Amalasuintha, Queen of the Ostrogoths, murdered in the bath

Amalasuintha, Queen of the Ostrogoths, murdered in the bath

Amalasuintha was a ruler of the Ostrogothic Kingdom, from 526 to 535.

The Ostrogothic Kingdom, officially the Kingdom of Italy, existed under the control of the Germanic Ostrogoths in Italy, and the neighbouring areas.

Amalasuintha was the only child of Theodoric the Great, and his wife Audofleda.
Her given place of birth is in Ravenna, in 495.

To secure an alliance, Amalasuintha was married to Eutheric, an Amali prince.
Together they had two children, a son and heir Athalaric, and a daughter Matasuntha.

Eutheric died in 522, leaving Athalaric who was only 10 years old, as heir.

Amalasuintha’s father Theodoric, was concerned that his kingdom lacked an adult male to inherit the throne after his death.
It was proposed that Amalasuintha would control the kingdom alongside her son, as regent.

After the death of her father in 526, Amalasuintha served alongside her son as a regent queen.
Amalasuintha controlled most of the Kingdom by herself, as her son was still only 14.

Amalasuintha attempted to provide Athalaric a traditional Roman education, but the Gothic nobles pressured her to allow them to raise Athalaric as they saw fit.

As a result, Athalaric drank heavily and indulged in vicious excesses, which eventually ruined his health.

On 2nd October 534, 17 year old Athalaric died.
His cause of death was most likely the combination of excessive drinking, and the likelihood that he also had diabetes.

After Athalaric’s death, Amalasuintha became queen.
She ruled alone for a short while, and then joined forces with the next closest heir to the throne, her cousin Theodahad.

Unfortunately, Theodahad was a prominent leader of the Gothic military aristocracy, that opposed Amalasuintha’s pro-Roman ideas.

On Theodahad’s orders, Amalasuintha was imprisoned on the island of Martana.

On 30th April 535, 39 year old Amalasuintha, was strangled to death, while taking a bath.

Strangely, at the time, Amalasuntha seems to have had a close relationship with the Byzantine emperor, Justinian.
She was in talks about handing over Italy to Justinian I.

The death of Amalasuintha gave Justinian a reason to go to war with the Ostrogoths.
Justinian took Italy, and deposed Theodahad.

Theodahad was replaced by Amalasuintha’s son-in-law, Witigis.
Witigis was married to Matasuntha, Amalasuintha’s daughter.

With the people’s support, Witigis had Theodahad put to death for the murder of their Queen, Amalasuintha.

🌹 Woodcut from the Nuremberg Chronicle, 1493~
Michel Wolgemut, Wilhelm Pleydenwurff.