The Boy King Who Had So Much Fun That He Died

Athalaric, Ostrogothic Kingdom
AE decanummium
Obv: INVICT-A ROMA, Roma helmeted, facing right
Rev: D N / ATHAL / ARICVS / REX, legend in four lines within wreath, X (10) below
Mint: Rome; struck 526-534 AD
Ref: COI 86; MIB 78; MEC 1, 133-4



Just received a second Athalaric coin for my collection (I recently sold a nummus of him so I've had three altogether). I really like these legend-in-wreath Ostrogoth types with the king's name in them, and would buy more of these (along with many other coin types, goes without saying) if money was no object. I also have this type for Theodahad, and I almost had a Witiges as well .

Athalaric was the son of Eutharic and Amalasuntha, the latter being the daughter of the great King Theodoric of the Ostrogoths, meaning Athalaric was Theodoric's grandson. He was born in 516 AD, and he had a sister, Matasuntha. Theodoric had no direct male heir, so when he died in 526 AD, the ten year-old Athalaric was proclaimed king of the Ostrogoths and of Italy, but with his mother ruling in his name until he would become an adult. Amalasuntha, however, quickly found herself at odds against members of the Ostrogothic nobility. She wanted Athalaric to be educated and grow up like a Roman, while the nobles thought a tough and "Gothic" kind of upbringing was more suited for the young king. The nobles' influence won out, and Athalaric soon began to engage in heavy drinking and other indulgences. His health sharply declined and in 534 AD he died, at the age of 18.

(the Ostrogothic Kingdom is in red)