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A rival of Fritigern, another Visigothic war-chief, Athanaric makes his first appearance in recorded history in 369, when he engaged in battle with the Eastern Roman Emperor Valens and ultimately negotiated a favorable peace for his people.

During his reign, the Visigoths were divided by religious issues. Many of them had converted to Arian Christianity during the third and fourth centuries, but Athanaric continued to follow the old Germanic pagan religion. Fritigern, his rival, was an Arian and had the favor of Valens, who shared his religious beliefs.

In 376, Valens permitted Fritigern's people to cross the Danube River and settle on Roman soil to avoid the Huns, who had recently conquered the Ostrogoths and were now pressing the Visigoths then living in Dacia. Athanaric's people were left to their fate, but many of them found their own way across the river, as well.

By 379Events January 19 Theodosius I is elevated as Roman Emperor at Sirmium. September 13 Nun Yax Ayin becomes king of Tikal. Ardeshir II becomes King of Persia. Gratianus refuses title of eastern Roman Emperor. War of Feishui in China. Theodosius I makes peac, one year after Fritigern's great victory over the Romans at the Battle of Adrianople in 378Events Mid-February: Lentienses cross frozen Rhine, invading Roman Empire. Later that year they are defeated by Gratianus. August 9 Battle of Adrianople: A large Roman army led by Emperor Valens is defeated by the Visigoths in present-day Turkey. Valens i, he had won over most of the Visigoths to his leadership. But he died a year later, and Athanaric became king of the entire Visigothic nation.

Shortly before his death in 381, he became the first foreign king to visit the new Roman capital of ConstantinopleConstantinople (Roman name: Constantinopolis; Greek: Konstantinoupolis or ) is the former name of the city of Istanbul in Turkey. Its original name was Byzantium ( Greek: Byzantion or Bυζαντιο&nu pronounced roughly B. He negotiated a peace with the new emperor, Theodosius IFlavius Theodosius (Cauca [Coca-Segovia], Spain ca 346 Milan, January 17, 395), also called Theodosius I and Theodosius the Great was a Roman emperor. He was the son of a senior military officer, Theodosius the Elder. Theodosius was, briefly, the last rul that made the Visigoths foederatiFoederatus early in the history of the Roman Republic identified one of the tribes bound by treaty foedus , who were neither Roman colonies nor had they been granted Roman citizenship civitas but were expected to provide a contingent of fighting men when, or official allies of Rome allowed to settle on Roman soil as a state within a state.

A few weeks later, Athanaric died, but the treaty he made stood until Theodosius' death in 395Events After the death of emperor Theodosius I, the Roman Empire is divided in an eastern and a western half. The eastern half is centered in Byzantium under Arcadius, son of Theodosius I, and the western half in Rome under Flavius Augustus Honorius his b.