Matasuintha: From Gothic Queen to Imperial Woman

Matasuintha, Amalasuintha's daughter and Theoderic's granddaughter, was forced to marry Vitiges in late 536, after the coup which had brought him to power. Her unwillingness was possibly due to the fact that the girl intended to lead a religious life. She tried to plot against her own husband to reach a deal with the emperor during the Gothic War and, after the fall of Ravenna, she was exiled to Constantinople together with Vitiges, who died a few years later. In 549, she married Germanus, Justinian’s cousin, who at that time was seen as his most likely successor. The marriage was aimed at obtaining the loyalty of the Goths who were still opposing the Empire, yet it was also part of Justinian's dynastic policy, since he appointed her as “ordinary patrician”, like Theodora, thereby hinting at her future role as empress. Matasuintha's portait evolved over time from that of a pious Christian virgin similar to Demetrias and Radegund to that of a would-be empress, showing the existence of meaningful similarities in education and behaviour between late antique (East) Roman and Germanic elite women. Moreover, she played a role of paramount importance in the political communication of the Ostrogothic Kingdom and the Empire, strengthening the authority of both of her husbands. Ultimately, she never became empress, but few would have been surprised if it had happened.