When did the Kingdom of the Suebi exist?

The Kingdom of the Suebi existed 409–585. On this map it is drawn AD 414–586.

How large was the Kingdom of the Suebi?

At its greatest extent drawn on this map, the Kingdom of the Suebi covered about 249,000 km². That is the largest area the border data gives it across the years it is drawn, not necessarily its greatest extent in history.

Europe · The migration period

Kingdom of the Suebi

409–585

See it on the map → Wikipedia ↗

Existed: 409–585
Shown on the map: AD 414–586
Peak area: 249k km²
Region: Europe

Overview

The Kingdom of the Suebi (Suebic/Suevic Kingdom of Gallaecia) was established in 409 in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula — modern Galicia and northern Portugal — by Suebi who had crossed the Rhine in 406 and the Pyrenees in 409. Its capital was Braga (Bracara Augusta), the former Roman provincial capital. It is often described as the first Germanic kingdom to sever itself from Rome and to mint coins in former Roman territory. Its first king was Hermeric (r. 409–438).

History

Under Rechila and especially Rechiar (r. 448–456) — the first Germanic king to mint coins in his own name in Roman lands and a Catholic convert — the Suebi expanded aggressively into Roman provinces. This provoked Rome to unleash the Visigoths: Theodoric II crushed the Suebi at the Battle of the Órbigo (456) near Astorga, captured and executed Rechiar (457), and sacked Braga. The kingdom survived, reduced to Gallaecia, and entered a long obscure period.

Decline and legacy

It re-emerged in the 6th century, and around 550–560 the Pannonian monk Martin of Braga (Martin of Dumio) led the conversion of the Suebi from Arianism (and paganism) to Nicene/Catholic Christianity, aligning them with the Franks and Byzantines against the Arian Visigoths. King Miro (r. 570–583) pursued this Catholic, anti-Visigothic policy. The end came when the Visigothic king Leovigild (Liuvigild), exploiting a succession dispute (the deposition of Eboric by Audeca), invaded and annexed the kingdom in 585, making it the sixth province of the Visigothic Kingdom. Audeca and the pretender Malaric were the last claimants.

Common questions

What was the Kingdom of the Suebi?: The Kingdom of the Suebi (Suebic/Suevic Kingdom of Gallaecia) was established in 409 in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula — modern Galicia and northern Portugal — by Suebi who had crossed the Rhine in 406 and the Pyrenees in 409. Its capital was Braga (Bracara Augusta), the former Roman provincial capital.
When did the Kingdom of the Suebi exist?: The Kingdom of the Suebi existed 409–585. On this map it is drawn AD 414–586.
How large was the Kingdom of the Suebi?: At its greatest extent drawn on this map, the Kingdom of the Suebi covered about 249,000 km². That is the largest area the border data gives it across the years it is drawn, not necessarily its greatest extent in history.
Who ruled the Kingdom of the Suebi?: Under Rechila and especially Rechiar (r. 448–456) — the first Germanic king to mint coins in his own name in Roman lands and a Catholic convert — the Suebi expanded aggressively into Roman provinces. This provoked Rome to unleash the Visigoths: Theodoric II crushed the Suebi at the Battle of the Órbigo (456) near Astorga, captured and executed Rechiar (457), and sacked Braga.
How did the Kingdom of the Suebi end?: It re-emerged in the 6th century, and around 550–560 the Pannonian monk Martin of Braga (Martin of Dumio) led the conversion of the Suebi from Arianism (and paganism) to Nicene/Catholic Christianity, aligning them with the Franks and Byzantines against the Arian Visigoths. King Miro (r. 570–583) pursued this Catholic, anti-Visigothic policy.

Sources

This compendium cites its sources once for the whole document rather than per territory. Its bibliography names the English Wikipedia articles for each territory and its key figures as the primary basis, with Encyclopædia Britannica, the World History Encyclopedia, and academic and primary sources — Jordanes, Procopius, Gregory of Tours, Bede, Ammianus and the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, read through the secondary literature. The article this entry is anchored on:

Wikipedia — Kingdom of the Suebi en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_the_Suebi

This entry was last updated 27 September 2026.

This entry was researched and drafted with AI from the sources above, and has not been reviewed by a historian. How entries are made

Text available under CC BY-SA 4.0: reuse it with a credit to The World Through Time and a link to this page. Passages drawing on the Wikipedia articles listed above are also licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 by their contributors.

Border geometry for the map itself comes from Cliopatria v0.12 (Seshat Global History Databank, CC-BY-4.0).

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