Bertachar

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Bertachar (or Berthachar) was a king of Thuringia from about 510 until about 525, co-ruling with his brothers Hermanfrid and Baderic.[1][2]

Bertachar was probably not a Thuringian himself.[3] Frankish sources, such as Venantius Fortunatus, make the three brothers sons of King Bisinus. They are sometimes considered as sons of Bisinus' wife Menia,[1] or else as sons of Basina, who is called a wife of Bisinus by the Frankish historian Gregory of Tours.[4] Many scholars, however, reject Bisinus' marriage to Basina as ahistorical, leaving Menia as his only known wife.[5]

Bertachar's rule probably began between 507 and 511. He was murdered by his brother Hermanfrid, who later murdered Baderic to become sole ruler of Thuringia.[6] This assassination may have taken place as early as 525.[7]

Bertachar had at least one daughter and, depending on the source, one or several sons. His sons are unnamed.[8] His daughter, Radegund, married the Frankish king Chlothar I and founded Holy Cross Abbey in Poitiers. She is revered as a saint in the Catholic Church. Two hagiographies of her were produced by her friends Baudovinia and Venantius Fortunatus.[9][10] Fortunatus specifies that she was "from the Thuringian region", a daughter of King Bertachar and a granddaughter of King Bisinus.[11]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ a b Jarnut 2009, p. 288, contains a family tree.
  2. ^ Martindale 1980, pp. 1336, contains a family tree.
  3. ^ Neumeister 2014, p. 91.
  4. ^ Mladjov 2014.
  5. ^ Hartmann 2009, p. 13.
  6. ^ Martindale 1980, pp. 225–226, s.v. "Berthacharius".
  7. ^ Burns 1984, p. 95.
  8. ^ Neumeister 2014, p. 90.
  9. ^ Halsall 2001, p. 125.
  10. ^ Jarnut 2009, pp. 283–84.
  11. ^ Fortunatus, p. 365: Beatissima igitur Radegundis natione barbara de regione Thoringa, avo rege Bessino, patruo Hermenfredo, patre rege Bertechario.

Sources[edit]

Primary sources
Secondary sources
  • Burns, Thomas S. (1984). A History of the Ostrogoths. Indiana University Press.
  • Halsall, Guy (2001). "Childeric's Grave, Clovis' Succession, and the Origins of the Merovingian Kingdom". In Ralph Mathisen; Danuta Shanzer (eds.). Society and Culture in Late Antique Gaul. Routledge. pp. 130–147.
  • Hartmann, Martina (2009). Die Königin im frühen Mittelalter. Kohlhammer Verlag.
  • Jarnut, Jörg (2009). "Thüringer und Langobarden im 6. und beginnenden 7. Jahrhundert". In Helmut Castritius; Dieter Geuenich; Matthias Werner (eds.). Die Frühzeit der Thüringer: Archäologie, Sprache, Geschichte. De Gruyter. pp. 279–290.
  • Martindale, John R., ed. (1980). The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire: Volume II, AD 395–527. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-20159-4.
  • Mladjov, Ian (2014). "Barbarian Genealogies". In H. B. Dewing (trans.); Anthony Kaldellis (eds.). The Wars of Justinian by Prokopios. Hackett. pp. 560–566.
  • Neumeister, Peter (2014). "The Ancient Thuringians: Problems of Names and Family Connections". In Janine Fries-Knoblach; Heiko Steuer; John Hines (eds.). The Baiuvarii and Thuringi: An Ethnographic Perspective. Boydell. pp. 83–102.
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