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THEODERIC THE GREAT
 Published with assistance from the foundation established in memory of
Henry Weldon Barnes of the Class of 1882, Yale College.

The translation of this work was funded by Geisteswissenschaften

International—Translation Funding for Work in the Humanities and Social
Sciences from Germany, a joint initiative of the Fritz Thyssen Foundation,
the German Federal Foreign Office, the collecting society VG WORT and the
Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels (German Publishers & Booksellers
Association).
Originally published in Germany as Theoderich der Grosse, by Hans-Ulrich
Wiemer, © Verlag C.H.Beck oHG, München 2018.
English translation copyright © 2023 by Yale University.

All rights reserved.

This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, including
illustrations, in any form (beyond that copying permitted by Sections 107
and 108 of the U.S. Copyright Law and except by reviewers for the public
press), without written permission from the publishers.

All maps and genealogical charts © Peter Palm, Berlin.

Yale University Press books may be purchased in quantity for educational,

business, or promotional use. For information, please e-mail
sales.press@yale.edu (U.S. office) or sales@yaleup.co.uk (U.K. office).

Set in Electra and Trajan types by IDS Infotech Ltd.

Printed in the United States of America.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2022936919

ISBN 978-0-300-25443-3 (hardcover : alk. paper)

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

This paper meets the requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992

(Permanence of Paper).
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
In memory of Wolf Liebeschuetz (1927–2022)
 CONTENTS

List of Abbreviations
Foreword to the English Edition
Translator’s Note

ONE Approaching Theoderic the Great

TWO Theoderic in the Eyes of Contemporaries
THREE Who Were the Ostrogoths?
FOUR From Attila to Theoderic: The Ostrogoths in the Balkans
FIVE The Path West: The Conquest of Italy
SIX The Consolidation of Power
SEVEN Theoderic’s Dual State
EIGHT Reluctant Expansion? Theoderic’s Foreign Policy
NINE A “Golden Age”? Italy under Gothic Rule
TEN A Heretic King: Religious Diversity and the Imperative of
Orthodoxy
ELEVEN From Cooperation to Conflict: Theoderic’s Final Years
 TWELVE The Gothic Kingdom in Italy after Theoderic
THIRTEEN Theoderic the Great: Metamorphoses of a Figure

Appendix
Notes
Annotated Bibliography
Index
 ABBREVIATIONS

To save space in the notes and bibliography, the abbreviations listed

here are used to designate book series, which appear in roman type,
and a selection of major, usually multi-volume editions, the titles of
which appear in italics.

ACO Acta Conciliorum Oecumenicorum

ACW Ancient Christian Writers
AE L’année épigraphique
Agath. Hist. Agathias, Historiae
Agn. Agnellus, Liber Pontificalis ecclesiae Ravennatis
Ambr. Ep. Ambrose, Epistulae
Ambr. Spir. Ambrose, De spiritu sancto
Ambr. Virg. Ambrose, De Virginibus
Amm. Ammianus Marcellinus, Res gestae
Anon. Val. Anonymus Valesianus
Anth. Lat. Anthologia Latina
Anthim. Anthimus, De observatione ciborum ad
Theodoricum regem Francorum epistula
App. Maxim. Appendix Maximiani
AQDGMA Ausgewählte Quellen zur Deutschen Geschichte
des Mittelalters
Arat. Hist. Arator, Historia Apostolica
Apost.
ARC Accademia Romanistica Costantiniana
Auct. Haun. Auctarium Prosperi epitomae chronicon
Hauniense
Auct. Haun. Auctarium Hauniense ordo posterior
ord. post.
Auct. Haun. Auctarium Hauniense ordinis posterioris margo
ord. post.
margo
Auct. Haun. Auctarium Hauniense ordo prior
ord. pr.
Auct. Marcell. Auctarium Marcellini comitis
Auct. Prosp. Auctarium Prosperi epitomae chronicon Vaticanae
Vat.
Aug. Civ. Augustine, De civitate dei
Aug. Ep. Augustine, Epistulae
Aux. Ep. Auxentius, Epistola
Avell. Collectio Avellana
Avit. Ep. Avitus, Epistulae
BAug Bibliothèque Augustinienne
BGL Bibliothek der griechischen Literatur
BKV2 Bibliothek der Kirchenväter, 2. Reihe
Boeth. Cons. Boethius, Consolatio Philosophiae
Boeth. In Boethius, In categorias Aristotelis commentarii
categ.
comm.
Boeth. In Cic. Boethius, In Ciceronis topica commentarii
top.
Boeth. Mus. Boethius, De musica
Boeth. Tract. Boethius, Tractatus theologici
BPS Die Briefe der Päpste und die an sie gerichteten
Schreiben von Ninus bis Pelagius II (vom Jahre
67–590), ed. S. Wenzlowsky, 7 vols. (Kempten,
1878–1880)
BT Bibliotheca Teubneriana
C. Eur. Codex Euricianus
C. Sirm. Constitutiones Sirmondianae
Caes. Ep. Caesarius of Arles, Epistulae
Caes. Serm. Caesarius of Arles, Sermones
Caes. Test. Caesarius of Arles, Testamentum
Cand. Frag. Candidus, Fragmenta
Cass. Anim. Cassiodorus, De anima
Cass. Chron. Cassiodorus, Chronica
Cass. Ex. Ps. Cassiodorus, Expositio psalmorum
Cass. Inst. Cassiodorus, Institutiones divinarum et
humanarum litterarum
Cass. Lib. Cassiodorus, Libellus
Cass. Or. Cassiodorus, Orationes
Cass. Orth. Cassiodorus, De orthographia
Cass. Var. Cassiodorus, Variae
Cass. Epiph. Cassiodorus and Epiphanius, Historia
Hist. ecclesiastica tripartita
CCCM Corpus Christianorum. Continuatio Mediaevalis
CCH La colección canónica hispana, ed. G. Martínez
Díez and F. Rodríguez, 6 vols. (Madrid and
Barcelona, 1966–2002). Page references are also
provided to the more accessible edition by José
Vives, ed., Concilios Visigóticos e hispano-
romanos, España cristiana: textos, 1 (Barcelona
and Madrid, 1963)
CCL Corpus Christianorum. Series latina
CFHB Corpus fontium historiae Byzantinae
Chron. Caes. Chronica Caesaraugustana
Chron. Gall. Chronica Gallica
Chron. Historia Langobardorum codicis Gothani
Gothan.
Chron. Pasch. Chronicon Paschale
Chronicon ad Chronicle to the Year 724
annum 724
Chrys. Hom. John Chrysostom, Homiliae
CIL Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum
CISAM Centro italiano di studi sull’alto medioevo
CJ Codex Justinianus
Coll. Aug. c. Collatio Augustini cum Pascentio
Pasc.
Conc. Agath. Concilium Agathense a. 506 habitum
Conc. Araus. Concilium Arausicanum a. 529 habitum
Conc. Arel. Concilium Arelatense a. 524 habitum
Conc. Aurel. Concilium Aurelianense a. 511 habitum
Conc. Carp. Concilium Carpentocratense a. 527 habitum
Conc. Epaon. Concilium Epaonense a. 517 habitum
Conc. Gerun. Concilium Gerundense a. 517 habitum
Conc. Mass. Concilium Massiliense a. 533 habitum
Conc. Tarrac. Concilium Tarraconense a. 516 habitum
Conc. Tolet. II Concilium Toletanum II a. 531 habitum
Conc. Tolet. III Concilium Toletanum III a. 589 habitum
Conc. Vas. Concilium Vasense a. 529 habitum
Cons. Const. Consularia Constantinopolitana
Const. Porph. Constantine Porphyrogenitus, De Cerimoniis
Cer.
Const. Sirm. Constitutiones Sirmondianae (the “Sirmondian
Constitutions”)
cos. consul (followed by the year in which the office
was held)
CSCO Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium
CSEL Corpus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum Latinorum
CSHB Corpus Scriptorum Historiae Byzantinae
CTh Codex Theodosianus
CUF Collection des Universités de France (Collection
Budé)
Cyr. Cat. Cyril of Jerusalem, Catecheses
Damasc. V. Damascius, Vita Isidori
Isid.
Dex. Frag. Dexippus, Fragmenta
Dionys. Exig. Dionysius Exiguus, Praefatio
Praef.
Drac. Satisf. Dracontius, Satisfactio
Ed. Theod. Edictum Theoderici
Einhard V. Einhard, Vita Karoli Magni
Karoli
Ennod. Carm. Ennodius, Carmina
Ennod. Dict. Ennodius, Dictiones
Ennod. Ep. Ennodius, Epistulae
Ennod. Libell. Ennodius, Libellus adversus eos qui contra
synodum scribere praesumpserint
Ennod. Opusc. Ennodius, Opuscula
Ennod. Pan. Ennodius, Panegyricus
Ennod. V. Ant. Ennodius, Vita Antonii
Ennod. V. Epif. Ennodius, Vita Epiphanii
Ep. Arel. Epistulae Arelatenses
Ep. Austr. Epistolae Austrasicae
Ep. Theod. Epistulae Theodericianae Variae
Var.
ERPG Epistolae Romanorum pontificum genuinae . . .,
vol. 1 [no more appeared], A S. Hilaro usque ad
S. Hormisdam, ed. A. Thiel (Braunsberg
[Braniewo], 1868)
Eug. V. Sev. Eugippius, Vita S. Severini
Eun. Frag. Eunapius Sardianus, Fragmenta
Eus. Hist. Eusebius, Historia Ecclesiastica
Eus. V. Const. Eusebius, De vita Constantini
Eust. Epiph. Eustathius of Epiphania, Fragmenta
Frag.
Eutr. Eutropius, Breviarium
Evagr. Hist. Evagrius Scholasticus, Historia ecclesiastica
Exc. Sang. Excerpta Sangallensia
Fasti Vind. Fasti Vindobonenses posteriores
post.
Fasti Vind. pr. Fasti Vindobonenses priores
FC Fontes Christiani
FCHLR The Fragmentary Classicising Historians of the
Later Roman Empire, vol. 2: Eunapius,
 Olympiodorus, Priscus and Malchus, ed. R.
Blockley (Liverpool, 1983)
FCPS Fathers of the Church; Patristic Series
Felix III Ep. Pope Felix II, Epistulae
Felix IV Ep. Pope Felix IV, Epistulae
Ferr. Ep. Ferrand of Carthage, Epistula dogmatica
dogm. adversus Arrianos aliosque haereticos
Ferr. V. Fulg. Ferrand of Carthage, Vita Fulgentii
FHistLA The Fragmentary Latin Histories of Late Antiquity
(AD 300–620): Edition, Translation and
Commentary, ed. L. van Hoof and P. van Nuffelen
(Cambridge, UK, 2020)
FIRA Fontes iuris Romani antejustiniani, ed. S.
Riccobono et al., 2nd ed., 3 vols. (Rome, 1968)
Frag. Laur. Fragmentum Laurentianum
FSI Fonti per la storia d’Italia
Fulg. Ad Fulgentius of Ruspe, Ad Thrasamundum
Thras.
Fulg. De fide Fulgentius of Ruspe, De fide sive de regula fidei
Fulg. Dicta Fulgentius of Ruspe, Dicta regis Thrasamundi et
reg. Thras. contra eum responsionum liber unus
Fulg. Ep. Fulgentius of Ruspe, Epistulae
Gaud. Serm. Gaudentius of Brescia, Sermones
GCS Die griechischen christlichen Schriftsteller
Gelas. Ep. Gelasius, Epistulae
Gelas. Frag. Gelasius, Fragmenta
Gelas. Tract. Gelasius, Tractatus
Gest. sen. a. Gesta senatus Romani de Theodosiano
438 publicando a. 438
GL Grammatici Latini, ed. H. Keil, 8 vols. (Leipzig,
1855–1880; repr. Hildesheim, 1981)
GLQGM Griechische und Lateinische Quellen zur
Geschichte Mitteleuropas bis zur Mitte des 1.
Jahrtausends u.Z., ed. J. Herrmann and G. Perl, 4
vols. (Berlin, 1988–1992)
Greg. Magn. Gregory the Great, Dialogi
Dial.
Greg. Magn. Gregory the Great, Epistulae
Ep.
Greg. Thaum. Gregory Thaumaturgus, Epistula canonica
Ep. can.
Greg. Tur. Glor. Gregory of Tours, Liber in gloria confessorum
conf.
Greg. Tur. Glor. Gregory of Tours, Liber in gloria martyrum
mart.
Greg. Tur. Hist. Gregory of Tours, Historiae
Hdt. Herodotus, Historiae
Herod. Herodian, Historiae
HJ Regesta pontificum Romanorum, ed. K. Herbers
and P. Jaffé, 2 vols. (Göttingen, 2016–2017)
Horm. Ep. Pope Hormisdas, Epistulae
HRG Handwörterbuch der deutschen
Rechtsgeschichte, ed. A. Erler et al., 5 vols.
(Berlin, 1971–1998)
Hyd. Hydatius Lemicus, Continuatio chronicorum
Hieronymianorum
IJudOr I Inscriptiones Judaicae Orients, vol. 1, Eastern
Europe, ed. D. Noy, A. Panayotov, and H.
Bloedhorn (Tübingen, 2002)
IJudOr III Inscriptiones Judaicae Orientis, vol. 3, Syria and
Cyprus, ed. D. Noy and H. Bloedhorn (Tübingen,
2004)
ILCV Inscriptiones Latinae Christianae Veteres
ILER Inscripciones Latinas de la Espana Latina;
antología de 6800 textos, ed. J. Vivés.
(Barcelona, 1971–1972)
ILS Inscriptiones Latinae Selectae, ed. H. Dessau, 3
vols. (Berlin, 1892–1916)
InscrIt Inscriptiones Italiae
Isid. Etym. Isidore of Seville, Etymologiae
Isid. Hist. Isidore of Seville, Historia Gothorum Vandalorum
Goth. et Sueborum
JE Regesta pontificum Romanorum, vol. 1, A S.
Petro ad a. MCXLIII, ed. P. Jaffé and P. Ewald,
2nd ed. (Leipzig, 1885)
Jer. Ep. Jerome, Epistulae
Jer. Quaest. Jerome, Liber hebraicarum quaestionum in
hebr. in Gen. Genesim
JIWE Jewish Inscriptions of Western Europe, ed. D.
Noy, 2 vols. (Cambridge, UK, 1993–1995)
JK Regesta pontificum Romanorum, vol. 1, A S.
Petro ad a. MCXLIII, ed. P. Jaffé and F.
Kaltenbrunner, 2nd ed. (Leipzig, 1885)
Joh. Ant. Frag. John of Antioch, Fragmenta
Joh. Bicl. John of Biclaro, Chronica
Chron.
Joh. Cass. John Cassian, Collationes
Coll.
Joh. Diac. Ep. John the Deacon, Epistula ad Senarium
ad Senarium
Joh. Lyd. Mag. John the Lydian, De magistratibus populi Romani
Joh. Nik. John of Nikiu, Chronicle
Joh. Ruf. John Rufus, Plerophories
Pleroph.
Jord. Get. Jordanes, De origine actibusque Getarum
Jord. Rom. Jordanes, De summa temporum vel origine
actibusque gentis Romanorum
Jos. Styl. Joshua the Stylite, Chronicle
KFHist Kleine und fragmentarische Historiker der
Spätantike
L. Burg. Leges Burgundionum (Liber Constitutionum)
L. Rom. Vis. Lex Romana Visigothorum
L. Vis. Leges Visigothorum
Lat. reg. Vand. Laterculus regum Vandalorum et Alanorum
Lat. reg. Vis. Laterculus regum Visigothorum
LCL Loeb Classical Library
Leo Ep. Leo the Great, Epistulae
Leo Serm. Leo the Great, Sermones
Leo Mars. Leo Marsicanus, Chronicon Casinense
Chron.
Lib. gen. Liber genealogus
Lib. Hist. Liber Historiae Francorum
Franc.
Lib. Or. Libanius, Orationes
Lib. pont. Liber Pontificalis ecclesiae Romanae
Libt. Brev. Liberatus of Carthage, Breviarium
Macr. Sat. Macrobius, Saturnalia
Malal. John Malalas, Chronica
Malch. Frag. Malchus, Fragmenta
Malch. Test. Malchus, Testimonia
MAMA Monumenta Asiae Minoris Antiqua
Mar. Avent. Marius of Avenches, Chronicon
Marc. Com. Marcellinus Comes, Chronicon
Mart. Cap. Martianus Capella, De nuptiis Mercurii et
Philologiae
Maxim. Eleg. Maximianus, Elegiae
Merob. Carm. Merobaudes, Carmina
MGH.AA Monumenta Germaniae Historica. Auctores
Antiquissimi
MGH.Cap. Monumenta Germaniae Historica. Capitularia
Regum Francorum
MGH.Ep. Monumenta Germaniae Historica. Epistulae
MGH.GPR Monumenta Germaniae Historica. Gesta
Pontificum Romanorum
MGH.LNG Monumenta Germaniae Historica. Leges
Nationum Germanicarum
MGH.SRG Monumenta Germaniae Historica. Scriptores
Rerum Germanicarum
MGH.SRL Monumenta Germaniae Historica. Scriptores
Rerum Langobardicarum et Italicarum
MGH.SRM Monumenta Germaniae Historica. Scriptores
Rerum Merovingicarum
MGH.SS.rer. Monumenta Germaniae Historica. Scriptores
Germ. Rerum Germanicarum in usum scholarum
MHS.SC Monumenta Hispaniae Sacra. Serie canónica
MST Medieval Sources in Translation
Not. Gall. Notitia Galliarum
Nov. Just. Novellae Justiniani
Nov. Maior. Novellae Maioriani
Nov. Sev. Novellae Severi
Nov. Theod. Novellae Theodosii
Nov. Val. Novellae Valentiniani
Olymp. Frag. Olympiodorus, Fragmenta
Origo gent. Origo gentis Langobardorum
Lang.
Oros. Hist. Orosius, Historia adversus paganos
P.Ital. Die nichtliterarischen lateinischen Papyri Italiens
aus der Zeit 445–700, ed. J.-O. Tjäder, 3 vols.
(Lund and Stockholm, 1954–1982)
P.Marini I papiri diplomatici raccolti ed illustrati, ed. G.
Marini (Rome, 1805)
P.Vic. “Un nuovo papiro latino del VI secolo,” ed. T. de
Robertis, A. Ghignoli, and S. Zamponi. In De la
herencia romana a la procesal castellana: Diez
siglos de cursividad, ed. María Carmen del
Camino Martínez (Seville, 2018), 11–28 (text on
19–20).
Pall. Agric. Palladius, Opus agriculturae
Pall. Hist. Palladius of Helenopolis, Historia Lausiaca
Laus.
Pan. Lat. Panegyrici Latini
Pasch. Camp. Paschale Campanum
Paul. Diac. Paul the Deacon, Historia Langobardorum
Lang.
Paul. Diac. Paul the Deacon, Historia Romana
Rom.
Paul. Nol. Paulinus of Nola, Carmina
Carm.
Paul. Sent. Paulus, Sententiae
PCBE II Prosopographie chrétienne du Bas-Empire, vol. 2:
Prosopographie de l’Italie chrétienne, ed. C. Piétri
and L. Piétri, 2 vols. (Paris, 1999)
PCBE IV Prosopographie chrétienne du Bas-Empire, vol. 4:
Prosopographie de la Gaule chrétienne, ed. L.
Piétri and M. Heijmans, 2 vols. (Paris, 2013)
Pelag. Ep. Pope Pelagius I, Epistulae
Petr. Chrys. Petrus Chrysologus, Sermones
Serm.
PG Patrologia. Series Graeca, ed. J.-P. Migne (Paris,
1857–1867)
Philost. Philostorgius, Historia ecclesiastica
Phot. Cod. Photius, Codex
PL Patrologia. Series Latina, ed. J.-P. Migne (Paris,
1844–1855, 1862–1865)
PLRE I Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire, vol.
1: AD 260–395, ed. A. H. M. Jones, J. Martindale,
and J. Morris (Cambridge, UK, 1972)
PLRE II Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire, vol.
2: AD 395–527, ed. J. Martindale (Cambridge,
UK, 1980)
PLRE III Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire, vol.
3: AD 527–641, ed. J. Martindale, 2 vols.
(Cambridge, UK, 1992)
PO Patrologia Orientalis
Polem. Brev. Polemius Silvius, Breviarium temporum
Polem. Lat. Polemius Silvius, Laterculus
Prisc. Fig. Priscian of Caesarea, De figuris numerorum
num.
Prisc. Frag. Priscus of Panium, Fragmenta
Proc. Aed. Procopius, De aedificiis
Proc. Bell. Procopius, Bella
Proc. Hist. Arc. Procopius, Historia arcana
Prosp. Chron. Prosper Tiro, Epitoma chronicorum
Ptol. Geogr. Ptolemy, Geographia
RAC Reallexikon für Antike und Christentum
RE Pauly-Wissowas Realencyclopädie der classischen
Altertumswissenschaften
RGA Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde
RIC Roman Imperial Coinage
RICG Recueil des inscriptions chrétiennes de la Gaule,
antérieures à la Renaissance carolingienne, ed.
H. I. Marrou. Paris 1975–present (ongoing)
Rur. Ep. Ruricius of Limoges, Epistulae
Rut. Nam. Rutilius Namatianus, De reditu suo
Salv. Gub. Salvian of Marseille, De gubernatione dei
SC Sources chrétiennes
SEG Supplementum epigraphicum Graecum
Sev. Ant. C. Severus of Antioch, Contra impium grammaticum
imp. gram.
SHA Scriptores historiae Augustae
Sid. Carm. Sidonius Apollinaris, Carmina
Sid. Ep. Sidonius Apollinaris, Epistulae
Simpl. Ep. Pope Simplicius, Epistulae
Socr. Socrates Scholasticus, Historia ecclesiatica
Soz. Sozomen, Historia ecclesiastica
Strab. Strabo, Geographia
Suppl. Ital. Supplementa Italica
Symm. Ep. Quintus Aurelius Symmachus, Epistulae
Symm. pp. Ep. Pope Symmachus, Epistulae
Symm. Rel. Quintus Aurelius Symmachus, Relationes
Syn. Ep. Synesius, Epistulae
Tac. Ann. Tacitus, Annales
Tac. Germ. Tacitus, Germania
Thdt. Hist. Theodoretus, Historia ecclesiastica
Them. Or. Themistius, Orationes
Theod. Lect. Theodorus Lector, Historia ecclesiastica
Theoph. Theophanes, Chronica
ThLL Thesaurus linguae Latinae
TTH Translated Texts for Historians
V. Abb. Acaun. Vitae Abbatum Acaunensium
V. Apollinaris Vita Apollinaris Valentinensis
V. Caes. Vita Caesarii episcopi Arelatensis
V. Eptadii Vita Eptadii presbyteri Cervidunensis
V. Floridi Vita S. Floridi
V. Hilari Vita Hilari abbatis Galeatensis
V. Lupi Vita Lupi episcopi Trecensis
V. Marciani Vita Marciani Oeconomi
V. Melaniae.gr. Gerontius, Vita Melaniae graeca
V. Gerontius, Vita Melaniae latina
Melaniae.lat.
V. Sigismundi Passio S. Sigismundi regis
V. Symeonis. Vita Symeonis syriaca
syr.
V. Vincentii Passio S. Vincentii Aginnensis
Vict. Tunn. Victor of Tunnuna, Chronica
Vict. Vit. Hist. Victor of Vita, Historia persecutionis Africanae
provinciae
Vigil. Ep. Pope Vigilius, Epistulae
WGRW Writings from the Greco-Roman World
Zach. Hist. Zacharias of Mytilene, Historia ecclesiastica
eccl.
Zon. Zonaras, Epitome Historiarum
Zos. Zosimus, Historia Nova
 FOREWORD TO THE ENGLISH EDITION

The first edition of this book was published in German by C. H.

Beck (Munich) in 2018. International research on Theoderic and the
Goths, late antique Italy, and the Age of Migrations has been
extraordinarily productive in the five years that have passed since
then. For this English edition, I have thoroughly revised the notes,
corrected errors, supplemented the source material, and added
references to current scholarly literature; the bibliography has thus
become considerably longer, albeit still not exhaustive. I also have
improved coordination between the text and endnotes. This edition
should thus be the one to which scholars turn for research purposes.
The text remains largely unchanged, but I have supplemented some
chapters to state my arguments more clearly. The manuscript was
completed in early 2021; it thus was not possible to incorporate
literature that appeared subsequently.
The German edition of this book was the product of over a
decade of work on the subject that began in Zurich in 2005. My
research subsequently received important impetus from the research
group on “communities of violence” (Gewaltgemeinschaften) at the
Justus Liebig University, Giessen, and was generously sponsored by
a research fellowship at the Historisches Kolleg in Munich. The fact
that this English edition is more than merely a translation of the
German original is due above all to John Noël Dillon. He not only
translated the German text into English with great care, profound
expertise, and a fine feeling for language, but also, with his
indefatigable search for clarity and precision, helped make the
translation in many places more limpid and concise than the original.
He also translated quotations from the Latin and Ancient Greek
sources into English as precisely and elegantly as the originals
permitted. Not many an author will be so fortunate as to find a
translator like him.
I received inspiration and support from many quarters while
writing this book; it would take up too much space to thank
everyone by name, but there are three people whom I would like to
single out here: Stefan von der Lahr, the friend and reader of the
German edition; Trutz von Trotha, the spiritus rector of the research
group in Giessen; and Noel Lenski, who gave me his advice and help
when I needed it most. I am delighted that the English edition is
being published by Yale University Press, where I have had the
pleasure of collaborating with an understanding editor in the person
of Heather Gold. The Geisteswissenschaften International foundation
funded the translation, for which I owe it my profoundest gratitude.
Bojana Ristich was an outstanding copyeditor, both diligent and
thoughtful. Kai Preuß supported me by reading and correcting the
text. The German edition of this book was dedicated to Wolf
Liebeschuetz, a great scholar who became my model and teacher
through his works. Since he died on July 11, 2022, the English
version is now dedicated to his memory.
Hans-Ulrich Wiemer
 TRANSLATOR’S NOTE

Oddly enough, I first met Hans-Ulrich Wiemer in Knoxville,

Tennessee, where we both had traveled from our respective homes
—paradoxically, mine in Germany and his in the United States—to
attend a conference in 2009. I had come with a contingent of
scholars from Heidelberg, where I was a post-doc at the time, while
Professor Wiemer was a Gerda Henkel Fellow at Brown. I knew him
then as an especially rigorous and sophisticated ancient historian,
whose outstanding work on late antique acclamations had been a
valuable resource for my own project on Constantine the Great. I
was both flattered and excited when he reached out to me a decade
after our ways had parted to inquire about translating his
magnificent book on Theoderic the Great. I have thoroughly enjoyed
our collaboration, and I hope that that scholarly Freude filters
through to our English readers.
A German book originally intended for a German audience,
Theoderich der Grosse could not become Theoderic the Great
without a series of small but significant modifications. Theoderic is
wrapped up in the historical ethnic and nationalist discourses of
Germany and the German people. Thus, although I translated the
text indeed as faithfully and accurately as possible, I occasionally
elaborated on German terms derived from these discourses (e.g.,
“Volksseele,” “Germanentum”) to elucidate their subtle, sometimes
highly fraught, connotations for an English-speaking, or rather non-
German, audience. In such cases, I included the original German
terms in parentheses to signal their cultural specificity to the reader.
Chapters 3 and 13, in which historical views on Theoderic in
Germany are discussed, were the most affected by these light
editorial interventions.
Theoderic and his successors spoke Gothic, issued texts in Latin,
clashed with Germanic kings, and had diplomatic dealings with the
Greek-speaking Eastern Roman Empire. Rendering proper names
derived from these disparate cultures and the languages they spoke
proved complicated. As a general rule, I used conventional
Anglicized forms insofar as they exist. Hence, the Frankish king
“Chlodwig” in German becomes “Clovis” in English, and his wife
“Chrodechilde” becomes the more familiar “Clotilde.” The names of
other, less famous historical actors are relatively more fluid in English
than in modern German, which favors transliteration of the original
language. I tried to adopt the most or at least the more common
variant and use it consistently. Some are traditional Latinizations;
others are not.
A final departure from the German original concerns the identity
of the “Romans.” In the German original, Professor Wiemer uses the
term “römisch” flexibly to designate the population of the city of
Rome, ethnically “Roman” subjects of Theoderic’s kingdom, persons
and things “of Rome,” as well as the emperor and people of the
Eastern Roman Empire, who indeed both considered and called
themselves “Romans” (Rhōmaioi). This last usage proved especially
troublesome. In translating, “Eastern Roman” often was more
cumbersome and obtrusive in English than “römisch” or “oströmisch”
were in German, and it felt increasingly jarring with the passage of
time in the absence of a “Western Roman” counterpart. After
discussing the matter, we decided to adopt the conventional label
“Byzantine” to avoid awkwardness and especially any confusion
between the Romans of Rome and Italy and those of the empire of
Justinian (Romani and Rhōmaioi, as it were). This greatly simplified
the translation of chapter 12, on the Gothic War, in which the Goths’
“Roman” collaborators, the “Roman” senate, and Eastern “Romans”
and their “Roman” emperor were all major players.
I converted conventional abbreviations for classical authors and
their works to the Latinized English forms where these differed from
the German version (e.g., “Jer.” vs. “Hieron.” for Jerome). Although
the updated bibliography retains the basic format of the German
edition, I have added quotation marks and revised the punctuation
with an American audience in mind; it would have taken great effort
for little gain to supply given names and publishing houses for every
entry.
Chapters 1–7 were translated somehow during the COVID-19
pandemic and the political turbulence of the latter half of 2020, and
chapters 8–13 melioribus auspiciis in the first half of 2021. It would
be trite to thank my wife, Professor Yii-Jan Lin (Yale), here, as if she
graciously kept house while I led a scholar’s life. Instead, I want to
thank her for the sacrifices she makes from her career as we raise
our two wonderful (and sometimes wonderfully frustrating) boys,
John and James, together while we both keep learning and writing.
As I type these words, tomorrow is our tenth anniversary. Thank
you, JanJan.
John Noël Dillon
 1

APPROACHING THEODERIC THE GREAT

1. RAVENNA, LATE FEBRUARY, 493

The year 493 got off to a bad start for the inhabitants of
Ravenna. The city was cut off from the outside world. Food was
scarce and for many had become exorbitantly expensive. People had
begun to eat everything they could chew, even weeds and leather.
Malnourishment and sickness carried off the elderly and children.
The reason for their plight was the war that Kings Odoacer and
Theoderic were waging against one another for supremacy in Italy.
At the time, it was already going into its fourth year. Odoacer had
been bested by Theoderic in open battle near Verona in September
489. He then retreated to Ravenna because the city was considered
impregnable on account of its location: in a lagoon surrounded by
swamps.
A counteroffensive launched by Odoacer in August 490 failed
when the king was again defeated in open battle on the Adda
(Addua) River near Milan. In July 491 he attempted to break out but
again was unsuccessful. After that, neither he nor his people left the
city again. The siege had lasted now over two years, and since
August 492 it had become impossible to receive supplies even by
sea. Theoderic had stationed a fleet of light warships—so-called
dromones—at Porte Lione, six miles north of Ravenna; these
blockaded the harbor. A severe earthquake made everything even
worse. The situation of the people of Ravenna was desperate.1
A glimmer of hope returned in February 493 because the
generals had begun to negotiate. Theoderic, however, set a
condition for ceasing hostilities: Odoacer had to deliver his son Thela
as hostage; in return, Theoderic would guarantee Odoacer’s
personal safety. Odoacer accepted; Thela was handed over on
February 25. The next day, Theoderic and his men withdrew to the
port of Classe, which lay only a few kilometers from Ravenna’s walls.
Intense negotiations ensued in the following week; messengers
repeatedly went back and forth between Ravenna and Classe. John,
the Catholic bishop of Ravenna, went with his entire clergy to Classe,
singing psalms and bearing candles, censers, and bibles. There he
threw himself at Theoderic’s feet and humbly begged for peace. An
agreement was finally reached; in the future, Theoderic and Odoacer
would rule the Western Roman Empire jointly, and they swore a
treaty to that effect. The gates of Ravenna were then opened;
Theoderic entered the city on March 5, 493.2
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
 An Octagonal Mission Center Table
By HENRY SIMON

T he home craftsman who is fairly skilled with woodworking hand

tools will be well repaid for a little extra care in making this
mission center table, of unusual design. Most of the woodwork
involved in its construction is quite simple, the element calling for
careful work being the laying out and shaping of the octagonal top
and the shelf. Because of the wide surfaces exposed it will also pay
the maker to plane, scrape, and sand down these surfaces carefully.
By selecting the best pieces of wood and setting their better sides
out, the effect is also enhanced. The table can be finished in a
variety of ways to suit the furniture of the room where it is used.
Various kinds of hard wood are suitable, quarter-sawed oak being
preferable.
 The Home Craftsman will Find the Making of This Octagonal Mission Center
Table a Novel Piece of Construction. It Offers No Special Difficulties if Care is
Taken in the Shaping of the Top and Shelf

Begin the construction by gluing up the pieces for the top and the
shelf. While they are drying, make the pieces for the legs, the lower
braces, and the strips for the edging of the top. The upper portion of
the legs is of double thickness, ⁷⁄₈-in. stock being used throughout.
Fit the lower supporting framework together as shown in the bottom
view of the shelf, two of the braces extending across the bottom and
the others butting against them.
When the top and shelf are dry, brace the top with cleats screwed
on underneath, as shown in the bottom view of the top. Lay out the
shelf accurately, and shape it to a perfect octagon, 25 in. across from
opposite parallel sides. Make a strip, 1⁵⁄₈ in. wide, and use it in
marking the layout for the top, from the shelf as a pattern, the edges
of the top being parallel with those of the shelf and 1⁵⁄₈ in. from them.
Assemble the parts as shown, using glue and screws where
practicable, and properly set nails for places where the fastening will
be exposed. All the stock should be cleaned up thoroughly both
before and after assembling. Four pieces for the casters are
fastened to the legs with screws. The edging for the top may be
mitered, with a rounded corner, as shown in the detail, or butted
square against the edge of the top, as indicated in the photograph
and the plan of the top, the latter method being far easier.

¶The nuisance of tracking dust and ashes from the basement can be
overcome, to a considerable extent, by providing carpet mats on two
or three lower treads of the stairs leading from the basement to the
rooms above.
 Folding Ironing Board Clamps on Edge of Table
or Window

This Rigid Ironing Board Folds Compactly and can be Set Up with Ease at
the Window Sill

An ironing board is usually most convenient for use when its left
end is set near a window, or other source of light. The arrangement
shown in the sketch was designed with this in mind, and other
interesting features were added. The top is of the usual type.
Arranged underneath it is a cross cleat near one end. Bolted through
this are two clamps which engage the edge of the window sill or
table. They are clamped by lowering the leg from its folded position,
underneath the top, as indicated. The bolts at the clamps are
adjustable for gripping various thicknesses of table tops, etc.,
between the clamps and the top. The lower end of the leg can be
fitted with a sliding adjustment, if the board is used at different
heights, the design being otherwise the same.—T. J. Hubbard,
Mendota, Ill.
 Wire Trellis Fastened Neatly to Brick Walls
A desirable vine often has not the natural ability for clinging to
stone, and other walls, and a suitable aid must be provided to
support it. Fastening a wire trellis to such a wall is a good method.
Screw anchors are used, which fit into holes drilled for them and
expand under the pressure of the screw. Staples may also be used
in walls laid up in mortar. A ⁵⁄₁₆-in. screw anchor will hold an ordinary
fence staple, and requires a ⁷⁄₁₆-in. hole. After the staple has been
placed over the wire its ends are pinched together and driven into
the anchor socket. The staple is held firmly, and will support a
considerable load. First fasten the trellis of wire mesh to the wall, at
the top, very securely. A chalk line aids in setting the wire straight. If
carefully done, the trellis will be hardly noticeable, and the wall will
be unmarred.—C. L. Meller, Fargo, N. D.
 A Homemade Fishing Float Adjustable to Depth
A novel device for fishing, especially with a short bait-casting rod,
is a float that can be adjusted to the depth of water in which it is
desired to fish. The float is hollow and slides on the line. To use it,
the casting lead and hooks are adjusted as usual, and a sliding knot
on the line is set for the depth desired, and the cast made. The float
will stop at the sliding knot, and remain on the surface. In reeling the
line, the knot passes freely through the guides, and the float slides
down on the line until it reaches the casting weight.

By Setting a Sliding Knot on the Line, as a Stop for the Float, the Depth at
Which the Sinker is Desired can be Easily Regulated

Cork is a good material from which to make the float. Cut the cork
in sections, as shown, and fit it over a large quill, which provides a
smooth-running hole through the float. Fit a small glass bead in the
upper end of the float, as a stop for the knot. The knot is of the
figure-eight type, and tied as shown in the detail at the left. It slides
easily, but grips the line tightly enough to stop the float. An ordinary
float can be altered for use as described.—Charles Carroll,
Baltimore, Maryland.
 Adjustable and Pivoted Bed Table Attached to
Bedpost

This Handy Table Clamps on the Bedpost and can be Swung Aside
Conveniently, or Removed Altogether

A table arrangement which can be clamped handily to the bedpost

and swung out of the way or removed altogether when not in use, is
a convenience that has a wide use in the home. A device of this kind,
which requires no floor support and can be folded compactly for
storage, is shown in the illustration. The table proper consists of a
⁷⁄₈-in. board, of suitable size, the edges of which are banded with
metal or thin wooden strips. The board is supported on a frame of
iron rod, bent to the form indicated in the dotted lines, and clamped
with ¹⁄₁₆-in. brass clamps. The end of this frame rod is bent at an
angle and pivoted in a metal bracket. A cotter pin guards against
accidental loosening of the joint. The clamping device is made of ¹⁄₄
by 1¹⁄₄-in. band iron, and is bent to fit loosely around the bedpost. A
brass plate, A, is fitted inside of the main piece B, as shown. A
thumbscrew is threaded into the piece B, its point engaging the
brass plate, which acts as a guard. In fastening the piece B on the
bedpost, the thumbscrew is set, and the wing nut also tightened.—A.
Lavery, Garfield, N. J.
 A Toy Tractor Built with Dry Cell and Motor

A Boy can Make This Simple Electric Tractor in a Short Time, and will Get
Much Fun Out of It

An ordinary two-volt dry cell, a small motor, and the necessary

wooden parts, as shown in the illustration, are all that is needed for
the making of a toy tractor that will give its builder a great deal of fun.
A good feature is that the parts can be taken down quickly and used
for other purposes when desired. A base, ¹⁄₂ by 3 by 9 in. long, is
made of wood, and two axles of the same thickness are set under it,
as shown. The wheels are disks cut from spools, or cut out of thin
wood for the rear wheels, and heavier wood for the front ones. They
are fastened with screws and washers, or with nails. The dry cell is
mounted on small strips and held by wires. The motor is fastened
with screws and wired to the dry cell in the usual manner. One of the
front wheels serves as the driver, and is grooved to receive the cord
belt.—J. E. Dalton, Cleveland, O.
 A Compact Toilet Outfit for the Soldier

A compact outfit, which the soldier or camper will appreciate,

consists of a comb, brush, and mirror, clamped together, as shown in
the sketch. Two long staples are set into the back of the brush
handle, as indicated. From a board, ¹⁄₄ in. thick, the backing for the
metal “trench mirror” is made, with the handle portion small enough
to fit into the staples. A small brass strip acts as a spring when
placed near the end of the mirror handle, and holds the outfit snugly.
 Preserving Leaves in Specimen Book
The common method of preserving leaves by pressing them with
an iron rubbed on beeswax may be improved by substituting the
following process. Paint the under side of each leaf with linseed oil,
ironing it immediately, and then paint and iron the upper side in the
same way. This treatment gives the leaves sufficient gloss, while
they remain quite pliable. It is not necessary to press and dry the
leaves beforehand, but this may be done if desired. The tints may
even be well preserved by painting only the upper side of the leaves
with the oil and then placing them, without ironing, between
newspapers, under weights, to dry.—Caroline Bollerer, New Britain,
Conn.
 Removable Drawer Stop

When I least expected it, the small-tool drawers of my tool chest

have often dropped out, after I had left them partly open. The result
was a waste of time in picking up the tools, not to mention the
possible injury to them. I made small clips, like that shown in the
sketch, and fitted them to the back of the drawers, as at A. When it is
desired to remove the clips, the portion that extends above the
drawer may be bent forward. This is necessary only where the space
above the drawer is small. The clips may be made large enough to fit
drawers of various sizes.—J. Harger, Honolulu, H. I.
 Pole Supports Rug Handily for Cleaning
A rug may be handled easily for cleaning if the pole on which it is
rolled when purchased is used as a support, as shown in the
illustration. Two stout wires are fastened into the ends of the pole
and hooked over the tightly stretched clothesline. The rug is
suspended on the roller and is thus kept straight while it is cleaned,
the tendency being, when only a clothesline is used, to crumple at
the middle.—John V. Loeffler, Evansville, Ind.

The Roller on Which the Rug is Rolled When Purchased is Used to

Advantage as a Support While Cleaning It
 Disk Talking Machine as China-Banding Wheel
A serviceable wheel for banding hand-painted china may be had
by adapting a disk talking machine for the purpose. Three old
records are placed on the wheel, so as to bring the surface of the
upper one slightly higher than the center pin. The piece of china to
be banded is set on the exact center of the disk, with the rings on the
record as a guide, and the brush may be rested on the arm of the
machine. Care must, of course, be taken not to injure the talking
machine.—Mrs. W. Read Elmer, Bridgeton, N. J.
 Emergency Collar Button

Requiring a collar button, and, as usual, having no extra one on

hand, I devised the holder shown in the illustration. It proved to be
better than a collar button for use at the back of the neckband. It was
bent into shape from a hairpin and has the advantage of keeping the
collar fixed with little chance of becoming unfastened.—William S.
Thompson, Hopkinsville, Ky.