A history of Spain in the period between the end of Roman rule and the time of the Arab conquest. Presents original theories about how the Visigothic kingdom was governed, about law in the kingdom, about the Arab conquest, and about the rise of Spain as an intellectual force. * A history of Spain in the period between the end of Roman rule and the time of the Arab conquest. * Presents original theories about how the Visigothic kingdom was governed, about law in the kingdom, about the Arab conquest, and about the rise of Spain as an intellectual force. List of Maps vii Introduction: Visigothic Spain in the Twenty-first Century 1(10) Part I A Political History 1 From Empire to Kingdom, 409-507 11(27) A Turning Point 11(4) The Visigoths 15(11) The Gothic Conquest of Hispania, 456-507 26(12) 2 The Imposition of Unity, 507-586 38(26) A Fractured Kingdom 38(12) The Reign of Leovigild, 569-586 50(14) 3 The Catholic Kingdom, 586-672 64(28) Conversion and Reaction, 586-590 64(5) Changing Dynasties, 590-642 69(12) Kings and the Political Elite, 642-672 81(11) 4 The Visigothic Twilight, 672-710 92(25) Court Conspiracies, 672-681 92(10) The Uneasy Throne, 681-710 102(15) 5 The End of the Visigothic Kingdom 117(30) The Coming of the Arabs 117(13) The Last Kings, 710-713 130(17) Part II Society and Culture 6 Books and Readers 147(27) The Legacy of Africa 147(14) A Golden Age 161(13) 7 Archaeology: Cemeteries and Churches 174(23) Goths in the Ground 174(12) A Visigothic Architecture? 186(11) 8 Archaeology: Rural and Urban Settlements 197(26) Country Dwellers 197(16) Towns in Transition 213(10) 9 Law and Ethnic Identity 223(31) The Fog of the Law 223(16) Gothia and Hispania 239(8) Bibliographical Essay 247(7) Index 254