Atharid

Atharid was a minor chieftain of the Thervingi Goths, a loyal subject of King Athanaric, and a companion to Winguric. As with all of these heroes, very little is known about his life—we only know his actions that proved his loyalty to the Æsir. 

Regarding his position among his fellow Goths, the Christians of the area refer to him as a basiliskos, meaning something like “little duke.” His kinsmen at the time, however, called him reiks, meaning “chieftain.” From this, we can infer that he was some kind of warband leader, similar to Winguric, who was also subject to King Athanaric. His authority was less centralized than Athanaric’s, but still quite effective within his jurisdiction. While much of his role was based around military action and border enforcement, he also took up the task of rooting out the destabilizing the foreign faith of Christianity among his people. 

​

Atharid’s only known actions take place during the suppression of Christianity among the Goths, from 369-372 CE. His most well-known undertaking was the seizure and execution of two Gothic Christians, Gutthikas and Sabbas. Sabbas was known for his missionary work among the Goths, and Atharid captured him around the time of Austra. Once captured, Atharid’s men told him to consume meat as part of a feast in the Æsir’s honor, which he refused, as his foreign creed instructed. This forced Atharid to order his torture and later execution, which is said to have taken place on the 12th of April, 372.