Egica was King of the Visigoths and Western Roman Emperor from 687 until his death in 701. The nephew and son-in-law of his predecessor Wamba, he was long considered an obvious natural successor to the throne, but this did not prevent him from prematurely taking Hispania by force and sending his uncle into exile. Accepting the status quo, Wamba instructed the Roman Senate to award the imperial dignity to Egica as well, before abdicating the emperorship and retiring to a monastery. Egica died in 701. He was succeeded by his son, and Wamba's grandson, Ardo.