Vitiges (also known as Vitigis, Vitigo, Witiges or Wittigis, and in
Old Norse
Old Norse, also referred to as Old Nordic or Old Scandinavian, was a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants ...
as Vigo) (died 542) was king of
Ostrogothic Italy from 536 to 540.
He succeeded to the throne of Italy in the early stages of the
Gothic War of 535–554, as
Belisarius
BelisariusSometimes called Flavia gens#Later use, Flavius Belisarius. The name became a courtesy title by the late 4th century, see (; ; The exact date of his birth is unknown. March 565) was a military commander of the Byzantine Empire under ...
had quickly captured
Sicily
Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...
the previous year and was in
southern Italy
Southern Italy (, , or , ; ; ), also known as () or (; ; ; ), is a macroregion of Italy consisting of its southern Regions of Italy, regions.
The term "" today mostly refers to the regions that are associated with the people, lands or cultu ...
at the head of the forces of
Justinian I
Justinian I (, ; 48214 November 565), also known as Justinian the Great, was Roman emperor from 527 to 565.
His reign was marked by the ambitious but only partly realized ''renovatio imperii'', or "restoration of the Empire". This ambition was ...
, the
Eastern Roman Emperor.
Vitiges was the husband of Queen
Amalasuntha's only surviving child,
Matasuntha;
therefore, his royal legitimacy was based on this marriage.
The
panegyric upon the wedding in 536 was delivered by
Cassiodorus
Magnus Aurelius Cassiodorus Senator (c. 485 – c. 585), commonly known as Cassiodorus (), was a Christian Roman statesman, a renowned scholar and writer who served in the administration of Theodoric the Great, king of the Ostrogoths. ''Senato ...
, the
praetorian prefect
The praetorian prefect (; ) was a high office in the Roman Empire. Originating as the commander of the Praetorian Guard, the office gradually acquired extensive legal and administrative functions, with its holders becoming the Emperor's chief ai ...
, and survives, a traditionally Roman form of rhetoric that set the Gothic dynasty in a flatteringly Roman light. Soon after he was made king, Vitiges had his predecessor
Theodahad murdered.
Theodahad had enraged the
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 ...
because he failed to send any assistance to
Naples
Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...
when it was besieged by the Byzantines, led by Belisarius.
Belisarius took both Vitiges and Matasuntha captive to
Constantinople
Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...
,
and Vitiges died there in 542, without any children. Procopius described parallels among the deposition of Vitiges and
Croesus, king of Lydia.
After his death, Matasuntha married the patrician
Germanus Justinus, a cousin of Justinian I through his uncle
Justin I.
Legend
Witige (in
Norse Viðga) is one of the heroes of epic literature that flourished around the figure of
Dietrich von Bern
Dietrich von Bern is the name of a character in Germanic heroic legend who originated as a legendary version of the Ostrogothic king Theodoric the Great. The name "Dietrich", meaning "Ruler of the People", is a form of the Germanic name "Theodor ...
(Theodoric of Verona).
Witige is the son of the mythical blacksmith Wieland and at the age of twelve, he leaves his father's house to seek adventure. Arriving in
Bern (Verona), he challenges the young prince Dietrich to a duel and defeats him thanks to the sword given to him by his father, Mimminc. Dietrich and Witege make a pact of brotherhood. Among the heroes in Dietrich's service are the old
Hildebrand and the brave
Heime
Heime ( German), Háma (), or Heimir (Old Norse) was a Germanic figure in Germanic heroic legend who often appears together with his friend Witige.The article Heimer' in '' Nordisk familjebok'' (1909). He is mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon poems '' ...
.
The Hun king
Etzel asks Dietrich for help in a military campaign against the Swedish king Ósantrix. During the battle, Witege is captured and Vildifer, his faithful friend, concocts a ruse to free him: Vildifer disguises himself as a bear and infiltrates the court of Ósantrix in the guise of a dancing bear following a minstrel. In this way, he discovers where Witege is being held prisoner, attacks King Ósantrix, kills him, and frees his friend.
Following the episode, a quarrel between Witege and Heime over the ownership of the sword Mimminc, which the latter had taken after the former had been captured and left for dead. Witege gets his sword back and the two swear friendship.
To win the hand of the beautiful Bolfrina, Witege leaves Dietrich's court and swears allegiance to King Ermrich, Dietrich's uncle. When Ermrich declares war on his nephew, Witege is forced to side with Ermrich: Dietrich flees before the enemy army and takes refuge at the court of Etzel, king of the Huns.
After several years, Dietrich, thanks to Etzel's support, organizes a campaign to reconquer his kingdom. Dietrich still trusts in Witege's friendship, but, he continues faithful to Ermrich. During a duel, Witege is forced to kill Orte and
Scharphe, Etzel's sons, and
Diether, Dietrich's brother, all three still children. Dietrich is furious and sets out in pursuit of Witege, who to save himself throws himself into the sea, where the mermaid Wachilde, his ancestor, welcomes him.
Transported by the
mermaid to
Zealand
Zealand ( ) is the largest and most populous islands of Denmark, island in Denmark proper (thus excluding Greenland and Disko Island, which are larger in size) at 7,031 km2 (2715 sq. mi.). Zealand had a population of 2,319,705 on 1 Januar ...
, Witege lives for many years on a deserted island giving specific orders to the ferryman not to allow Dietrich there, of whom he provides a statue. Dietrich, however, finds Witege's hiding place and, wanting to avenge his brother Diether at all costs, has one of his eyes removed so as not to be recognized by the
ferryman. Having reached Witege's home, Dietrich steals the hero's sword Mimminc, then challenges him to a duel. Witege, deprived of his best weapon, is overwhelmed and dies, but not before inflicting deep wounds on his opponent. Dietrich, after throwing Mimminc into a lake, dies from the wounds inflicted on him by Witege.
[ Von der Hagen's, summary of Thidrekssaga chapters 1-79, chapter-numbering of the Membrame-manuscript, consistency of the saga by Boer; C. Boer, Ueber die Handschriften und Redactionen der Thidrekssaga, in: Arkiv foer nordisk filolog ]
In fiction
Vitiges appears as a character in the time travel novel ''
Lest Darkness Fall'', by
L. Sprague de Camp. He is portrayed by
Florin Piersic in the 1968 film ''
Kampf um Rom.''
See also
*
Witege
Witege, Witige or Wittich (; Gotho-) or Vidrik "Vidga" Verlandsson ( + ''Viðga'' or ''Videke'' + ''Verlandsson'', ''Vallandsson'', or ''Villandsson'') is a character in several Germanic heroic legends, poems about Dietrich von Bern, and later ...
References
Ostrogothic kings
6th-century kings of Italy
6th-century monarchs in Europe
People of the Gothic War (535–554)
Year of birth unknown
6th-century Ostrogothic people
542 deaths
{{Italy-hist-stub