Alaric II

Alaric II (died 507), king of the Visigoths (484-507), succeeding his father, Euric. He ruled the central and southern regions of Gaul (modern-day France) and most of Spain. Like most Visigoths, Alaric adhered to Arianism; this gave the Frankish king Clovis I, an orthodox Christian, an excuse for making war on him. Alaric's forces were completely routed at Vouillé, near Poitiers (in present-day France), and he himself was overtaken and slain by Clovis. This defeat brought to an end the rule of the Visigoths in Gaul. Alaric is also known for the Breviary of Alaric, an abstract of Roman laws and decrees prepared at his direction for use in his domains. This document is a primary source of knowledge about the application of Roman law in nations formed from the disintegrated Roman Empire.