Rechiar

Who was Rechiar?

Rechiar or Rechiarius was the Suevic King of Galicia from 448 until his death. He was the first Catholic—that is, Athanasian—Germanic king in Europe and one of the most innovative and belligerent of the Suevi monarchs. Despite his orthodox Christianity, Hydatius, the contemporary bishop and chronicler from Galicia who is the sole contemporary source for biographical details of Rechiar, established his reputation as that of a barbarian with little sense of Roman law, culture, or custom.