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ReccaredI
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

"Reccared"redirectshere.Forotheruses,seeReccared(disambiguation).

ConversionofReccaredtoChalcedonianism
byAntonioMuozDegrain(1888)

Reccared(orRecaredLatin:ReccaredusSpanish:Recaredo)I(c.55931May601)(reigned586
601)wasVisigothicKingofHispania,SeptimaniaandGalicia.Hisreignmarkedaclimacticshiftinhistory,
withtheking'srenunciationofArianisminfavourofChalcedonianChristianityin587.
ReccaredwastheyoungersonofKingLeovigildbyhisfirstwifeTheodosia.Likehisfather,Reccaredhad
hiscapitalatToledo.TheVisigothickingsandnoblesweretraditionallyArianChristians,whilethe
HispanoRomanpopulationwereRomanCatholics.TheCatholicbishopLeanderofSevillewas
instrumentalinconvertingtheeldersonandheirofLeovigild,Hermenegild,toCatholicism.Leander
supportedhisrebellionandwasexiledforhisrole.
WhenKingLeovigilddied,withinafewweeksofApril21,586,bishopLeanderwasswifttoreturnto
Toledo.Thenewkinghadbeenassociatedwithhisfatherinrulingthekingdomandwasacclaimedking
bytheVisigothicnobleswithoutopposition.
InJanuary587,ReccaredrenouncedArianismforCatholicism,thesinglegreateventofhisreignandthe
turningpointforVisigothicHispania.MostAriannoblesandecclesiasticsfollowedhisexample,certainly
thosearoundhimatToledo,buttherewereArianuprisings,notablyinSeptimania,hisnorthernmost
province,beyondthePyrenees,wheretheleaderofoppositionwastheArianbishopAthaloc,whohadthe
reputationamonghisCatholicenemiesofbeingvirtuallyasecondArius.Amongthesecularleadersofthe
Septimanianinsurrection,thecountsGranistaandWildigernappealedtoGuntramofBurgundy,whosaw
hisopportunityandsenthisduxDesiderius.Reccared'sarmydefeatedtheArianinsurgentsandtheir
Catholicallieswithgreatslaughter,Desideriushimselfbeingslain.[1]
Thenextconspiracybrokeoutinthewest,Lusitania,headedbySunna,theArianbishopofMrida,and
countSeggo.Claudius,Reccared'sduxLusitaniae,putdowntherising,Sunnabeingbanished
toMauritaniaandSeggoretiringtoGallaecia.[2]Inthelaterpartof588athirdconspiracywasheadedby
theArianbishopUldilaandthequeendowagerGoiswintha,buttheyweredetected,andthebishopwas
banished.[3]
TheThirdCouncilofToledo,organizedbySt.Leanderbutconvenedintheking'snameinMay589,set
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thetoneforthenewCatholickingdom.Thepublicconfessionoftheking,readaloudbyanotary,reveals
bytheemphaticclarityofitstheologicalpointsanditsquotationsofscripturethatitwasghostwrittenfor
theking.BishopLeanderalsodeliveredthetriumphantclosingsermon,whichhisbrotherIsidore
entitledHomiliadetriumphoecclesiaeobconversionemGothorumahomilyuponthe"triumphofthe
ChurchupontheconversionoftheGoths".Thetextofthehomilysurvives.LeanderandtheCatholic
bishopsimmediatelyinstitutedtheprogramofforcedconversionofJewsandextirpationoftheremainsof
Arianismas"heresy".CatholichistorytraditionallyimputesthesepersecutionstotheVisigothickings.
When,afterReccared'sreign,atasynodheldatToledoin633,thebishopstookuponthemselvesthe
nobles'righttoselectakingfromamongtheroyalfamily,thetransferofpowerwascomplete.Bythistime
theremainingethnicdistinctionbetweentheincreasinglyRomanizedVisigothsandtheirHispanoRoman
subjectshadallbutdisappeared(theGothiclanguagelostitslastandprobablyalreadydecliningfunction
asachurchlanguagewiththeextirpationofArianism,anddress&funerarycustomsalsoceasetobe
distinguishingfeaturesinca.570/580)[4]
ReportedlyReccaredengagedinavigorouspolicyagainsttheJews,pursuingzealousand
fanatical[5]policieslimitingJewishfreedomsaspromulgatedinthecanonsofsynods.Modern
historians[6]haverevisedthisviewandseeacontinuationoftraditionalVisigothictolerance.PopeGregory
IwasconvincedthatReccaredrefusedbribesfromtheJewishcommunity,whichwaslarge,well
connectedthroughouttheMediterraneanandpowerful,[7]andReccared'slawsprovidedthattheoffspring
ofaChristianandaJewbebaptised,whichwasoflittlemomenttotheJewishcommunity,aswhetherit
wasnotbornofaJewishmotherorwasbornofaJewishwomanoutsidehercommunity,thechildwas
notconsideredaJewanyway.ReccaredeliminatedthedeathpenaltyforJewsconvictedofproselytising
amongChristiansandignoredGregory'srequestthatthetradeinChristianslavesatNarbonnebe
forbiddentoJews.[8]AmongthecanonsoffivesynodsduringReccared'sreign,E.A.Thompsoncould
findnonedisadvantagingtheJewishcommunity.[9]
TheinformationfortherestofReccared'sreignis
scanty.JohnofBiclaro,Reccared'scontemporary,endshis
accountwiththeThirdCouncilofToledo.IsidoreofSeville,
bishopLeander'sbrother,praiseshispeacefulgovernment,
clemency,andgenerosity:standardencomia.Hereturned
variousproperties,evensomeprivateones,thathadbeen
confiscatedbyhisfather,andfoundedmanychurchesand

CoinofReccared

monasteries.PopeGregory,writingtoReccaredinAug.599
(Epp.ix.61,121),extolshimforembracingthetruefaithand
inducinghispeopletodoso,andnotablyforrefusingthebribesofferedbyJewstoprocuretherepealof
alawagainstthem.HesentReccaredapieceoftheTrueCross,somefragmentsofthechainsofSt.
Peter,andsomehairsofSt.JohntheBaptist.
ReccareddiedanaturaldeathatToledo[10]andwassucceededbyhisyouthfulsonLiuvaII.

Notes

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1.^JohnofBiclaro,Chronicle,91.TranslatedinKennethBaxterWolf,ConquerorsandChroniclersofEarly
MedievalSpain,secondedition(Liverpool:UniversityPress,1990),p.74
2.^IsidoreofSeville,HistoriaderegibusGothorum,VandalorumetSuevorum,chapter54.TranslationbyGuido
DoniniandGordonB.Ford,IsidoreofSeville'sHistoryoftheGoths,Vandals,andSuevi,secondrevisededition
(Leiden:E.J.Brill,1970),p.25
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3.^JohnofBiclaro,Chronicle,90translatedbyWolf,pp.73f
4.^StrategiesofDistinction:ConstructionofEthnicCommunities,300800(TransformationoftheRomanWorld)
byWalterPohl,ISBNISBN9004108467(p.119120:dressandfunerarycustomsceasetobedistinguishing
featuresin570/580)
5.^AloysiusZiegler,ChurchandStateinVisigothicSpain(Washington)1930:"Zieglerunhesitatinglycharacterizes
thekings.as'fanaticallyzealous'"(Bacharach1973:11.
6.^NotablyBernardS.Bachrach,inEarlyMedievalJewishPolicyinWesternEurope(UniversityofMinnesota
Press)1977seealsoBacharach,"AReassessmentofVisigothicJewishPolicy,589711",TheAmerican
HistoricalReview78.1(February1973),pp.1134.
7.^SolomonKatz,TheJewsintheVisigothicandFrankishKingdomsofGaulandSpain(HarvardUniversity
Press)1937givesthebroadbackground.
8.^Bacharach,"AReassessment",p.15.
9.^Thompson,TheGothsinSpain(OxfordUniversityPress)1969:112.
10.^AnnChristys,ChristiansinAlAndalus,7111000,page37(CurzonPress,2002).ISBN0700715649

Externallinks

[ edit ]

HenryWace,DictionaryofChristianBiographyandLiterature :Reccared
Regnaltitles
Precededby
Liuvigild
Authoritycontrol

WorldCat

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reccared_I

VIAF:217374390

Kingofthe
Visigoths
586601

Succeededby
LiuvaII

LCCN:n2004063123

GND:102017549

SUDOC:122051831

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