic and cloak. He proceeded to the altar, where knelt down and prayed for a long time in silence. Leo
III, the pope, walked towards him and placed a golden crown on his head. All the people cheered and
shouted three times: “To the Emperor Charles Augustus, crowned by God, noble and peaceful emperor
of the Romand, life and victory!”The noise was very loud. The pope knelt before the emperor and
kissed his cloak. Charlemagne became the emperor of the West.He was the first since the fall of the
Roman Empire in 476.
F. LEBRUN
The days of Charlemagne.
a. What do the underlined word mean? Try to guess and then check in a dictionary.
b. What was Charlemagne wearing for his coronation?
c. What did he don when he entered the church?
d. Who put the crown on his head?What is the significance of this?
e. Were the people happy with their new emperor? How do we know?
18. Copy and match the words (a-h) with their definitions (1-8).

a)Marble 1)Baked clay used for building walls.

b)Brick 2) A type of hard stone that is usually white.
c) Dome 3) A cross with arms of equal length.
d)Greek-Cross (plan) 4) A tall, solid, vertical post, which supports or decorates a
building.
e)Nave 5) A hemispherical roof of a building, erected over a circular or
polygonal ground plan.
f) Arch 6) The long central part of a church where most of the seats are
located
g) Column 7) A curved structure that supports the weight of something
above it.
h)Buttress 8) A stone or brick structure that supports a wall.
19.Copy in your notebook and put each term in its correct place.

Byzantine Carolingian

Terms
1.Constantinople 2. Manor 3. Palatine Chapel
4. Basileus 5. The Balkans 6. Pippin the Short
7. Gaul 8. Palestine 9. Justinian I
10. Aachen 11. Themata 12. Corpus Iuris Civilis