Recceswinth

Rekkeswinth († September 1 672 in Gerticos ) was king of the Visigoths. He reigned from January 20 649 (as co-regent with his father ) and September 30, 653 ( as sole ruler ) until his death.

Origin and accession

Rekkeswinth was the son and successor of King Chindaswinth. Chindaswinth was 642 come in a coup d'etat, when he was already eighty years old. On January 20, 649 Chindaswinth raised his son as co-regent. He wanted to found a dynasty and turn off the option. Previously Bishop Braulio of Saragossa had addressed a constitutional historically insightful letter to Chindaswinth together with another bishop and a high official. The three sender ask the king to make his son co-ruler as Rekkeswinth was at an age where he was to wage war in the situation. This request they submit on behalf of the entire population of their subordinate areas. Probably Chindaswinth had the bishops and important secular officials of his kingdom asked to write such letters. He apparently wanted the elevation of his son gain legitimacy; the lack of electoral act should be replaced by written declarations of intent. The mention of the will of all subjects may be an indication of an old, not yet forgotten idea of ​​a right of participation of the people ( ie, a People's Assembly ) in such decisions. The background of the efforts to secure the succession formed the strong tensions between Chindaswinth and the clergy and nobility of the empire; widely Chindaswinth was hated.

Because of his advanced age Chindaswinth Rekkeswinth left increasingly the business of government. Upon the death Chindaswinths on September 30, 653 Rekkeswinth could immediately take the autocracy; a royal election did not take place.

Government

In northern Spain undertook 653 a usurper named Froia a riot, where he allied himself with the Basques. The insurgents besieged Saragossa, but the revolt was quickly struck down. Apart from this episode Rekkeswinths was apparently largely dominated reign of internal and external peace.

Rekkeswinth convened two synods Empire, the 8th Council of Toledo in 653 and the 10th Council of Toledo in 656 ( the 9th Council was only a provincial synod ). As he was unhappy with the results of these councils, he allowed no dominion council in his remaining 16 years in government. The Council Fathers had been posed with their decisions against its interests, primarily by the royalty stressed the official thought into their designs and basically insisted on the principle of Wahlkönigtums. Thus, they doubted the legitimacy of his rule indirectly. The 8th Council of Toledo certain as a place of royal election Toledo or the place of death of the deceased king. In addition, there was between the king and the bishops disagreements about the extensive possessions that Chindaswinth had confiscated what had happened after the bishops view wrongly.

654 Rekkeswinth published a law book, the Liber iudiciorum (Book of judgments) or Liber iudicum ( Book of Judges ), which was henceforth to be the only law book of the empire; the use of other sources of law was prohibited. This work contained the for Goths and Romans alike and thus applicable territorial law, which did not go out as the tribal rights of the ethnic affiliation of the people. It was determined predominantly by roman, only in places of Teutonic legal thought. The Code forbade Jewish customs and rites as well as other Visigothic kings Rekkeswinth wanted to exert strong pressure on the Jews to force them to convert to Christianity. Defamation of the monarch ( lèse majesté ) was a criminal offense and was punishable by confiscation of half the assets of the offender; with lese majeste against a deceased ruler flogging was provided.

Rekkeswinth was married to Recciberga that their According grave inscription after seven years of marriage, died at the age of 22 years and eight months. Apparently he had no male heir.