Roderick was a military commander and Duke of the
Visigoth kingdom of
Spain in the early 700's. In 710, King
Witiza died, leaving his widow as regent for his two young sons. The Visigoth nobility supported Roderick for King, and exiled Witiza's family.
The Witizas contacted the North African Muslim kingdoms for help with their cause; in 711 Tariq ibn Ziyad, the governor of Morocco, invaded Spain, defeated Roderick, continued on with his army to Toledo, and conquered most of the country.