Ἀμαλασούνθα

She [was the] mother of Atalaric.¹ It was she "who walked for the most part in [intelligence and] righteousness, displaying to a great extent the temperament of a man, and for as long as she was the head of the government she punished none of the Romans, neither hurting their bodies nor exacting fines. Furthermore she did not surrender to the Goths' angry desire to wrong the Romans. She wanted her son to be brought up similar in every way of life to Roman rulers and already made him go to language lessons; and having picked out three of the old men of the Goths whom she believed to be, out of everyone, especially wise and suitable she commanded them to live with Atalaric. But these things were in no way pleasing to the Goths. For in keeping with their desire to wrong their subjects they wished to be ruled by him in a more barbarian way. And once, when his mother beat him after she had caught him doing something wrong in public, he went crying into the men's room and then left. And some Goths who happened upon him made a big deal of this, and, reviling Amalasountha, bullied her, saying that she wanted the boy out of mens' sight as quickly as possible so that she might go to bed with another man and rule with him. And they assembled and blamed her that the prince was not being educated correctly to their way of thinking nor for his own good. For they said letters were very separate from manliness and the teaching of old men makes one craven and submissive for the most part. So therefore, one who would be daring in deed and great in fame should be freed from the fear of teachers and ought to focus his attention on arms. They said also that if the fear of the strap came over them they would never be worthy to be bold in the face of swords and spears. "Therefore, o mistress," they said, "bid these teachers farewell right now and give Atalaric some age-mates as his companions who will flourish in their age with him and urge him to virtue after the barbarian custom." She did not approve, but fearing some plot by them agreed to everything which the barbarians wanted."