Leovigild

Leovigild became king of the Visigoths after the death of his brother Athanagild. He inherited a kingdom weakened by internal strife and Byzantine incursions in southern Hispania. Leovigild immediately began a campaign to restore Visigothic power and unity.

Leovigild founded the city of Reccopolis, named after his son Reccared, as a royal capital and administrative center. He also reformed the Visigothic army, introducing new tactics and equipment, and strengthened the monarchy's authority over the nobility.

Leovigild's son Hermenegild converted to Catholicism and rebelled against his Arian father, establishing a rival kingdom in Seville. Leovigild suppressed the revolt, captured Hermenegild, and later executed him. This conflict deepened religious tensions within the Visigothic Kingdom.

Leovigild launched a military campaign against the Suebi kingdom in northwestern Hispania. He defeated the Suebi king Andeca, annexed their territory, and incorporated it into the Visigothic Kingdom. This conquest nearly unified the Iberian Peninsula under Visigothic rule.