Arianism and Ethnic Identity in Sixth-Century Visigothic Spain *

Ethnic identity must have been recognisable and articulated by a flexible variety of signs. If in sixth-century Visigothic Spain Romans and Goths were two ethnically separated groups, signs of identity must have existed which defined these groups and made them distinguishable. In 376 a considerable part of the Goths entered the Roman Empire among them groups that would later comprise the core of what was to become the Visigoths gradually accepted Christianity in the mid 370s. They adopted the Arian form of Christianity, which at that time was the belief of the Roman Emperor Valens. Arianism had ceased to be a religious doctrine held by a considerable part of the Roman population and was thus clearly identified as the belief of the Visigoths. Scholars generally understand the policies of both Leovigild and Reccared as an attempt to resolve the religious boundaries between Arians and Catholics and a decisive measure to overcome the last major division between Goths and Romans.