Liuva I
Encyclopedia
Liuva I was a Visigothic King
of Hispania
and Septimania
.
He was made king at Narbonne
following the death of Athanagild
in 568. Roger Collins notes this was the first time a Visigothic king is mentioned in the north-eastern region of the realm since 531, when Amalric was murdered. He suggests Liuva's coronation near the border with the Franks
was because of renewed threats from that neighbor; under Guntram
, the Franks are known to have posed more of a threat to the Visigoths. This threat would also explain why in the second year of his reign, Liuva made his brother Liuvigild
both co-ruler and heir, putting him in direct charge of Hispania Citerior
, or the eastern part of Hispania.
The Frankish threat may also explain why Liuva gave shelter to bishop Pronimius (modern French, Fronime). Gregory of Tours
states Pronimius had left Bourges
to live in Septimania "for some reason or other". Liuva made him bishop of Agde
, an office he held into Liuvigild
's reign. When that monarch attempted to assassinate him, Pronimius then fled back to Gaul, and eventually made his way to the court of the Frankish king Childebert
, who then appointed Pronimius bishop of Vence
.
Liuva died in the third year of his rule from unrecorded causes.
Visigothic Kingdom
The Visigothic Kingdom was a kingdom which occupied southwestern France and the Iberian Peninsula from the 5th to 8th century AD. One of the Germanic successor states to the Western Roman Empire, it was originally created by the settlement of the Visigoths under King Wallia in the province of...
of Hispania
Hispania
Another theory holds that the name derives from Ezpanna, the Basque word for "border" or "edge", thus meaning the farthest area or place. Isidore of Sevilla considered Hispania derived from Hispalis....
and Septimania
Septimania
Septimania was the western region of the Roman province of Gallia Narbonensis that passed under the control of the Visigoths in 462, when Septimania was ceded to their king, Theodoric II. Under the Visigoths it was known as simply Gallia or Narbonensis. It corresponded roughly with the modern...
.
He was made king at Narbonne
Narbonne
Narbonne is a commune in southern France in the Languedoc-Roussillon region. It lies from Paris in the Aude department, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Once a prosperous port, it is now located about from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea...
following the death of Athanagild
Athanagild
Athanagild was Visigothic King of Hispania and Septimania. He had rebelled against his predecessor, Agila, in 551. The armies of Agila and Athanagild met at Seville, where Agila met a second defeat...
in 568. Roger Collins notes this was the first time a Visigothic king is mentioned in the north-eastern region of the realm since 531, when Amalric was murdered. He suggests Liuva's coronation near the border with the Franks
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
was because of renewed threats from that neighbor; under Guntram
Guntram
Saint Guntram was the king of Burgundy from 561 to 592. He was a son of Chlothar I and Ingunda...
, the Franks are known to have posed more of a threat to the Visigoths. This threat would also explain why in the second year of his reign, Liuva made his brother Liuvigild
Liuvigild
Liuvigild, Leuvigild, Leovigild, or Leogild was a Visigothic King of Hispania and Septimania from 569 to April 21, 586. From 585 he was also king of Galicia. Known for his Codex Revisus or Code of Leovigild, a unifying law allowing equal rights between the Visigothic and Hispano-Roman population,...
both co-ruler and heir, putting him in direct charge of Hispania Citerior
Hispania Citerior
During the Roman Republic, Hispania Citerior was a region of Hispania roughly occupying the northeastern coast and the Ebro Valley of what is now Spain. Hispania Ulterior was located west of Hispania Citerior—that is, farther away from Rome.-External links:*...
, or the eastern part of Hispania.
The Frankish threat may also explain why Liuva gave shelter to bishop Pronimius (modern French, Fronime). Gregory of Tours
Gregory of Tours
Saint Gregory of Tours was a Gallo-Roman historian and Bishop of Tours, which made him a leading prelate of Gaul. He was born Georgius Florentius, later adding the name Gregorius in honour of his maternal great-grandfather...
states Pronimius had left Bourges
Bourges
Bourges is a city in central France on the Yèvre river. It is the capital of the department of Cher and also was the capital of the former province of Berry.-History:...
to live in Septimania "for some reason or other". Liuva made him bishop of Agde
Agde
Agde is a commune in the Hérault department in southern France. It is the Mediterranean port of the Canal du Midi.-Location:Agde is located on the river Hérault, 4 km from the Mediterranean Sea, and 750 km from Paris...
, an office he held into Liuvigild
Liuvigild
Liuvigild, Leuvigild, Leovigild, or Leogild was a Visigothic King of Hispania and Septimania from 569 to April 21, 586. From 585 he was also king of Galicia. Known for his Codex Revisus or Code of Leovigild, a unifying law allowing equal rights between the Visigothic and Hispano-Roman population,...
's reign. When that monarch attempted to assassinate him, Pronimius then fled back to Gaul, and eventually made his way to the court of the Frankish king Childebert
Childebert II
.Childebert II was the Merovingian king of Austrasia, which included Provence at the time, from 575 until his death in 595, the eldest and succeeding son of Sigebert I, and the king of Burgundy from 592 to his death, as the adopted and succeeding son of his uncle Guntram.-Childhood:When his father...
, who then appointed Pronimius bishop of Vence
Vence
Vence is a commune set in the hills of the Alpes Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France between Nice and Antibes.-Population:-Sights:...
.
Liuva died in the third year of his rule from unrecorded causes.