Stelle Legati Gothorum rursum ueniunt ad S...; (Continuatio Chronicorum Hieronymianorum (458 - 469), Hydatius, Chronicle a. 456-7, ed. and trans. Burgess, p. 106-7) [5767]

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Text Continuatio Chronicorum Hieronymianorum (458 - 469) Hydatius of Aquae Flaviae
Quotation Legati Gothorum rursum ueniunt ad Sueuos; post quorum aduentum rex Sueuorum Rechiarius cum magna suorum multitudine regiones prouintiae Terraconensis inuadit acta illic depredatione et grandi ad Galleciam captiuitate deducta. Mox Hispanias rex Gothorum Theodoricus cum ingenti exercito suo et cum uoluntate et ordinatione Auiti imperatoris ingreditur; cui cum multitudine Sueuorum rex Richiarius occurrens duodecimo de Asturecensi urbe miliario ad fluuium nomine Vrbicum III non. Octubris, die VI feria, inito mox certamine superatur. Caesis suorum agminibus, aliquantis captis plurimisque fugatis ipse ad extremas sedes Gallaciae plagatus uix euadit ac profugus. Theudorico rege cum exercitu ad Bracaram extremam ciuitatem Galleciae pertendente V kal. Nouembris, die dominico, etsi incruenta, fit tamen satis maesta et lacrimabilis eiusdem direptio ciuitatis. Romanorum magna agitur captiuitas captiuorum; sanctorum basilicae effractae; altaria sublata atque confracta; uirgines dei exim quidem abductae, sed integritate seruata; que ad nuditatem pudoris exutus; promiscui sexus cum paruulis de locis refugii sanctis populus omnis abstractus; iumentorum, pecorum, camellorumque horrore locus sacer impletus; scripta super Hierusalem ex parte caelestis irae renouauit exempla. Rechiarius ad locum qui Portum Cale appellatur profugus regi Theuderico captiuus adducitur; quoin custodiamredacto, caeteris qui de priori certamine superfuerant tradentibus se Sueuis, aliquantis nihilominus interfectis, regnum destructum et finitum est Sueuorum.
Translation Envoys of the Goths again came to the Sueves. After their arrival Rechiarius, the king of the Sueves, with a great horde of his men, invaded the territory of the province of Tarraconensis, which he pillaged, taking back a great many captives to Gallaecia. Soon Theoderic, king of the Goths, in obedience to the wishes and command of the emperor Avitus, entered Spain with his own vast army. King Rechiarius and a horde of Sueves met him twelve miles from Asturica at the river which is called Urbicus, on Friday, 5 October, but soon after the onset of the engagement, they were defeated. The Suevic rank and file were slaughtered, some were captured, but most were put to flight. Rechiarius himself, wounded and in flight, barely managed to make good his escape to the farthest inhabited areas of Gallaecia. With his army, King Theoderic made for Bracara, the most distant city of Gallaecia, and on Sunday, 28 October he sacked it, an action which, although accomplished without bloodshed, was nevertheless tragic and lamentable enough. A great many Romans were taken captive; the basilicas of the saints stormed; altars thrown down and broken up; virgins of God abducted from the city, but not violated; the clergy stripped right down to the shame of their nakedness; the whole population regardless of sex along with little children dragged from holy places of sanctuary; the sacred place filled with the sacrilegious presence of mules, cattle, and camels. This sack partially revived the examples of heavenly wrath written about Jerusalem. Although Rechiarius had fled to the place called Portus Cale, he was captured and brought back to King Theoderic. After he had been taken into custody, the rest of the Sueves who had survived the previous battled surrendered, though a numboer of them were murdered none the less. Thus was the kingdom of the Sueves destroyed and brought to an end.
Quotation source Hydatius, Chronicle a. 456-7, ed. and trans. Burgess, p. 106-7
Temporal Coverage 456 - 457
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Spatial Coverage Objects
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