Wittiza (Witiza) was son of Ergica, king of the Visigoths in Hispania, and ruled jointly with him from 693 to 701 CE. In the latter year Ergica died and Wittiza became sole ruler. (Some sources have Wittiza ascending the throne as early as 700 or as late as 702.) Wittiza was a religious moderate. Jump to: navigation, search Ergica or Egica (c. ... Jump to: navigation, search The Visigoths were one of two main branches of the Goths, the Ostrogoths being the other. ... Jump to: navigation, search Roman aqueduct in Segovia Hispania was the name given by the Romans to the whole of the Iberian Peninsula (modern Portugal, Spain, Andorra and Gibraltar) and to two provinces created there in the period of the Roman Republic: Hispania Citerior and Hispania Ulterior. ... Events Births Deaths Categories: 693 ... Events September 30 - John VI succeeds Sergius I as Pope. ... // Events Saint Adamnan convinces 51 kings to adopt Cáin Adomnáin defining the relationship between women and priests. ... // Births April 20 - Jafar Sadiq, Muslim scholar (d. ...

According to Washington Irving, in the first part of his 1835 Legends of the Conquest of Spain, Wittiza's reign initially showed great promise. "He redressed grievances, moderated the tributes of his subjects, and conducted himself with mingled mildness and energy in the administration of the laws." However, the honeymoon lasted only a short while. Soon Wittiza "showed himself in his true nature, cruel and luxurious." Washington Irving Washington Irving (April 3, 1783 – November 28, 1859) was an American author of the early 19th century. ... 1835 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...

As the story goes, Wittiza sought to better secure his throne by ending the careers of two of his relatives: Favila, duke of Cantabria, and Theodofredo, who lived in retirement at court. Wittiza had Favila killed and had Theodofredo blinded and imprisoned. The son of Favila, Pelayo, was elsewhere at the time and thus was spared for the major role he would later play in history. The son of Theodofredo was Roderic, duke of Baetica, who escaped to Italy. Capital Santander Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % of Spain Ranked 15th  5 321 km²  1. ... Pelayo (690–737) was the first King of Asturias, ruling from 718 until his death. ... Roderic (Roderick; Rodrigo in Spanish and Portuguese, see Rurik for etymology), is reputed to be the last king of the Visigoths (709—711). ... Roman province of Hispania Baetica, 120 AD In Hispania, which in Greek is called Iberia, there were three Imperial Roman provinces, Hispania Baetica in the south, Lusitania, corresponding to modern Portugal, in the west, and Hispania Tarraconensis in the north and northeast. ...

Wittiza now ruled tyranically as well as in ways contrary to Christian custom. For example, following the habit of Muslim rulers, he "indulged in a plurality of wives and concubines." As chroniclers of later ages would sum it up, "Witiza the Wicked taught all Spain to sin." Jump to: navigation, search As a noun, Christian is an appellation and moniker deriving from the appellation Christ, which many people associate exclusively with Jesus of Nazareth. ... Jump to: navigation, search A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم) is an adherent of Islam. ...

Roderic, in response, gathered an army, engaged the king in battle, and defeated him. Sources vary as to when Wittiza might have been deposed and when he might have been killed: 708, 709, or 710. But according to the story, he was taken captive and Roderic secured revenge by having the king blinded and imprisoned just as the king had done to Roderic's father. Wittiza died a year or so later. Events The Japanese court moved from Heian to Nara. ... Events Saelred becomes king of Essex Ceolred becomes king of Mercia after his cousin Cenred abdicates to become a monk in Rome A storm separates the Channel Islands of Jethou and Herm Births Emperor Konin of Japan Deaths May 25 - Aldhelm, bishop and scholar Categories: 709 ... Events End of the Asuka period, the second and last part of the Yamato period and beginning of the Nara period in Japan. ...

Because this is a story with simple closure and a straightforward moral, it is doubtful that all of its details are true. But where history ends and legend begins is difficult to determine.

What is clear is that Wittiza lost his throne to Roderic during a civil war among the Visigoths. This threw the country into a turmoil. Then partisans of Wittiza invited Muslim forces into Iberia to assist them in defeating Roderic and in regaining the throne.

Though Roderic was successfully defeated in 711, the Muslims proceeded to conquer Iberia for themselves. In time, the only effective force against them would prove to be Pelayo. See also: phone number 711. ... The Islamic Conquest of Iberia (711—718) commenced when the Moors (mostly Berbers with some Yemenis) invaded Visigothic Christian Iberia in the year 711 CE. Under their Berber leader, Tariq ibn-Ziyad, they landed at Gibraltar on April 30 and proceeded to bring most of the Iberian Peninsula under Islamic...