Pelagius of Asturias

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Pelagius
King of Asturias
Reign718–737
SuccessorFavila of Asturias
Bornc. 685
Died737
Burial
Santa Cueva de Covadonga
Issue
DynastyAstur-Leonese dynasty
FatherFavila of Cantabria [gl]
ReligionChalcedonian Christianity

Pelagius (

Kings of Portugal
.

Early life

Pelagius was a Visigoth nobleman, the son of Fafila. The

Chronica Albeldense says that this Fafila was a dux of Gallaecia, who was killed by Wittiza.[3] The Chronicle of Alfonso III identifies Pelagius as a grandson of Chindasuinth and says that his father was blinded in Córdoba, at the instigation of Wittiza.[4] Wittiza is also said to have exiled Pelagius from Toledo upon assuming the crown in 702. In the opinion of Roger Collins, this is a late tradition and the account of the Albeldense, which locates Pelagius' origins in the north of the peninsula, is more credible. Both chronicles agree, however, that he was a Visigoth who was exiled from Toledo by Wittiza.[4]

According to the later tradition,

Berber governor of Iegione (either Gijón or León), became attracted to Pelagius' sister and sent word to Tariq ibn Ziyad, who ordered him to capture Pelagius and send him to Córdoba.[5] If Munuza's seat is identified with Gijón, it may be inferred that the Arabs had established their rule in the Asturias and that Pelagius was not the leader of a local resistance to Arab conquest.[6] Pelagius may have come to terms with the Arab elite whereby he was permitted to govern locally in the manner of the previous Visigoths, as is known to have occurred between Arab rulers and Visigothic noblemen elsewhere, as in the case of Theudimer,[7] although most historians consider this unlikely.[8]

Reign

At some point Pelagius is said to have rebelled, but for what reasons is unknown; such rebellions by local authorities against their superiors formed a common theme in Visigothic Spain. A Muslim army was sent against him under the command of

as-Sham
, though some have dated it as late as 722 and the Chronica Albeldensia dates it in the 740s.

Ducado de Cantabria in 739 : Pelagius son of Favila Duque de Cantabria. "Genealogia dos Reis de Portugal" 1530

After his election as princeps (prince, principal leader) of the Asturians by the local magnates in the Visigothic manner,[7] Pelagius made his capital at Cangas de Onís. The Chronica Rotensis says about this election:[11]

And he [Pelagius], going to his mountainous lands, gathered all those who were going to council and ascended a big mountain named Asseuua. He spread his orders between all the Astures, who gathered in council and elected Pelagius as their princeps.[12]

His kingdom, firstly centred on the eastern Asturias, soon grew. He married his daughter Ermesinda to the future king Alfonso I, son of Pelagius' eastern neighbour, Duke Peter of Cantabria.[13]

Pelagius reigned for eighteen or nineteen years until his death in 737, when he was succeeded by his son

Fafila.[14]

He was buried in the

progenitress, along with King Alfonso I of Asturias
("Alfonso the Catholic"), of the later royalty of Asturias.

Historiography

Imaginary portrait by Luis de Madrazo.

The chief sources for Pelagius's life and career are two Latin chronicles written in the late ninth century in the kingdom he founded. The first is the

Bishop of Salamanca (910–913).[17] The only likely earlier written sources from which these chroniclers could derive information are regnal lists.[3]

Notes

  1. ^ Asturian: Pelayu; Galician: Paio; Portuguese: Pelágio
  2. ^ Collins 1989, p. 147; Reilly 1993, pp. 75–76; Deyermond 1985, p. 346; Hillgarth 2009, p. 66 n. 28
  3. ^ a b Collins 1989, p. 143
  4. ^ a b Collins 1989, p. 144
  5. ^ a b c Collins 1989, p. 145
  6. ^ Collins 1989, p. 148
  7. ^ a b Collins 1989, p. 149
  8. ^ Reilly 1993, p. 397.
  9. ^ "Extract from C. Sánchez Albornoz and M. Antuña's Fuentes de la historia hispano-musulmana del siglo VIII featuring a translation of an excerpt from Al Maqqari's Nafh al-Tib" Archived 2007-06-10 at the Wayback Machine in the on-line Biblioteca Cervantes (Spanish)
  10. ^ al-Maqqari 1843, p. 261
  11. ^ García Villada 1918, pp. 109–110
  12. ^ a b Gil Fernández, Moralejo & Ruiz de la Peña 1985, Editionis Rotensis; pp. 114–149 (in Latin)
  13. ^ Collins 2012, p. 64
  14. ^ Collins 1989, p. 150
  15. ^ a b Collins 1989, p. 142
  16. ^ Gil Fernández, Moralejo & Ruiz de la Peña 1985, Editionis ad Sebastianum; pp. 114–149 (in Latin)
  17. ^ "Sebastián, Bishop of Salamanca, fl. 910–913". Library of Congress Authorities. Library of Congress.

References

Further reading
  • Díaz y Díaz, Manuel C. (2001). Asturias en el siglo VIII: La cultura literaria. Oviedo: Sueve.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pelayo I of Asturias.
New title King of Asturias
718–737 		Succeeded by
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