King of Asturias
Ordono I
(
c.
821
? 27 May 866) was
King of Asturias
from 850 until his death. He was born in
Oviedo
, where he spent his early life in the court of
Alfonso II
. He was probably raised in
Lugo
, capital of the province of
Galicia
, where his father,
Ramiro I
, had been named governor. He received his education and military training there.
[
citation needed
]
Ordono was named governor of Galicia when his father went to
Bardulia
to marry his second wife, Paterna. While Ramiro was away, Alfonso II died, and the nobles elected Count
Nepocian
as king.
[1]
Ordono immediately began to raise an army to assist his father, in claiming the throne. He could not leave his post in Galicia to help, however, and his army went unused. When his father finally prevailed, he confirmed Ordono in his heretofore provisional position.
[
citation needed
]
After his father's death in 850, Ordono succeeded his father as king, becoming the first king of Asturias to ascend the throne without election. His first confrontation was with the
Basques
, who rebelled with the support of the
Banu Qasi
of
Zaragoza
. While returning to Oviedo after defeating the rebels, he received news of an impending
Moorish
assault on Bardulia. Before the Moors could attack, he met them near the
Ebro
and defeated them.
[1]
Ordono later went to war against
Musa ibn Musa
, a
Muslim
Goth
who had been consolidating his power and controlled Zaragoza,
Albelda
,
Tudela
,
Huesca
, and
Toledo
. According to the
Chronicle of Alfonso III
, Musa had placed his army at
Monte Laturce
, outside of Albelda, which he had recently fortified.
[1]
Ordono split his own army into two, with one half to siege Albelda and the other to combat Musa's forces. The result of the ensuing battle was a massacre; it was claimed that Musa's brother-in-law Garcia and over 10,000 of Musa's cavalrymen were killed, and Musa fled after nearly being killed himself.
[2]
Musa's son, referred to as Lupo, supposedly subjugated himself to Ordono upon learning of the result of the battle; he remained Ordono's vassal for the rest of his life and fought alongside him against other Moors.
[1]
Separayely, he also defeated and imprisoned Moneror (also called Mazaros), king of
Salamanca
, as well as Zeth, king of
Coria
. He sacked both villages and took their inhabitants as slaves.
[1]
Ordono additionally led the
repopulation
of the cities of
Tui
,
Astorga
,
Leon
, and
Amaya
, which had been left deserted after being conquered by
Alfonso II
. He died in Oviedo in 866 after suffering from
gout
, and was buried in the Cathedral of San Salvador. He was described as a beloved king.
[2]
He was succeeded by his son,
Alfonso III
, who would eventually be referred to as the first "
Emperor of Spain
."
References
[
edit
]
Ordono I of Asturias
Born:
circa 821
Died:
27 May 866
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Regnal titles
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Preceded by
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King of Asturias
850?866
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Succeeded by
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International
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National
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People
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