Gundemar

Gundemar was a Visigothic King of Hispania, Septimania and Galicia (610–612).

Gundemar
King of Hispania, Septimania and Gallaecia
Imaginary portrait of Gundemar by Bernardino Montañés. Oil on canvas (1858)
King of the Visigoths
Reignc. April 610 – c. February/March 612
PredecessorWitteric
SuccessorSisebut
Diedc. February/March 612
SpouseHildoara
ReligionChalcedonian Christianity
Imaginary portrait of Gundemar by Bernardino Montañés. Oil on canvas (1858)

Reign

Gundemar continued a policy of amity with Clotaire II of Neustria and Theodobert II of Austrasia. To this end, he sent grand sums of money to support their cause against their relative (cousin and brother, respectively) Theuderic II of Burgundy. At other times, he pursued a hostile policy against Brunhilda.[1]

According to Isidore of Seville, Gundemar made one expedition against the Basques, then besieged the Byzantines in the following year. With the Byzantine Empire in particular, he had a Casus Belli because of jurisdictional challenge between Carthage and the Spanish church.[2] He died a natural death in Toledo, probably in February or March 612.[3] The Chronica Regum Visigotthorum records that Gundemar reigned for one year, ten months and 14 days.[4] He was succeeded by Sisebut.

He was married to Hildoara.

Legacy

The towns of Gondomar in Portugal and in Galicia are named after him.

References
  1. E. A. Thompson, The Goths in Spain (Clarendon P., 1969), p. 160.
  2. Curtin, D. P. (March 2020). The Decree of 610. Dalcassian Publishing Company. ISBN 9781960069719.
  3. Isidore of Seville, Historia de regibus Gothorum, Vandalorum et Suevorum, chapter 59. Translation by Guido Donini and Gordon B. Ford, Isidore of Seville's History of the Goths, Vandals, and Suevi, second revised edition (Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1970), p. 27.
  4. Chronica Regum Visigotthorum, España Sagrada Tomo II , p. 173.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.