Elemund
Encyclopedia
Elemund was king of the Gepids, an east Germanic people, during the first half of the 6th century. He may have ascended by overthrowing the Ardariking dynasty, the line of Gepid kings descended from king Ardaric
. Basing himself on archaeological evidence Istvan Bona believes that in the 520s or 530s Elemund must have consolidated his power in Transylvania
by submitting or removing minor Gepid rulers. Elemund had two daughters, Ostrogotha and Austrigusa; the latter was given in marriage to the king of the Lombards
Wacho
in 512. The reasons behind the marriage were multiple: on one side it protected the two kings from the threat represented by the Ostrogothic Kingdom
, while on the other it reduced the danger represented to the Lombard king by Ildechis, a pretender to the Lombard throne. Wacho was eventually to remarry after Austrigusa death, but this did not compromise the good relations existing between Lombards and Gepids. Elemund died of illness in 548 and was succeeded by Thurisind
, while the legitimate heir was forced in exile. Ostrogotha found hospitality among the Lombards, but was to be killed in 552 by his host King Audoin
as part of a plan to ease relations among Gepids and Lombards.
Ardaric
Ardaric was the most renowned king of the Gepids. He was "famed for his loyalty and wisdom", one of the most trusted adherents of Attila the Hun, who "prized him above all the other chieftains"...
. Basing himself on archaeological evidence Istvan Bona believes that in the 520s or 530s Elemund must have consolidated his power in Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
by submitting or removing minor Gepid rulers. Elemund had two daughters, Ostrogotha and Austrigusa; the latter was given in marriage to the king of the Lombards
Lombards
The Lombards , also referred to as Longobards, were a Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin, who from 568 to 774 ruled a Kingdom in Italy...
Wacho
Wacho
Wacho was king of the Lombards before they entered Italy from an unknown date until his death in 539. His father was Unichis. Wacho usurped the throne by assassinating his uncle, King Tato . Tato's son Ildchis fought with him and fled to the Gepids where he died...
in 512. The reasons behind the marriage were multiple: on one side it protected the two kings from the threat represented by the Ostrogothic Kingdom
Ostrogothic Kingdom
The Kingdom established by the Ostrogoths in Italy and neighbouring areas lasted from 493 to 553. In Italy the Ostrogoths replaced Odoacer, the de facto ruler of Italy who had deposed the last emperor of the Western Roman Empire in 476. The Gothic kingdom reached its zenith under the rule of its...
, while on the other it reduced the danger represented to the Lombard king by Ildechis, a pretender to the Lombard throne. Wacho was eventually to remarry after Austrigusa death, but this did not compromise the good relations existing between Lombards and Gepids. Elemund died of illness in 548 and was succeeded by Thurisind
Thurisind
Thurisind was king of the Gepids, an East Germanic Gothic people, from c. 548 to 560. He was the penultimate Gepid king, and succeeded King Elemund by staging a coup d'état and forcing the king's son into exile...
, while the legitimate heir was forced in exile. Ostrogotha found hospitality among the Lombards, but was to be killed in 552 by his host King Audoin
Audoin
Alduin, Auduin, or Audoin was king of the Lombards from 546 to 560. The Lombards became, under him, fœderati of the Byzantines , signing a treaty with Justinian I which gave them power in Pannonia and the north. Beginning in 551, he was obliged to send troops to serve Narses in Italy against the...
as part of a plan to ease relations among Gepids and Lombards.