Eormanrīc

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Eormanríc (geboren betwéonan 260/276, d. betwéonan 370/376) wæs Cyning þára Ostrogoths.

Þis gewrit hæfþ wordcwide on Nīwum Englisce.

Swá cyning rícsode hé wíd ríce in Ucrǽne. Þá rihtan gemǽru his landríces sind díegol, ac are obscure, but it seems to have stretched south of the Pripet Marshes between the Don and Dniester rivers.

Eormanríces nama in his native Gothic was probably Aírmanareiks. He is referred to in literature throughout the Germanic world right up until the 13th century. Because of this his name takes many forms: in Jordanes' Getica he is Ermanaricus, in the Old English epic Beowulf he is Eormenric, in Old Norse he is Jörmunrekkr, and in Middle High German Ermenrich. Since the name Heiðrekr was rather synonymous with Ermanaric, he is possibly identical to Heiðrekr Ulfhamr of the Hervarar saga, who was said to have ruled the Goths for a long time.

Eormanríc is mentioned in two Roman sources—from the writings of Ammianus and in Getica by the 6th century historian Jordanes.

According to Ammianus, Eormanríc is 'a most warlike king' who eventually commits suicide, facing the aggression of the Huns, who invaded his territories in the 370s. His kingdom was destroyed and his people became subject to the Huns for about 75 years.

According to Jordanes, the king put to death a woman named Sunilda by tying her to two wild horses and driving them apart, because her husband had treacherously deserted him. Thereupon her two brothers, Sarus and Ammius, severely wounded Ermanaric. Variations of this legend had a profound effect on medieval Germanic literature, including that of England and Scandinavia. Jordanes claims that he successfully ruled the Goths until his death at the age of 110.