Ostrogothic Conquest of Italy (488-493) as a Formal Re-Establishment of the Dominion of the Eastern Roman Empire

Abstract

The topic of Theodoric’s campaign and its connection to the interests of Constantinople remains relevant and important. Studying this topic helps provide a better understanding of geopolitical processes, the influence of the Eastern Roman Empire on the West, the political and legal aspects of the interaction between different regions of the empire, and the influence of “barbarian” peoples on the formation of medieval Europe.The focus is on studying the political, legal and geopolitical aspects of this period of transition from antiquity to the Middle Ages. The paper academic deals with the legal characterization of the Ostrogothic conquest of Italy at the end of the V century. The primary sources and different historiographical schools are analyzed; the specifics of political and legal relations between the Roman Empire and the federate kings (commanders) are investigated. The personality of the Ostrogothic king Theodoric the Amal, who in 483 received the status of magister militum (commander-in-chief) and consul of the Roman Empire, is in the center of attention.