Thiufa

The thiufa was the highest division of the Visigothic army in Hispania. Based on the known decimal structure of the rest of the army, it seems likely that it was nominally composed of one thousand men. Its commander was called a thiufadus (or perhaps millenarius). The term thiufadus derives from either the Latin devotus or the Germanic thusundifaths.

The Liber Iudiciorum of King Reccesuinth augmented the powers of the thiufadi and granted them both judicial and military control over a region. In this double capacity they were assisted by sayos. The thiufadus, however, seems to have been weaker than the count (comes), who controlled the civitas, city district.

It is unknown if the thiufae were every actually called into service or if they existed only on paper. Perhaps smaller or larger units formed the actual basis of the Visigothic army.

Sources

• Thompson, E. A. The Goths in Spain. Clarendon Press: Oxford, 1969.