Leovergild

=Leovergild=

Leovergild was the King of the Visigoths from 569 to 586. He is also well known for his Codex Revisus or Code of Leovergild, which was a law that granted equal rights between the Visogoths and the Hispano-Romans. His kingdom spread over the majority of Spain down to Toledo. He was co-king with his brother Liuva I, who was an Aryan Christian as well. They took power after a short time of anarchy when their other brother died. They divided the kingdom amongst themselves, Liuva took the land north of the Pyrenees Mountains, and Leovergild commanded Hispania.

In 572, Liuva died and Leovergild became the sole ruler of the kingdom. To prove he could rule on his own after gaining his brother's half of the land, he captured Cordoba from the Byzantine Empire. He also aided his popularity by seizing the Suebi strongholds at Leon and Zamora. After that he gained a lot more faith from the people in the area his brother once ruled. In 584, he defeated the Suebi ruler and added their kingdom to his. By the end of his rule, the only non-Visigothic territories left were the Basque lands and the Byzantine Empire, which were both extremely small compared to Leovergild's kingdom.

Leovergild united most of Iberia under Visigothic rule. The Visigoths continued to deal with invasions from other Germanic tribes like the Franks, but considered themselves the heirs to Roman land, not invaders. Leovergild established a capital city in Toledo, and his kingdom was passed down to his son Reccared upon his death.