kingdom · Germany and Central Europe

Kingdom of the Heruli

490 CE – 508 CE (approx.)

A short-lived East Germanic kingdom on the middle Danube, briefly dominant over the Lombards before a crushing defeat around 508.

Origins

The Heruli had been in the Black Sea region and under Hunnic rule; after the Huns' collapse following the Battle of Nedao in 454, one group settled near the middle Danube, probably in southern Moravia, western Slovakia and Lower Austria. By about 490 they had a strong kingdom that took tribute from the Lombards.

Rule and society

Procopius describes the Heruli as fierce warriors who kept old pagan customs, including the sacrifice of elderly people and the suicide of widows. Their king Rodulf allied with Theodoric the Great, who adopted him as a 'son in arms' around 507. The kingdom rested on warrior power and tribute rather than settled institutions.

Decline and legacy

Around 508 Rodulf attacked the Lombards under Tato and was killed in a heavy defeat. The Heruli scattered: some moved into Roman territory and became federates in Illyricum, others went to Scandinavia according to Procopius. Herul soldiers later fought for Justinian in Italy and Persia.

Few sources survive for this state; details are uncertain.

Connections (1)

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Kingdom of the Heruli. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-the-heruli
MLA
“Kingdom of the Heruli.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-the-heruli. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Kingdom of the Heruli.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-the-heruli.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Kingdom of the Heruli’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-the-heruli (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻