Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition/Alaric II.

ALARIC II., eighth king of the Goths in Spain, succeeded his father Euric or Evaric about 484. His dominions not only included the greater part of Spain (Hispania Tarraconensis and Bætica), but extended into Gaul as far as the rivers Rhone and Loire. In religion Alaric was an Arian, but that he was tolerant of the orthodox Catholics is shown by the decrees of the Council of Agde, summoned by him in 506. He displayed similar wisdom and liberality in political affairs by appointing a commission to prepare an abstract of the Roman laws and imperial decrees, which should form the authoritative code for his dominions. This is generally known as the Breviarium Alaricianum. It contains six books of the code of Theodosius, and is therefore sometimes called the Corpus Theodosii. The full text has been given by Savigny. Alaric was of a peaceful disposition, and endeavoured strictly to maintain the treaty which his father had concluded with the Franks. Clovis, however, desiring to obtain the Gothic province in Gaul, found a pretext for war in the Arianism of Alaric. The intervention of Theodoric, king of the Ostrogoths and father-in-law of Alaric, proved unavailing. The two armies met in 507 at Voglade (Vouillé), near Poitiers, where the Goths were defeated, and their king, who took to flight, was overtaken and slain by Clovis himself.