Theodoric the Great (454 - August 30, 526), known to the Romans as Flavius Theodoricus, was king of the Ostrogoths (488-526), ruler of Italy (493-526), and regent of the Visigoths (511-526). He became a hero of Germanic legend as Dietrich von Bern in German legends and as Þjóðrekr and Þiðrekr in Norse mythology.

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Theodoric was born in 454 as the child of king Theodemir, and Erelieva. He was born on the banks of the Neusiedler See near Carnuntum, a year after the Ostrogoths had thrown off nearly a century of domination by the Huns. The son of the King Theodemir, Theodoric went to Constantinople as a young boy, as a hostage to secure the Ostrogoths' compliance with a treaty Theodemir had concluded with the Byzantine Emperor Leo.

He lived at the court of Constantinople for many years and learned a great deal about Roman government and military tactics, which served him well when he became the Goth ruler of a mixed but largely Romanized people. Treated with favor by the Emperors Leo I and Zeno, he became magister militum (or Master of Soldiers) in 483, and one year later he became consul. He afterwards returned to live among the Ostrogoths when he was 20 years old, and became their king in 488.

The rise of another Ostrogoth named Theodoric--nicknamed "Strabo", which means "squinter"-- caused the Romans much alarm. Strabo claimed royal blood and seemed dangerously close to assembling a force that would threaten Roman power. Thus Theodoric, now eighteen years old, was sent home as encouragement to his father and uncle to counter this rise. The young Theodoric was given his own command and won a stunning victory over a rebellious town; as a result, he was elevated to the joint kingship. Four years later, his father was dead and his uncle had moved further west to form his own kingdom, leaving Theodoric as sole king. The problem of Strabo was not easily solved, however. Over the next decade and a half, the two Theodorics vied for the loyalty of the Ostrogothic people. It was only Strabo's accidental death that gained Theodoric the final victory.

Theodoric had now succeeded in doing what the Romans had feared most--uniting the Ostrogoths under one ruler. Their own political situation was unstable. Something had to be done. Theodoric was appointed Consul in Constantinople--the highest honour which could be given to a Roman. His people were promised land to meet their needs. The emperor Anastasius, however, continued to delay the final settlement. Theodoric was on the verge of marching on Constantinople when an agreement was finally reached: Theodoric would reclaim Italy for the Empire.

Theodoric the Goth was neither Frank nor Hun. He had great respect for the Roman culture he saw himself as representing. In about 520 the philosopher Boethius became his magister officiorum, (head of all the government and court services). Boethius was a man of science, a dedicated Hellenist bent on translating all the works of Aristotle into Latin and harmonizing them with the works of Plato, not an easy task. Eventually Boethius fell out of favor with Theodoric, perhaps out of a suspicion that he was in sympathy with Justinian, emperor of the East, for Arian Theodoric was always somewhat of an outsider among these Nicaean Christians. Theodoric ordered Boethius executed in 525. In the meantime Cassiodorus had succeeded Boethius as magister in 523. The pliant historian and courtier could be counted on to provide refined touches to official correspondence. "To the monarch you [Cassiodorus] were a friendly judge and an honored intimate. For when he got free of his official cares he looked to your conversation for the precepts of the sages, that he might make himself a worthy equal to the great men of old. Ever curious, he wanted to hear about the courses of the stars, the tides of the sea, and legendary fountains, that his earnest study of natural science might make him seem to be a veritable philosopher in the purple" (Cassiodorus' letterbook, Variae 9.24.8). The gulf was widening between the ancient senatorial aristocracy whose center was Rome and the adherents of Gothic rule at Ravenna: other distinguished public figures followed Boethius to the block. Theodoric in his final years was no longer the disengaged Arian patron of religious toleration that he had seemed earlier in his reign. "Indeed, his death cut short what could well have developed into a major persecution of Catholic churches in retaliation for measures taken by Justin in Constantinople against Arians there" O'Donnell 1979, ch. 1.

Theodoric was of Arian faith. At the end of his reign quarrels arose with his Roman subjects and the Byzantine emperor Justin I over the Arianism issue. Relations between the two nations deteriorated, although Theodoric's ability dissuaded the Byzantines from waging war against him. After his death, that reluctance faded quickly. Theodoric the Great was interred in Ravenna. His mausoleum is one of the finest monuments in Ravenna. Theodoric Was king of all kings.

Theodoric is remembered as a patron of learning. His court fostered such scholars as Cassiodorus, whose diplomatic correspondence in the name of the king is marked by ornate Latin and contains letters addressed to all variety of officials---from low-level military and bureaucratic functionaries to Emperors and kings such as Clovis. The philosopher Boethius was also a court treasure and friend of the king. Despite the fact that he was an Arian Christian and thus considered a heretic by the Catholic church, Theodoric was asked by the Pope to mediate a schism. Throughout his reign, Theodoric put much effort into building and restoration throughout Italy, but particularly in Ravenna, his capital. Several buildings built by Theodoric, including the church of San Apollinaire, famed for its mosaics, stand to this day.

While Theodoric kept the peace in Italy, he was active in wars elsewhere. Until the death of Clovis in 511, Theodoric had to be constantly on guard against the threat of Frankish expansion. He was able to stop Frankish advances towards Visigothic Spain, and upon the death of Alaric II in 507, he became king of all the Goths, uniting Spain and Italy under one rule. Theodoric also formed marriage alliances by sending his daughters to several Germanic kings. He himself married Audofleda, the sister of Clovis. Theodoric gave all of his daughters (he had no sons) an education in classical culture--particularly Amalasuintha. Amalasuintha was given in marriage to Eutharic, a Visigothic prince, in hopes that this would permanently cement the two Gothic nations. Unfortunately, this did not happen. Though Eutharic and Amalasuintha had a son, Athalaric, Eutharic died prematurely.

This was not the only matter to go awry in Theodoric's final years. Old Emperor Anastasius, who had never been strong enough to come to Italy in person, had at last died. His successor was Justin, who was also advanced in years, but who had an energetic young nephew by the name of Justinian. Theodoric himself, now in his seventies, had only Athalaric, his infant grandson, as an heir. Rumours came to Theodoric's ear that some within his own court were conspiring against him in favour of a return to direct imperial rule. Furthermore, the Catholic church, its internal problems solved, was now turning against the Arian Theodoric. Several leading senators were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy, including Boethius. It was while he was imprisoned awaiting execution that this philosopher wrote the famous Consolation of Philosophy. Theodoric's last years were unfortunately marked by growing suspicion and distrust, as the fragile union of Goths and Romans he had forged began to unravel. He died in 526, naming the boy Athalaric as his heir and his daughter Amalasuintha as regent. His kingdom outlived him barely a decade before falling before the Byzantine forces under Belisarius and Justinian. Yet he is remembered as <"great"--for in the turmoil of the fifth and sixth centuries, he somehow united Goths and Romans for three decades of peace.