When did the Ostrogothic Kingdom exist?

The Ostrogothic Kingdom existed 493–553. On this map it is drawn AD 500–560.

How large was the Ostrogothic Kingdom?

At its greatest extent drawn on this map, the Ostrogothic Kingdom covered about 591,000 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

Ostrogothic Kingdom

493–553

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Existed: 493–553
Shown on the map: AD 500–560
Peak area: 591k km²
Region: Europe

Overview

The Ostrogothic Kingdom (officially the Kingdom of Italy) was founded when Theodoric the Great murdered Odoacer at Ravenna in 493 (see entry 26). Ruling from Ravenna (and later Pavia), Theodoric (r. 493–526) presided over one of the most successful and Romanised of the Germanic successor states. He governed as king of the Goths while nominally acknowledging the Eastern emperor, preserving the Roman Senate, civil administration, and law, and pursuing a policy of civilitas — Goths as the army, Romans as the civil society, living under their own laws.

History

His reign was a cultural high point: the minister and scholar Cassiodorus served as his secretary and preserved his administrative correspondence (the Variae), while the philosopher Boethius wrote and served at his court before falling from favour and being executed (c. 524) — in prison composing the Consolation of Philosophy, one of the most influential works of the Middle Ages. Theodoric's building programme adorned Ravenna (the church of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, his monumental Mausoleum). The Ostrogoths were Arian, ruling a largely Catholic population, and relations with the papacy and Constantinople soured late in the reign.

Decline and legacy

After Theodoric's death, his daughter Amalasuntha ruled as regent for her son Athalaric and then as queen; her murder in 535 gave Justinian I the pretext for the Gothic War (535–554). Belisarius conquered much of Italy and took Ravenna (540), but the Goths rallied under the capable Totila (Baduila) (r. 541–552), who recovered most of the peninsula. Justinian then sent Narses, who defeated and killed Totila at the Battle of Taginae (Busta Gallorum, July 552) and defeated his successor Teia at the Battle of Mons Lactarius (October 552/553) near Vesuvius — ending organised Gothic royal leadership. No further king emerged, and the kingdom was extinguished, Italy passing (briefly and ruinously) back under Byzantine rule via the Exarchate of Ravenna before the Lombard invasion of 568. The devastating war effectively ended classical urban civilisation in much of Italy.

Common questions

What was the Ostrogothic Kingdom?: The Ostrogothic Kingdom (officially the Kingdom of Italy) was founded when Theodoric the Great murdered Odoacer at Ravenna in 493 (see entry 26). Ruling from Ravenna (and later Pavia), Theodoric (r. 493–526) presided over one of the most successful and Romanised of the Germanic successor states.
When did the Ostrogothic Kingdom exist?: The Ostrogothic Kingdom existed 493–553. On this map it is drawn AD 500–560.
How large was the Ostrogothic Kingdom?: At its greatest extent drawn on this map, the Ostrogothic Kingdom covered about 591,000 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 Ostrogothic Kingdom?: His reign was a cultural high point: the minister and scholar Cassiodorus served as his secretary and preserved his administrative correspondence (the Variae), while the philosopher Boethius wrote and served at his court before falling from favour and being executed (c. 524) — in prison composing the Consolation of Philosophy, one of the most influential works of the Middle Ages.
How did the Ostrogothic Kingdom end?: After Theodoric's death, his daughter Amalasuntha ruled as regent for her son Athalaric and then as queen; her murder in 535 gave Justinian I the pretext for the Gothic War (535–554). Belisarius conquered much of Italy and took Ravenna (540), but the Goths rallied under the capable Totila (Baduila) (r. 541–552), who recovered most of the peninsula.

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 — Ostrogothic Kingdom en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostrogothic_Kingdom

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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