General Notes

Theodoric, in Late Latin Theodoricus, in German Dietrich, often called
Theodoric the Great (circa 454-526), Ostrogothic king (474-526) and founder of
the Ostrogothic Kingdom in Italy. Born in the Roman province of Pannonia, he
was, from the age of 7 to 17, a hostage at the court of the Byzantine Empire
in Constantinople. In 474 Theodoric was elected king after his father's death,
and during the following 14 years he and the Byzantine emperor Zeno engaged in
alternate warfare and alliance. In 488, under the auspices of Zeno, Theodoric
invaded Italy. He defeated Odoacer, the first Germanic ruler of Italy, in
three decisive battles and blockaded him in Ravenna. In 493, when all of Italy
had been subdued by Theodoric, Odoacer surrendered and was treacherously slain
by the Ostrogothic king. Theodoric then assumed the leadership of Italy and
made Ravenna his capital.
Theodoric's reign of 33 years was devoted primarily to the consolidation and
development of his new kingdom, and it was a period of nearly unprecedented
peace and prosperity in Italy. He zealously promoted agriculture and commerce.
Although himself an Arian Christian, he exhibited an unusual tolerance for all
other Christian sects. The government was administered by Romans on Roman
lines; separate codes of law were used for Romans and Goths. Among the Romans
who held high office under Theodoric were the statesmen Anicius Boethius and
Flavius Cassiodorus; Boethius, however, incurred the suspicion of the monarch
toward the end of his reign and was executed for treason. Theodoric's last
years were also marred by growing tension with the anti-Arian Byzantine
emperor Justinian I. Theodoric was succeeded by his daughter Amalasuntha as
regent for her son Athalaric. The magnificent mausoleum of Theodoric still
stands in Ravenna.