EURICO, king of the VISIGOTHS. — Born around 420, died in September 485, he was the founder of Visigothic power in France and Spain. Strong and astute, he ascended the throne in 466 after violently eliminating his brother Teodorico II. He took advantage of the internal struggles and revolutions through which the Roman Empire was gradually dissolving in order to occupy, in 474, the entire territory between the Loire and the Mediterranean, with the exception of Auvergne, which, despite the fierce resistance put up by its inhabitants, was ceded by Giulio Nepota in the peace treaty. From 481 to 484 he succeeded in conquering Aries, Marseille, and all Provence.
He then joined forces with other barbarian leaders and occupied a large part of Spain. He easily repelled an attack by the Burgundians, who had gone to war against him out of concern over his growing power, and relentlessly pursued the pirates who were ravaging the coasts. He was the greatest barbarian king of his time, not only because of his conquests, but also and above all because, around 480, he drew up the first code of Visigothic laws. For this purpose he employed the work of Roman jurists, particularly Leone, who was also his prime minister. The fragments of E.’s code that have survived show the same Roman laws, scarcely modified by the introduction of national Visigothic traditions. He was just in governing the subject peoples, but, although he did not systematically persecute Catholics, he showed distrust toward the clergy and even exiled two bishops.