In 589, with the celebration of the Third Council of Toledo, the conversion of the Visigothic King Reccared to Catholicism was made public. But what motivated the King to convert?
Historians have long asked themselves this question, and their conclusions can be divided into two main categories: religious conviction and political necessity.
Authors who defend religious conviction base their arguments on Reccared’s perception of the doctrinal superiority of Catholicism over Arianism (Reinhart, 1944-1945). A desire to atone for the death of his brother Hermenegild (Fontaine, 1967). Or simply the King’s own personal faith (Cantera Montenegro, 2021).
However, political causes are also widely recognized, even by authors who subscribe to the monarch’s religious conviction (Reinhart, 1944-1945). The political gains that Reccared could achieve were clear: the unification of the kingdom (Castro, 1949). The elimination of pretexts for intervention by Frankish and Byzantine Catholics in Visigothic territory (González García, 1979). And, in general, the strengthening of the monarchy with the support of the Catholic Church (Campos Méndez, 2000).
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Alfonso García Sánchez
