14. Sigeric became a Visigoth king in 415 CE after the assassination of his predecessor, before being himself murdered after just seven days as the new ruler
King Sigeric was a Visigoth king who ruled for approximately seven days in 415 CE. After the sudden death of Alaric in the same year, the Visigoths elected his brother-in-law, Ataulf, as king. This stopped the invasion into southern Italy, Ataulf expanded the Visigothic Kingdom into southern Gaul and Hispania, solidifying and broadening the lands under his control. Feuds were common within the Visigoths, with several competing rival factions and kingdoms existing concurrently. One of the major disputes endured between Ataulf and Sarus, a continuation of a longstanding feud between Sarus and Alaric. In 413, Ataulf attacked, captured, and executed Sarus. Unbeknownst to Ataulf, believing he had won the disagreement, upon his return to Hispania he inadvertently employed one of Sarus’ followers in disguise. In 415, at the royal palace in Barcelona, this unknown individual assassinated Ataulf whilst he bathed.
In the aftermath of Ataulf’s death, a branch of the Amali clan to which Sarus belonged sought to usurp the throne, naming Sigeric, brother of Sarus, as the new king. In his first act as ruler of the Visigothic Kingdom, Sigeric ordered the “inhuman murder” of Ataulf’s six children who were under the protection of a local bishop. Sigeric also “treated with cruel and wanton insult” the widow of Ataulf, also the daughter of Roman Emperor Theodosius, forcing her to walk more than twelve miles on foot ahead of the mounted king as part of a victory procession. These incidents rallied support against the vicious usurper and Sigeric himself was subsequently assassinated after just seven days as king. He was replaced with Wallia, a distant relation by marriage of Alaric.