Amalasuntha (495-30 April 535) was a regent of the Ostrogoths during the minority of her son Athalaric from 526 to 534, and queen regnant from 534 to 535. She was the youngest daughter of Theoderic the Great and a close ally of Justinian, who invaded Italy in response to her assassination.
Biography[]
Amalasuntha was the youngest daughter of Theoderic the Great and Audofleda, and she married the Spanish Ostrogoth Eutharic in 515. She was known for her extensive knowledge (including the knowledge of Latin, Greek, and Gothic), her studies of philosophy, and her possession of all of the Roman virtues for a woman. In 526, her father died, and her son Athalaric became the new king of the Ostrogoths. Amalasuntha reigned as regent from 526 and 534, and the Gothic nobility prevented her from raising her son in the Roman fashion; his life of Gothic-style excesses led to his death at the young age of 18. She banished and put to death three Gothic nobles who went against her rule, and she established diplomatic relations with Emperor Justinian of the Byzantine Empire. After her son's death in 534, Amalasuntha briefly reigned as queen, and her cousin Theodahad reigned as co-ruler. Theodahad and the Gothic military aristocracy opposed Amalasuntha's pro-Roman stances, so Amalasuntha was imprisoned on the island of Martana in Lake Bolsena, Tuscany, where she was murdered in her bath in 535. Her death led to Emperor Justinian invading Italy to avenge her death.