Alaric II

His reign secured the Visigoths' place in France and Spain, though much of his kingdom would be lost in the decades after his death.

After Uric came Alaric II.

Alaric II was the son of Uric, and he succeeded his father in 484.

Alaric II was also the great-grandson of Alaric I, and unfortunately he would not live up to his namesake.

There are really two things that Alaric II is known for.

The first is the movement of Visigoths out of southern France and into Spain.

We don't really know what motivated this move, but under Alaric's reign, it seems that a large group of Visigoths departed their estates in southern France to take up residence in Spanish agricultural estates and cities.

What could have caused this migration? Well, Alaric II had the unlucky fortune of becoming king of the Visigoths just as the Franks, who resided in northern France, were unified under an especially powerful king named Clovis.