526 to 535
Amalasuintha, youngest daughter of Theodoric the Great, ruled Italy as regent for her son Athalaric from 526 until Athalaric’s death in 534. She maintained her father’s policies of maintaining Roman administration and Gothic military might, while working for good relations with Constantinople. She enjoyed the support of the Italo-Romans, but was viewed with suspicion by the Gothic elite.
When Athalaric died, she raised her cousin Theodahad to the rank of consors regni, and ruled as queen of the Ostrogoths. Theodahad’s status was novel and Amalasuintha’s exact intentions are debated to this day. In 535, just a few months after the death of her son, Amalasuintha was deposed by Theodahad, who exiled her to a small island in a lake. She was killed there a few days later.
I’m not posting the transcript for this episode, it would be too much of a mess. Most of the “quotes” are from my own imagination, based on the extant writings of Cassiodorus, Procopius, and Justinian. The exceptions are mostly at the beginning, where some letters from Cassiodorus’ Variae are quoted directly.
The Dark Ages Podcast 