The Ostrogoths historic and their King Theodoric the Great | Italy History in Medieval time

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And What about the Ostrogoths ?
Ostrogoth history was shorter than Visigoth history and mainly centered around one king: Theodoric the Great. In the 6th century, he was among the most powerful figures in Europe.
The Ostrogoths were under Hunnic control from 375 until Attila's death in 453. The collapse of the Hunnic Empire following Attila’s death led to the Ostrogoths regaining their independence.
By the end of the 5th century, they had settled in the Balkans and formed an alliance with the Eastern Roman Empire. At first, the Ostrogoths were divided under a few leaders, a situation the Eastern Roman Empire wanted to keep unchanged. A unified Ostrogothic force posed a threat to the empire. In 484, their fears were realized when Theodoric the Great unified the Ostrogoths under his leadership.

For many years, the Ostrogoths and the Eastern Romans fought a vicious war. In 487, the Ostrogothic army nearly seized Constantinople, but they abandoned their plan to topple the Eastern Empire when they failed to secure any gains.
Emperor Zeno, a skilled negotiator, signed a treaty with them, allowing them to invade Italy with the Eastern Empire’s support. This was a double victory for Zeno: his enemy Odoacer was removed from the picture, and the Ostrogoths did not attack his empire.
After 476, the Western Roman Empire had officially fallen when Odoacer declared himself the king of Italy. By doing this, he put an end to the imperial power and the Roman Senate in Italy. This moment is often referred to as the end of the Roman Empire. Nonetheless, since 395, the Western Empire had been controlled only by military generals, while emperors and the Senate held no real power. Additionally, the constant civil wars and multiple invasions by the Visigoths, Vandals, and Huns had left the remaining empire in a crippled state. Odoacer, in 476, only put an end to something that was already dead.

From 489 to 493, the Ostrogoths fought against Odoacer’s troops for control of the Kingdom of Italy. The Ostrogoths were winning the war when, in 493, Odoacer and Theodoric agreed to a treaty to share the power in Italy. The war's end was formalized, and the Ostrogoth royalty and Odoacer's family arranged a banquet to celebrate the new alliance. However, Theodoric had a secret plan. At the banquet, he had all of Odoacer’s family executed. In this devious manner, Theodoric became the sole King of Italy. After further betraying Emperor Zeno of the Eastern Roman Empire, he established his powerful kingdom.


Under the rule of Theodoric the Great, life was great again. The economy was strong, and military security was restored. His regime, like those of the Visigoths and Franks, respected many Roman traditions. However, Theodoric went beyond this, reintroducing the famous Roman policies of free corn distribution and circus games traditions.
Following his consolidation of power over the Italian peninsula, he extended his territory further, but now through diplomacy.
Through a combination of diplomacy and strategic marriages, he exerted great influence over the Burgundian and Vandal kingdoms. In 511 After the Visigoth kings were defeated by the Franks in Gaul, the popularity of the visigoths leaders in Hispania dropped dramatically. Meanwhile, Theodoric was celebrated as a hero. These contrasts led to annexation of the Visigothic kingdom under Theodoric the Great's rule. Those alliances and conquests had turned the Mediterranean Sea into Theodoric's personal lake.

At the time of his death in 526, his successors were not able to continue his dynasty due to various reasons. Only fifty years later, the Lombards, another Germanic tribe sent by the Eastern Roman Empire, completed the conquest of the Italian peninsula, bringing an end to the history of the Ostrogoths.

However, after a betrayal by the Lombards, the Eastern Roman Empire and them continued to fight over the peninsula for many centuries, making Theodoric's reign a nostalgic period of peace.