According to Salazar y Castro, he was the son of Atanagildo, a supposed son of Hermenegildo the Visigoth who married a relative of Emperor Mauricius. The connection is speculative.

He left Constantinople in the chaos surrounding the succession of Emperor Heraklius, probably to escape blinding, castration, exile, or execution, the typical fates of losers in Byzantine politics.

According to the 9th century Chronicle of Alfonso III, "Ardabastus came from Greece after being expelled from his country by the emperor … arrived in Spain" and was "received … magnificently" by King Chindasvinto who gave him his niece in marriage. His fight to Spain might indicate a connection with the family of Heraklius' second wife (and probably niece through her mother) Martina who were the losers in the succession struggle.

His given name seems to have been a Spanish form of Artavazd, which suggests an Armenian ancestry. The name Artavazd was used frequently in the Mamikonian family of Armenia. Settipani suggests he was descended from a Mamikonian father and a mother who was the daughter of Emperor Mauricus' sister and Comes Excubitorum Philippicus.

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Su origen sería bizantino, expulsado de Constantinopla por el basileus oriental y llegado a España en calidad de exiliado político. Habría sido un personaje de alto rango, ya que Childasvinto, según la crónica Rotence, lo habría recibido "con magnificencia" y le dio por esposa a una familiar suya, lo que le introdujo en el privilegiado círculo de la alta nobleza. Por esto, su hijo Ervigio, aparece incorporado a la aristocracia.

FUENTE:

-Orlandis, José. Semblanzas visigodas. Ediciones RIALP. 1992.

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Ardabast the Visigoth1

b. circa 605

Father Athanagild II the Visigoth2,1 b. 583

Mother Flavia Juliana1,2 b. circa 585

    Ardabast the Visigoth was born circa 605. He was the son of Athanagild II the Visigoth and Flavia Juliana.2,1

Family

Child

Ervigio, King of the Visigoths+ b. c 620, d. c 6871

Citations

[S663] Ingeborg Brigitte Gastel, "Gastel to Paulus & Mauritius".

[S187] Royal Genealogy Database, online http://www.dcs.hull.ac.uk/public/genealogy/, skips Ardabast, Erwig direct to Athanagild.

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