The Battle of Covadonga Explained

Everyone has heard of the 300 Spartans at Thermopylae,

but few know of the 700 Spaniards at Covadonga.

In the year 711 AD,

the Visigothic kingdom of Hispania was

shattered by Muslim invaders from North Africa.

Within only a few short years,

nearly the entire Iberian Peninsula had fallen

and the surviving Christians fled to the mountains of the north.

There, they rallied around a Visigothic nobleman named Pelagius,

the grandson of one of the last great Gothic kings.

For years, Pelagius and his followers resisted from the mountains of Asturias,

gathering refugees, warriors, and anyone unwilling to submit

to the new rulers of Hispania and face the oppression of Islam.

Realizing that this small rebellion was growing stronger,

the invaders marched north with an absolutely massive army

to crush them once and for all,

and Pelagius knew that fighting in the open would mean certain death.

So, he led his 700 men into a narrow mountain pass,

protected by steep cliffs on both sides, and waited.

When the enemy entered the valley,

they believed they had finally cornered the rebels and Pelagius,

and sent one of the leaders of the treasonous Gothic faction,

Appas, as an envoy to tell Pelagius to surrender immediately

and submit to the Muslims.

But Pelagius refused and famously spoke, quote,

''I will not be aligned in friendships with the Arabs,

nor will I subdue myself to their power,

for we trust in the mercy of the Lord

that the salvation of Hispania is from this modest little mountain

that you see, and the army of the people of the Goths is to be restored.''

Suddenly, Pelagius retreated into a nearby cave and

the Muslim army chased after him.

Out of nowhere, arrows, spears, and stones

began raining down from the mountains above.

Pelagius then emerged from a hidden cave

with his best warriors and the Christians made a final charge.

Trapped in the narrow pass and attacked from every single direction,

the invading army broke and fled.

Against all odds, the Christians had won and

the Battle of Covadongo would become the first great victory

of the centuries-long struggle to reclaim their land known as the Reconquista.

What began as a small band of refugees

hiding in these mountains would eventually become the kingdoms of Spain and Portugal.

But this is only the beginning of the Reconquista,

and if you'd like to know exactly how this battle started,

who the invaders really were,

and how and why they entered Hispania in the first place,

you can go watch my full YouTube video

that I have just released on my YouTube channel.

And don't forget to check out the Mythic Vitalism merch as well,

linked in my bio.

Long live the glory of the Goths.

Thanks for watching!