Witigis

Witigis (died 540) was king of the Ostrogoths in Italy from 536 to 540. He succeeded to the throne of Italy in the early stages of the Gothic War, as Belisarius had quickly captured Sicily the previous year and was currently in southern Italy at the head of the forces of Justinian I, the Eastern Roman Emperor.

Soon after he was made king, Witigis had his predecessor Theodahad murdered. Theodahad had enraged the Goths because he failed to send any assistance to Naples when it was besieged by the Byzantines, led by Belisarius.

Witigis was the husband of Amalasuntha's only surviving child, Matasuntha. In 540, Justinian's general Belisarius took both Witigis and Matasuntha as captives to Constantinople, and Witigis died there.…more