Foreign policy was one of the cornerstones of the Ostrogothic Kingdom, especially after the death of Theoderic (526), when his successors had to face the Merovingian sovereigns and Justinian. The analysis of sixth-century international relations allows us to reconstruct the essential aspects of the foreign policy of Amalasuintha, Theodahad, Vitiges, Totila and Theia. The reign of Theoderic exerted a strong influence on their politics and led them to seek an agreement with Constantinople, which represented an essential factor of legitimacy. However, Frankish expansionism and the outbreak of the Gothic War undermined the system of alliances built by Theoderic. The conflict not only put an end to late antique Italy, but also sealed the failure of Totila’s political project, who was never able to present himself as Theoderic’s legitimate heir in the absence of a peace treaty with the Empire. After his death, relations with other peoples were reduced to the choice of submitting either to the Empire or to Frankish rulers.

La politica esterna fu uno dei capisaldi del regno ostrogoto, specialmente in seguito alla morte di Teoderico (526), allorché i suoi successori dovettero fronteggiare i sovrani merovingi e Giustiniano. L’analisi delle coeve iniziative diplomatiche permette di ricostruire le linee essenziali della politica esterna di Amalasunta, Teodato, Vitige, Totila e Teia: il modello teodericiano esercitò una forte influenza sul loro operato politico e li spinse a cercare ripetutamente un accordo con Costantinopoli, che rappresentava un essenziale fattore di legittimazione, ma l’espansionismo franco e lo scoppio della Guerra Gotica mandarono in crisi il sistema di alleanze costruito da Teoderico. Il conflitto non solo pose fine all’Italia tardo-antica, ma decretò anche il fallimento del progetto politico di Totila, che in mancanza di un accordo con l’impero non riuscì mai a presentarsi come il legittimo erede di Teoderico. Dopo la sua morte le relazioni con gli altri popoli si ridussero alla scelta se sottomettersi all’impero o ai sovrani franchi.

La politica esterna dei successori di Teoderico

Marco Cristini
2023

Abstract

Foreign policy was one of the cornerstones of the Ostrogothic Kingdom, especially after the death of Theoderic (526), when his successors had to face the Merovingian sovereigns and Justinian. The analysis of sixth-century international relations allows us to reconstruct the essential aspects of the foreign policy of Amalasuintha, Theodahad, Vitiges, Totila and Theia. The reign of Theoderic exerted a strong influence on their politics and led them to seek an agreement with Constantinople, which represented an essential factor of legitimacy. However, Frankish expansionism and the outbreak of the Gothic War undermined the system of alliances built by Theoderic. The conflict not only put an end to late antique Italy, but also sealed the failure of Totila’s political project, who was never able to present himself as Theoderic’s legitimate heir in the absence of a peace treaty with the Empire. After his death, relations with other peoples were reduced to the choice of submitting either to the Empire or to Frankish rulers.
2023
Settore L-ANT/03 - Storia Romana
Settore M-STO/01 - Storia Medievale
L'Erma di Bretschneider
978-88-913-2810-6
Teoderico; Ostrogoti; Guerra Gotica; Diplomazia nella Tarda Antichità
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11384/126442
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