the Eucharist from him. King Liuvigild ordered him beheaded; he was executed on 13 April 585. He had one son by his wife named Athanagild after his matrilineal great-grandfather king Athanagild. They both tried to seek refuge in Constantinople after his execution, but it was refused while they were already in Sicily. She then returned to the Frankish Kingdom, where her son remained under her and her mother's custody. Parentage According to the 9th-century Chronicle of Alfonso III, Erwig was the son of Ardabast, who had journeyed from the Byzantine Empire to Hispania during the time of Chindasuinth, and married Chindasuinth's niece Goda. Ardabast (or Artavasdos), was probably an Armenian or Persian Christian exile in Constantinople or in Byzantine Africa. In Hispania he was made a count. 17th-century Spanish genealogist Luis Bartolomé de Salazar y Castro gave Ardabast's father as Athanagild, the son of Saint Hermenegild and Ingund, and his mother as Flavia Juliana, a daughter of Peter Augustus and niece of the Emperor Maurice. This imperial connection is disputed by Christian Settipani, who says that the only source for Athanagild's marriage to Flavia Julia is José Pellicer, who he claims to be a forger. See also Saint Hermenegild, patron saint archive Footnotes Sources External links Lives of the Saints: April 13 St. Hermenegild, Martyr Saint Hermenegild engraved by L. Beck, from De Verda collection Saint Hermenegild, Martyr at the Christian Iconography web site 585 deaths Converts to Catholicism from Arianism Medieval Spanish saints 6th-century people of the Visigothic Kingdom 6th-century Christian saints Roman Catholic royal saints Christian royal saints Year of birth unknown Executed Spanish people Christian martyrs executed by decapitation Heirs apparent who never acceded