Theodahad

A Platonic King at the Collapse of Ostrogothic Italy

Massimiliano Vitiello (Autor)

Buch | Softcover

352 Seiten

2022
University of Toronto Press (Verlag)
978-1-4875-4763-9 (ISBN)

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Educated in Platonic philosophy rather than the military arts, the Ostrogothic king Theodahad was never meant to rule. His unexpected nomination as co-regent by his cousin Queen Amalasuintha plunged him into the intrigues of the Gothic court, and Theodahad soon conspired to assassinate the queen. But, once alone on the throne, his lack of political experience and military skill made him ineffective at best and dangerously incompetent at worst. Defeated by the Byzantine emperor Justinian, Theodahad was killed by his own subjects.

In Theodahad, Massimiliano Vitiello rigorously investigates the ancient sources in order to reconstruct the events of Theodahad’s life and the contours of sixth-century diplomacy and political intrigues. Painting a picture of an unlikely king whose reign helped spell the end of Ostrogothic Italy, Vitiello’s book not only illuminates Theodahad’s own life but also offers new insight into the sixth-century Mediterranean world.

Massimiliano Vitiello is an assistant professor in the Department of History at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Preface

Introduction:

i. Towards a biography of Theodahad
ii. Theodahad between Procopius of Caesarea and Cassiodorus

Chapter One: Theodahad the man

i. Theodahad’s childhood and early education
ii. Theodahad, the education of the Gothic youth and Amal family
iii. Philosophy in the education of Theodahad
iv. Theodahad’s Platonism and his disinterest in war
v. Theodahad, landowner of Etruria
vi. An anxious, fearful and hesitant king

Chapter Two: Theodahad the noble

i. The influence of teachers from the Roman schools on the Gothic court
ii. Theodahad and the women of the Amal family
iii. Theoderic and Theodahad: between the Roman and Gothic worlds

a. Theoderic and Roman culture
b. Theoderic and royalty

iv. Theodahad as successor of Theoderic?
v. Theodahad and Theoderic: an animosity badly hidden or deliberately flaunted?

Chapter Three: Theodahad the co-regent

i. Athalarich’s death and Theodahad’s call to the throne
ii. The co-regency
iii. The path to legitimation
iv. A ‘Gothic philosopher’ is introduced to the kingdom
v. The building of consent
vi. The philosopher-king and the representation of his co-regent
vii. Theodahad, Boethius’ friends, and the Anician family

a. A family drama
b. Two ‘friends’ of Boethius: Maximianus and Patricius
c. Maximus: a marriage to save the kingdom?

Chapter Four: Theodahad the king

i. Ingratidude, conspiracy, or diplomatic incident?
ii. Theodahad, Justinian, and Theodora
iii. Theodahad and Rome
iv. Theodahad’s diplomatic policy: the embassies
v. Pope Agapetus’ embassy to Constantinople
vi. Theodahad’s ‘adventus’ and sojourn in Rome
vii. Theodahad and religion
viii. Theodahad between the two Italies: the body politic dismembered
ix. Theodahad in war: diplomatic operations and attempted alliances

a. The desertion of his son-in-law
b. Military operations conducted at a distance
c. Unsuccessful attempts to form alliances
d. The end of hope and despair

Chapter Five: Theodahad, the end

i. Theodahad’s fall and Witiges’ coup
ii. Legalize the succession or repair the damages? Witiges and Justinian
iii. The end of Rome’s Liberty

Epilogue

Appendices:

Appendix I: Cassiodorus’ travels beween Ravenna and Rome
Appendix II: ‘A Roman of note among the Goths’
Appendix III: The embassies of Variae X 19–24 and XI 13: the ‘status quaestionis’

Bibliography

Erscheinungsdatum	17.08.2022
Zusatzinfo	1 figure
Verlagsort	Toronto
Sprache	englisch
Maße	152 x 229 mm
Gewicht	500 g
Themenwelt	Literatur ► Biografien / Erfahrungsberichte
	Literatur ► Briefe / Tagebücher
	Geschichte ► Allgemeine Geschichte ► Vor- und Frühgeschichte
	Geschichte ► Allgemeine Geschichte ► Mittelalter
	Geisteswissenschaften ► Geschichte ► Regional- / Ländergeschichte
ISBN-10	1-4875-4763-3 / 1487547633
ISBN-13	978-1-4875-4763-9 / 9781487547639
Zustand	Neuware