 He was a contemporary of the more famous Theodoric the Amal, who was a Moesian Goth of the royal Amal family, and who would become known as Theoderic the Great.Around 459, he is attested as in friendly relationship with the Byzantine Empire, possibly one of the "foederati", and receiving an annual subsidy from the Byzantines.In 471, the Alan Aspar, at the time "magister militum" of Emperor Leo I, was murdered by order of the emperor himself.