Athalaric

Athalaric was the prince and later king of the Ostrogoths, ruling from 526 to 534 CE. He succeeded his grandfather, Theodoric the Great, who had established the Ostrogothic kingdom in Italy. Athalaric was the son of Theodoric's daughter, Amalasuntha.1

The Ostrogoths were a Germanic people who, under Theodoric's leadership, conquered Italy in the late 5th century CE. They established a kingdom with its capital at Ravenna. The Ostrogoths were Arian Christians, distinct from the Catholic Romans they ruled.21

Athalaric's reign was marked by instability and conflict, ultimately leading to the Byzantine emperor Justinian's war to reclaim Italy. This war, beginning in 535 CE, lasted nearly 20 years and resulted in the end of the Ostrogothic kingdom.2