Chindasuinth (also spelled ''Chindaswinth'', ''Chindaswind'', ''Chindasuinto'', ''Chindasvindo'', or ''Khindaswinth'';

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

: ''Chintasvintus'', ''Cindasvintus''; 563 – 30 September 653) was

Visigothic The Visigoths (; ) were a Germanic people united under the rule of a king and living within the Roman Empire during late antiquity. The Visigoths first appeared in the Balkans, as a Roman-allied barbarian military group united under the comman ...

King King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...

Hispania Hispania was the Ancient Rome, Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula. Under the Roman Republic, Hispania was divided into two Roman province, provinces: Hispania Citerior and Hispania Ulterior. During the Principate, Hispania Ulterior was divide ...

, from 642 until his death in 653. He succeeded Tulga, from whom he took the throne in a coup. He was elected by the nobles and anointed by the bishops on April 30, 642.

Life

Despite his great age (he was already 79 years old and a veteran of the Leovigild campaigns and the religious rebellions after conversions from

Arianism Arianism (, ) is a Christology, Christological doctrine which rejects the traditional notion of the Trinity and considers Jesus to be a creation of God, and therefore distinct from God. It is named after its major proponent, Arius (). It is co ...

were forced) his tyrannical and cruel character made the clergy and noblesse submit to him out of fear of execution and banishment. He cemented his control by preempting an alleged revolt: in a short period of time he executed over 200

Goths The Goths were a Germanic people who played a major role in the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the emergence of medieval Europe. They were first reported by Graeco-Roman authors in the 3rd century AD, living north of the Danube in what is ...

of the most noble families and 500 more from the petty nobility. Additionally, he arranged for the banishment of many potential adversaries and the confiscation of their property. All this took place before any rebellion actually occurred and without any investigation or trial or, for that matter, actual belief that a revolt was pending. The Seventh Council of Toledo, held on 16 October 646, consented to and backed his actions, toughening the punishments applied to those who rose against the sovereign and extended them even to members of the

clergy Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

Smothering all opposition, he brought peace to the realm and a degree of order not known previously. To continue his legacy, he had his son Recceswinth, at the urging of Braulio of Zaragoza, crowned co-king on 20 January 649 and attempted to establish, as many had before, a

hereditary monarchy A hereditary monarchy is a form of government and succession of power in which the throne passes from one member of a ruling family to another member of the same family. A series of rulers from the same family would constitute a dynasty. It is ...

. His associate-son was thenceforth the true ruler of the Visigoths, presiding in the name of his father until 653, the year of Chindasuinth’s passing. Notwithstanding the vigorous and martial nature of his political activities, Chindasuinth is recorded in religious annals as a great benefactor of the church, donating many lands and bestowing privileges upon clerics. He improved public estates with the confiscated goods of the dispossessed nobility as well as through improved taxation methods. In the military arena, he undertook campaigns against rebellious

Basques The Basques ( or ; ; ; ) are a Southwestern European ethnic group, characterised by the Basque language, a Basque culture, common culture and shared genetic ancestry to the ancient Vascones and Aquitanians. Basques are indigenous peoples, ...

and

Lusitania Lusitania (; ) was an ancient Iberian Roman province encompassing most of modern-day Portugal (south of the Douro River) and a large portion of western Spain (the present Extremadura and Province of Salamanca). Romans named the region after th ...

ns. He reversed the anti-Jewish laws of his predecessor, Tulga, and put a stop to policies forcing Jewish people to convert to Christianity or emigrate. However, he did enforce the law that all Christians engaging in Jewish traditions be put to death. It is believed that this was in an effort to stop conversions to Judaism. He promulgated many laws dealing with civil matters. With the help of Braulio, bishop of

Zaragoza Zaragoza (), traditionally known in English as Saragossa ( ), is the capital city of the province of Zaragoza and of the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tributaries, the ...

, he began the elaboration of a territorial code of law to cover both the Gothic and Hispano-Roman populations. A draft form of that work, the '' Liber Iudiciorum'', was promulgated in the second year of his reign. It underwent refinement throughout the rest of his sovereignty and was finished by his son in 654. In 643 or 644 it superseded both the

Breviary of Alaric The ''Breviary of Alaric'' (''Breviarium Alaricianum'' or ''Lex Romana Visigothorum'') is a collection of Roman law, compiled by Roman jurists and issued by referendary Anianus (referendary), Anianus on the order of Alaric II, Visigothic King ...

used by the natives and the Code of Leovigild used by the Goths. According to

Edward Gibbon Edward Gibbon (; 8 May 173716 January 1794) was an English essayist, historian, and politician. His most important work, ''The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'', published in six volumes between 1776 and 1789, is known for ...

, during his reign, Muslim raiders began harassing

Iberia The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, compri ...

: "As early as the time of Othman (644–656), their piratical squadrons had ravaged the coast of

Andalusia Andalusia ( , ; , ) is the southernmost autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Peninsular Spain, located in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, in southwestern Europe. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomou ...

". However, this reading poses a problem difficult to overcome: the Muslim

Rashiduns The Rashidun () are the first four caliphs () who led the Ummah, Muslim community following the death of Muhammad: Abu Bakr (), Umar (), Uthman (), and Ali (). The reign of these caliphs, called the Rashidun Caliphate (632–661), is considere ...

were still struggling to conquer Tripolitania in present-day

Libya Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya border, the east, Sudan to Libya–Sudan border, the southeast, Chad to Chad–L ...

. Chindasuinth spent the last years of his life, as so many mediaeval monarchs did, in acts of piety for the sake of his immortal soul. He commissioned St Fructuosus to build the

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a ...

of San Román de Hornija on the

Douro The Douro (, , , ; ; ) is the largest river of the Iberian Peninsula by discharge. It rises near Duruelo de la Sierra in the Spanish Soria Province, province of Soria, meanders briefly south, then flows generally west through the northern par ...

, with the intention of having it house his tomb. His remains rest there next to those of his wife, Riciberga. Nevertheless, Eugene II, bishop of Toledo, provided a judgment on the life of this king by writing the following inscription: : I, Chindasuinth, ever the friend of evil deeds: committer of crimes Chindaswinth I, impious, obscene, ugly and wicked; not seeking the best, valuing the worst.Translation from Peter Heather, ''The Goths'' (Oxford: Blackwell, 1996), p. 290

Legacy

Chindasuinth was succeeded by his eldest son, Recceswinth, who continued his reforms. A younger son, Theodofred, was blinded by Wamba.

Sources

*Collins, Roger. ''Visigothic Spain, 409–711''. Blackwell Publishing, 2004. *King, P. D. "King Chindasvind and the First Territorial Law-code of the Visiogothic Kingdom." ''Visigothic Spain: New Approaches''. ed. Edward James. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1980. pp 131–157. * Thompson, E. A. ''The Goths in Spain''. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1969.

Notes

External links

, ''History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'
Chapter 51
(from the

University of Adelaide The University of Adelaide is a public university, public research university based in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest university in Australia. Its main campus in the Adelaide city centre includes many Sa ...

)
Visigothic Law Code
text. The preface was written in 1908, and should be read with reservations. Look at ''Book VI: Concerning Crimes and Tortures'', under ''Title III: Concerning Abortion'', the seventh article, which is not "ancient law", as so many others, but the words of Flavius Chintasvintus Rex {{Authority control 7th-century Visigothic monarchs 560s births 653 deaths