Miro

Who was Miro?

Miro was the Suebian King of Galicia from 570 until his death in 583. His reign was marked by attempts to forge alliances with other Catholic nations with the goal of checking the power of the Arian Visigoths under Leovigild. During his reign relations were established with both Francia and the Byzantine Empire and the kingdom reached its zenith, but it collapsed within three years of his death.

Miro enjoyed good relations with the Church during his reign. In 572 he called the Second Council of Braga, a supplementary council to the First Council of Braga of 561. It has even been suggested, based on the lack of a signatory for the diocese of Dumio in the concilar acts, that Miro himself may have represented that see.

Miro also maintained "intimate and friendly" relations with Martin of Dumio, the Archbishop of Braga and Metropolitan of Gallaecia. Martin's principal work, Formula Vitae Honestae, is dedicated to him, and the Exhortatio Humilitatis, printed among Martin's works, is also probably addressed to him. Indeed, Martin advised Miro's counsellors to read his Formula so as to be able better to counsel the king.

In the same year as the council of Braga, Miro conducted an expedition against the Ruccones of Cantabria, possibly a Basque tribe, with the intention of expanding his kingdom. This attack on a people within the Gothic kingdom was perhaps an excuse for Gothic reprisals against the Sueves. In 573 Leovigild subdued the region of "Sabaria" with the likely intention of preempting Miro. In 574 he "restored the province [of Cantabria] to his dominion." In response, Miro sent envoys to Guntram, the Frankish King of Burgundy and a consistent thorn in Leovigild's side, but they were intercepted and detained on the way by Leovigild's ally, Chilperic I, the Frankish king of Neustria.