Theoderic the Great
King of Goths, Ruler of Romans
Published on 17. June 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
664 pages
978-0-300-27991-7 (ISBN)
Description
The first full-scale history of Theoderic and the Goths in more than seventy-five years, tracing the transformation of a divided kingdom into a great power
"A monumental exploration. . . . It is the most important treatment of its subject since Wilhelm Ensslin's 1947 biography, and since Mr. Wiemer's book (here in John Noel Dillon's fluid English translation) surpasses its predecessor in breadth and sophistication, the author can claim the laurel of having written the best profile of Theoderic we have."-Kyle Harper, Wall Street Journal
In the year 493, the leader of a vast confederation of Gothic warriors, their wives, and children personally cut down Odoacer, the man famous for deposing the last Roman emperor in 476. That leader became Theoderic the Great (454-526). This engaging history of his life and reign immerses readers in the world of the warrior-king who ushered in decades of peace and stability in Italy as king of Goths and Romans. Theoderic transformed his roving "warrior nation" from the periphery of the Roman world into a standing army that protected his taxpaying Roman subjects with the support of the Roman elite. With a ruling strategy of "integration through separation," Theoderic not only stabilized Italy but also extended his kingdom to the western Balkans, southern France, and the Iberian Peninsula.
Using sources as diverse as letters, poetry, coins, and mosaics, Hans-Ulrich Wiemer brings readers into the world of Theoderic's court, from Gothic warriors and their families to the notables, artisans, and shopkeepers of Rome and Ravenna to the peasants and enslaved people who tilled the soil on grand rural estates. This book offers a fascinating history of the leader who brought peace to Italy after the disintegration of the Roman Empire.
"A monumental exploration. . . . It is the most important treatment of its subject since Wilhelm Ensslin's 1947 biography, and since Mr. Wiemer's book (here in John Noel Dillon's fluid English translation) surpasses its predecessor in breadth and sophistication, the author can claim the laurel of having written the best profile of Theoderic we have."-Kyle Harper, Wall Street Journal
In the year 493, the leader of a vast confederation of Gothic warriors, their wives, and children personally cut down Odoacer, the man famous for deposing the last Roman emperor in 476. That leader became Theoderic the Great (454-526). This engaging history of his life and reign immerses readers in the world of the warrior-king who ushered in decades of peace and stability in Italy as king of Goths and Romans. Theoderic transformed his roving "warrior nation" from the periphery of the Roman world into a standing army that protected his taxpaying Roman subjects with the support of the Roman elite. With a ruling strategy of "integration through separation," Theoderic not only stabilized Italy but also extended his kingdom to the western Balkans, southern France, and the Iberian Peninsula.
Using sources as diverse as letters, poetry, coins, and mosaics, Hans-Ulrich Wiemer brings readers into the world of Theoderic's court, from Gothic warriors and their families to the notables, artisans, and shopkeepers of Rome and Ravenna to the peasants and enslaved people who tilled the soil on grand rural estates. This book offers a fascinating history of the leader who brought peace to Italy after the disintegration of the Roman Empire.
Reviews / Votes
"Hans-Ulrich Wiemer's Theoderic the Great: King of Goths, Ruler of Romans is a monumental exploration of the life and times of this remarkable leader. It is the most important treatment of its subject since Wilhelm Ensslin's 1947 biography, and since Mr. Wiemer's book (here in John Noel Dillon's fluid English translation) surpasses its predecessor in breadth and sophistication, the author can claim the laurel of having written the best profile of Theoderic we have."-Kyle Harper, Wall Street Journal"Thanks to John Noel Dillon's magnificent translation, which came out this year, Theoderic's world, in all its complexity, can now be reached by an Anglophone audience."-Samuel Rubinstein, Engelsberg Ideas, "Books of the Year 2023"
"[A] meticulously researched and superbly presented argument. . . . This is a book which offers much to inspire any reader and gives Theoderic the foundation he emphatically deserves."-David M. Gwynn, History Today
2024 CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title
"An intellectual feast. A sobering portrait of a much caricatured king, sensitive to the many resonances of his Roman and Gothic worlds."-Douglas Boin, author of Alaric the Goth
"So much more than biography, this masterly survey is a window into an entire world at a moment of extreme change, when the western Roman Empire had fallen and the future was unwritten. An indispensable book."-Michael Kulikowski, author of The Tragedy of Empire: From Constantine to the Destruction of Roman Italy
"The English translation of Hans-Ulrich Wiemer's path-breaking study of Theoderic the Great is most welcome. This is a major new view of Theoderic that shows his importance to Gothic and Roman worlds. John Noel Dillon's translation is excellent."-Michele Renee Salzman, author of The Falls of Rome: Crises, Resilience, and Resurgence in Late Antiquity
"This meticulously researched, lucidly written, and beautifully translated book goes in search of the nature and legacy of Theodoric's reign in Italy. Wiemer explores concepts of migration, tolerance, cultural segregation, and the twilight of empires."-Julia Hillner, author of Helena Augusta: Mother of the Empire
"This beautifully written and immensely useful book offers a lively narrative that readers will find invaluable, and a pleasure to read."-Kate Cooper, author of Queens of a Fallen World
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
52 b-w illus.
Dimensions
Height: 236 mm
Width: 159 mm
Thickness: 40 mm
Weight
954 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-300-27991-7 (9780300279917)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Hans-Ulrich Wiemer is professor of ancient history at the Friedrich-Alexander-Universitaet Erlangen-Nuernberg. He has published books and articles on Alexander the Great, Hellenistic history and historiography, Late Roman history, and the history of the Goths. He lives in Fuerth, Germany. John Noel Dillon is lecturer in Latin at Yale Divinity School and translates scholarly work from German, French, and Italian. He lives in Branford, CT.