Arabic Spain : sidelights on her history and art . s written about 883, tells us thatRoderick was elected king on Witizas death ; while Makkari, drawinghis inforniation from Arabic sources, says distinctly that civil dissensionsarose on the death of Witiza, upon which the Goths decided on givingthe crown to a chief named Roderick. It seems on the whole probablethat Roderick did not dethrone Witiza, as Roderick of Toledo says, butusurped the throne on his death. Gayangos is of opinion that Roderickdethroned Witiza, on the ground of a difTerence in the length of reignassigned to him by Isidore a
Arabic Spain : sidelights on her history and art . s written about 883, tells us thatRoderick was elected king on Witizas death ; while Makkari, drawinghis inforniation from Arabic sources, says distinctly that civil dissensionsarose on the death of Witiza, upon which the Goths decided on givingthe crown to a chief named Roderick. It seems on the whole probablethat Roderick did not dethrone Witiza, as Roderick of Toledo says, butusurped the throne on his death. Gayangos is of opinion that Roderickdethroned Witiza, on the ground of a difTerence in the length of reignassigned to him by Isidore and Sebastian respectively; but thisreasoning does not seem to have much weight in view of the statementsmade to the contrary by both Arabic and Spanish chroniclers, and ofthe lax ideas as to the need for accurate chronology which prevailedat the time. (Makkari, i. 254, and Gayangos note, p. 512-3 ; IsidorusPacensis in Eapana sagrada, viii. 261 E, ; Chronicon Sebastiani in 478; Rodericus Toletanus in SchoU, Hispania ilhistrata, ii. 62-3.). Fig. 3.—The Seville Gate at Carmona: Roman work with Moslemadditions. THE SONS OF WITIZA 37 The Wicked. We may take, as typical of the views ofecclesiastical historians about this king, the character givenhim by Mariana the Jesuit, who died at an advanced age inthe year 1623. According to this writer, Witiza began hisreign in admirable fashion. He restored to their lands andoffices those whom his father had exiled, and burnt thepapers and records relating to their offences, so that nomemory of them should remain. But, continues Mariana, it is very difficult to bridle youth and power with reason,virtue, and temperance. And he goes on to tell us thatWitiza was too fond of women, and treated his concubinesas though they were legitimate wives. And to givecolour and excuse to this disorder he committed anothergrosser offence, making a law by which all were permittedto do the same, and gave special licence to ecclesiasticalpersons consecr
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectartbyza, bookyear1912
