Reccesuinth

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Votive crown of Reccesuinth, as found in the treasure of Guarrazar.

Reccesuinth; or Recceswinth, Recceswint, Reccaswinth, Recdeswinth, Recesvinto (Spanish and Portuguese), Reccesvinthus (Latin); ruled as a king of the Visigoths from 649–672: jointly with his father from 649 and as sole king from 653.

Beginning in 654 Reccesuinth was responsible for the promulgation of a law code to replace the Breviary of Alaric; he placed a Visigothic common law over both Goths and Romans in the kingdom. However, this Liber Judiciorum showed little Germanic influence, adhering more closely to the old Roman laws.

Moreover, the church councils in the capital became the most powerful force in the government and the bishops the primary support of the monarchy. Will Durant writes in The Age of Faith: "By their superior education and organization they dominated the nobles who sat with them in the ruling councils of Toledo; and though the king's authority was theoretically absolute, and he chose the bishops, these councils elected him, and exacted pledges of policy in advance."