of the
Visigoths, and the other to Sigismund, king of the Burgundians.
Now Alaric begat Amalaric. While his grandfather 298
Theodoric cared for and protected him--for he
had lost both parents in the years of childhood--he
found that Eutharic, the son of Veteric, grandchild of
Beremud and Thorismud, and a descendant of the race
of the Amali, was living in Spain, a young man strong in
wisdom and valor and health of body. Theodoric sent
for him and gave him his daughter Amalasuentha in
marriage. And that he might extend his family as much 299
as possible, he sent his sister Amalafrida (the mother of
Theodahad, who was afterwards king) to Africa as wife
of Thrasamund, king of the Vandals, and her daughter
Amalaberga, who was his own niece, he united with Herminefred,
king of the Thuringians.

Now he sent his Count Pitza, chosen from among the 300
chief men of his kingdom, to hold the city of Sirmium.
He got possession of it by driving out its king Thrasaric,
son of Thraustila, and keeping his mother captive. Thence
he came with two thousand infantry and five hundred
horsemen to aid Mundo against Sabinian, Master of the
Soldiery of Illyricum, who at that time had made ready to
fight with Mundo near the city named Margoplanum,
which lies between the Danube and Margus rivers, and
destroyed the Army of Illyricum. For this Mundo, who 301
traced his descent from the Attilani of old, had put to
flight the tribe of the Gepidae and was roaming beyond
the Danube in waste places where no man tilled the soil.
He had gathered around him many outlaws and ruffians
and robbers from all sides and had seized a tower called
Herta, situated on the bank of the Danube. There he
plundered his neighbors in wild license and made himself
king over his vagabonds. Now Pitza came upon him
when he was nearly reduced to desperation and was already
thinking of surrender. So he rescued him from
the hands of Sabinian and made him a grateful subject of
his king Theodoric.

[Sidenote: Thiudis 531-548]

[Sidenote: Thiudigisclus 548-549]

[Sidenote: Agil 549-554]

[Sidenote: Athanagild 554-567]

Theodoric won an equally great victory over the 302
Franks through his Count Ibba in Gaul, when more than
thirty thousand Franks were slain in battle. Moreover,
after the death of his son-in-law Alaric, Theodoric appointed
Thiudis, his armor-bearer, guardian of his grandson
Amalaric in Spain. But Amalaric was ensnared by
the plots o