Byzantine Spain

[Emperor Goblinus]

At the apogee of Byzantine power, the empire controlled a small part of southern Spain, which was finally lost in the 620's. Did this far west piece of territory offer anything to the empire, or was it just dead weight?

[Kosmo]

It's main use was political. They used it for pressure against the arians and because the large majority was catholic it was very dangerous for visigoths. It was one of the things that forced the visigoths to convert to catolicism

[Emperor Goblinus]

Interesting. I always thought that it was used to allow the Byzantines to be able to recruit barbarians into the army.

[Tobias]

Apart from the above, it most likely helped to boost the Byzantine's morale/ego in thinking that the empire once again spread from the Atlantic to the middle east, although all they possessed in that part of Europe was a portion of Southern Spain.

[Kosmo]

The plan was to bring a visigoth catholic prince to the visigoth throne. As they failed they kept what they already conquered.

I don't think that public opinion knew much about Spain as it's proven by a debate about the conquest of Africa when some advisors say to Justinian that Africa it's six months sailing away.

[Tobias]

The chap helped by Justinian was Athanagild.

 

A Roman force protected by a naval contigent was sent from Gaul in 551 by Justinian. With this aid, Athanagild overcame his opponent, King Agila, near Seville in 554. Athanagild was then crowned King.

 

Despite what he owed to them, Athanagild was reluctant to cede very much territory to the Romans. Eventually, he was forced to give up quite an amount of Hispania Baetica, apparently to an elderly Byzantine governor named Liberius, although this is debateable.

 

Athanagild, apparently not learning his lesson, attempted to throw the Romans out of Iberia; however, he did not succeed, and soon invited the establishment of a Byzantine enclave in the south that would last for a further seventy years. It was apparent that the population of the area preferred the Byzantine Governor to the Visigothic King.

 

Unfortunately, there is not in depth detail about this western outpost of Byzantine power. It's borders stretched to include the Straits of Gades and Nova Carthago, Corduba and Assionia, i believe.

Edited April 11, 2006 by Tobias

[Horu]

From what I have seen, this part of Spain really had no real purpose. After the conflict with the visigoths it just sat there. The Byzantine Empire did not possess the strength to really reinforce it when it became threatened.

 

As far as recruiting barbarians goes, they did not rely heavily upon mercenaries until later, but they had more then the numbers they needed just located outside Constantinople.

[Tobias]

From what I have seen, this part of Spain really had no real purpose. After the conflict with the visigoths it just sat there. The Byzantine Empire did not possess the strength to really reinforce it when it became threatened.

 

It was part of Justinian's grand plan to reunite the east and the west; but this small portion of Spain was the most of the old Western Empire they could retrieve, as they lacked the resources to conquer the Franks and the whole of Spain, as was seen by the fact that even this strip of land in Southern Spain could not be held for long.