Paolo Diacono – Paulus Diaconus "History Of The Lombards"

History of the Lombards

Historia Langobardorum

Paul The Deacon

Paulus Diaconus

English Text

English Edition

eBook

Barbaric Forum

Volume 2

GBL Grande Biblioteca Latina

www.grandebibliotecalatina.com

BOOK OPTIMIZED FOR THE BLIND PEOPLE

On the cover, a digital copy of a detail of the frescoes in the Teodolinda chapel in Monza, a small town a few kilometers from Milan.

​PREFACE

EDITOR'S NOTE

If you know the text of Paolo Diacono you can omit to read this preface or you can read only the parts that interest you.

However, it is divided into short and clear thematic sections, useful for framing the text correctly.

History

Why publish an old and manifestly biased book in Latin? The reason is right there, in the definition of "part": written history is always part because it is generated by a "cultural structure"; entity that often coincides with the "nation-state". In practice for history, the same concept is valid for art, each era gives a different judgment on a given work of art. As a boy, when I studied art in high school, I went to the school library to consult a famous and beautiful series dedicated to painters, in those books the critical judgments of art experts and artists of different eras were reported. There you could see the change of opinion over time. So a Baroque work first pleases, then is despised and then returns to be found beautiful. This change of opinion is closely linked to historical events and social changes. To explain some basic concepts I will continue to use the art-history parallelism, which I believe is the most suitable. Here I briefly describe a personal experience I had at the University in taking a Medieval History exam. Attending the exams of some students of my age, I noticed their difficulty in defining historical periods, their attachment to dates. The teacher of the Statale di Milano was greatly irritated to see the inability to argue about the beginning and end dates of the Middle Ages. The dates are school conventions, the ancient age does not end a day in a certain place, but it is a border that shifts and brings with it social changes, often not uniform. The Gothic kingdom in Italy is perhaps already Middle Ages but we consider it late ancient, because we tend to start the Middle Ages in Italy with the twenty years of the Gothic wars or with the Lombard invasion in the peninsula. The right answer to the question `` when does the Middle Ages begin? '' Is the conventional date of the dismissal of the last Roman emperor of the West, accompanied by the clarification that it is, in reality, a long transition period going from Odoacre, to the Lombards, and does not involve the whole territory uniformly. If we look at art, we see the splendid mosaics of Ravenna, but then the imposing mausoleum of Theodoric appears, I point out that, after these, we move on to a paleo-Christian poor art: art marks well the passage from the ancient world to the new times. In the same way, regardless of the date on which Columbus was discovered to have discovered America, the art of the second quarter of Florence already showed the Renaissance, which appears briefly and immediately dissolves into Mannerism which will become Baroque already in the Michelangelo's dome of San Pietro . Thus the Municipalities become Lordships and politics reconnect the thread with classical antiquity which has in itself the symbols of power. A strange history of Classical art was born in democratic Athens to become an instrument of every imperial ambition. In any case, even art decrees the end of the Middle Ages, with the return to plasticity and Vasari's "stil novo". In practice it is Michelangelo's David and not Colombo, the right date to remember.

So, having clarified that it is the common sensitivity and not the dates that mark History, we add the concept of state education. Each state exalts the history that suits him to justify its existence, one could also add the geographic factor that is an integral part of it, but it would result in a discussion to Plato and too long. Squeezing, the Lombards divided Italy and for the future nation-state, everything that does not have Rome as its capital, and the entire national territory as a domain is negative, ugly, not important. This was the interest of the Savoys, of the Risorgimento patriots, of the kingdom and also of the Duce, now, with a party called the Northern League, the "trumpets of Rome" have returned to make themselves heard by dirtying the historical truth. I believe that Risorgimento Italy has become a mature state, ready to become Europe and part of the world. After all, for a hundred and fifty years, Savoiardi have been famous biscuits excellent for tiramisu and anti-Germanic sentiment has turned into sporting antagonism. Therefore, allowing everyone to read a text like this in its original format without state cultural mediation allows contemporary, "scientific" man to judge for himself and to deepen the topic at his leisure.

​Author

Paolo Diacono was born in Cividale del Friuli probably in 720 AD His Latin name was Paulus Diaconus, the Lombard one Paul Warnefried or even Paul of Varnefrido. He was a descendant of Leupichi, one of the Lombards following Alboino during the invasion of Italy. At a young age he was sent to Pavia, which at the time was the capital of the Lombard Kingdom of King Rachis. Here he was a pupil of Flaviano, he attended the school of the monastery of San Pietro in Ciel d'Oro where he later became a teacher. He stayed at the court also with the later Kings Astolfo and Desiderio, under the latter, he became tutor of his daughter Adelperga. When Desiderio's daughter married the Duke of Benevento Arechi, he followed her. With the fall of the Lombard Kingdom in 774, due to his brother's imprisonment, he agreed to move to the Carolingian court between 782 and 787, where he was appreciated above all as a grammarian. After the release of his brother Paolo he escaped from the court of Charlemagne and returned to Benevento, and here he entered the monastery of Montecassino becoming a Benedictine monk. Just in the monastery between 787 and 789 he wrote the Historia Langobardorum, his most famous and important work. Another fact that concerns him, even if indirectly, is related to music, and in fact, from his hymn dedicated to Saint Giovanni Battista, in the eleventh century, Guido d'Arezzo obtained the seven musical notes, which made music a significant step forward. Paolo Diacono died in Benevento in 799 leaving his HIstoria deliberately unfinished because he was disappointed by the latest events of his beloved Lombards.

A final mention goes to Historia Romana, another work by Paolo, which was used for many centuries as an educational text.

​What is the Langobardorum history

A beautiful story, in many compelling parts, unfortunately the national needs of the previous two centuries did not allow an objective view of this period. The main problem is the nationality of the Lombards, called Germanic descent, try to understand, with the Austrians in Milan and Venice, then in Trento and Trieste, one could not really look at the Lombard period with national pride. Rome was also a problem, ask Garibaldi and Cavour. About Garibaldi, it is a name known among the Lombards, you will not find it the same in Paolo's Historia but you will find a beautiful suggestion. In short, Italy was born anti-German and for a long time what the Italians did, and even the last war, influenced the imagination of all of us. Furthermore, it was the Lombards who broke the unity of the peninsula, which will last until 1918. But, importantly, studies on the ethnic origins of Europe have shown that the nation-state identification is artificial, cultural, often recently creation and the blood is so mixed that perhaps the only true European nation is Europe, so enjoy the story. Sometimes it will be a little boring, imprecise, manifestly pro-Catholic and pro-Lombard, unfinished, the ending is missing because the author, disappointed by the unglorious end of the kingdom, refuses to complete it. In short, an epic without the grand finale.

The work

The work was written by Paolo Diacono in the Benedictine monastery of Montecassino in the two years after his return from the Frankish court of Charlemagne where he worked as a grammarian. The Historia tells the story of a part of the people called Winili, who will later take the name of Lombards after the heroic and mythical battle against the Vandals. So following the events of the various kings, the story takes us to Pannonia and from there to Italy. At this point the author tells us about Italy at the time of the Lombard conquest, of Alboino and Rosmunda, of the ten years of anarchy followed by the election of a king. From here, the Historia takes up the narration of the court events. Autari, Teodolinda, Rotari, the compelling story of Grimoaldo and the last king mentioned by Paolo, the famous Liutprando, the one of the much discussed donation of Sutri to the Pope, the presumed beginning of the temporal power of the popes, enter the scene, but this donation is in fact a refund, the real donation is prior to Liutprando.

The author does not fail to broaden his gaze, also by telling ecclesiastical events, from a strictly Catholic point of view, he does not fail to tell us about the Byzantine emperors and the events of the near and fatal Franco kingdom. The story is often inaccurate and sometimes patently wrong, but still gives a correctly pro-Lombard picture of the whole that highlights the Franco-Papal factionalism in the Italic affairs.

Another peculiarity of the story is the Friulian note, Paolo, originally from Cividale, keeps us constantly informed about what happens in the north east of Italy but also in Benevento, his place of residence, Duchy closely linked to Friuli and the Lombard crown .

Paolo's historical sources are: Origo gentis Longobardorum, an ancient song that narrates the legend of Scandinavian origin, Secondo di Non, Gregorio di Tours, Isidoro of Seville, Beda the Venerable and the Annals of Benevento.

Book I (First) tells us about the origins of the Lombards, describing the various stages of approach to Italy until the victory of Alboino over the Gepidi and the departure for the peninsula, in addition to the events of San Benedetto.

Book II (Second) tells the entry into Italy (with a description of the peninsula), the conquest of Pavia by Alboino, the intrigue of his wife Rosmunda and the assassination of the beloved king, to end with the ten years of anarchy of the dukes.

book III (Third) tells us about the difficulties of the Empire of Constantinople, the three frank invasions, of Autari who marries the Catholic Teodolinda.

Book IV (Quarto) tells of the kings Agilulfo, Rotari and Grimoaldo with all its history, from the sack of Cividale by the Avari, to the conquest of the royal palace of Pavia.

Book V (Fifth) continues the detailed narration of the difficult period of the reign, Grimoaldo defeats Franks and Byzantines, deceives the Avars and consolidates the Kingdom. The chapter ends with the battle between Cuniperto and Alachis.

Book VI (Sesto) restarts from Cuniperto, tells us of his reign but also ranges over the Franco kingdom, the Empire and the Saracens. Then comes the despotic but capable Ariperto, the long struggle with the noble Ansprando, father of Liutprando, the last of which the author speaks to us, because Paolo, disappointed, will leave the work unfinished.

I must add that the copyist, the one who manually copied the original text, probably added many errors to the text that was already inaccurate in itself, or rather, copying from a copy produced a sum of errors.

This inconvenience will be solved with the invention of printing. Paolo himself confuses places and peoples, wrong years, in short, it is not a scientific text, but its historical importance because it shows us those centuries from the Lombard point of view.

​ORIGINS OF THE LOMBARDS PEOPLE

King Rotari

English text

What is it about the origin of the Lombard people

The Origo is a short text that was inserted in the Edict of Rotari, it tells us the origins of the Lombard people, in particular it tells us the origin of the name "long beards". The same legend is also told to us by Paul where, however, it is defined ridiculous. There is also a partial list of Lombard kings.

The text was always carefully studied because it substantially preceded the narration of Paolo Diacono, in it we look for useful elements to understand the genesis and evolution of the Lombard lineage.

Origins of the Lombards people

Origo gentis Langobardorum

IN THE NAME OF GOD, I BEGIN THE STORY OF THE ORIGINS OF THE LOMBARD PEOPLE HERE.

1.

There is an island in the northern areas called "Scadanan" (Scandinavia), a word that literally has the meaning of "massacre". Many populations live on this island, among which there was a small one called Winnili. Among them lived a woman named Gambara mother of two children, the first named Ybor, the other Aio. These, together with his mother, commanded the Winnili.

It happened that the leaders of the Vandals, that is, Ambers and Aces, marched with their army against the Winnili and ordered them: "Either you pay us tributes, or you will have to prepare yourself for war against us." Then Ybor and Aio, together with their mother Gambara, replied thus: "It is better for us to prepare ourselves to fight rather than pay tributes to the Vandals".

Then Ambri and Assi, leaders of the Vandals, prayed to the god Godan to grant them victory over the Winnili. Godan replied: "I will grant the victory to the first ones that I will see in the morning at sunrise." Then Gambara and her two sons, Ybor and Aio chief of the Winnili invoked Frea, Godan's wife, to bring help to the Winnili.

Frea advised them to show up at sunrise, and to bring, together with their husbands, even their wives with their hair loose around their faces like beards. At first dawn, while the sun was rising, Frea turned the bed on which her husband slept and turned him to the East, then woke him up. He opened his eyes and saw the Winnili and their wives with their hair loose and gathered around the face like a beard and said: "Who are these long beards?". So Frea replied, "Just as you gave them a name, grant them victory too." So it happened that from that moment the Winnili took the name of Lombards.

2.

The Lombards moving from those places arrived in Golaida, then occupied Aldonus, Anthaib, Banaib and the land of the Burgundians. It is said that they named Agilmundo, son of Aio, of the Guginghi family as king. After him Lamissone reigned, of the Guginghi family; followed by Leti, of whom it is said that he reigned for about forty years.

Ildeoc, son of Leti, followed him; then reigned Godeoc.

3.

At that time King Odoacre left Ravenna with an army of Alani, went to Rugilandia, fought against the Rugi, and killed their King Feleteo, bringing many prisoners back to Italy. Then the Lombards moved from their regions to settle in the land of the Rugi and stayed there for several years.

4.

Godeoc was followed by his son Claffone, after which Tatone, son of Claffone, reigned. The Lombards moved to the territory of Feld for three years. Tatone fought with Rodolfo, King of the Eruli and killed him, took possession of his helmet and his banner; after him the Eruli no longer had a kingdom. After these events, Vacone son of Unichis killed King Tatone, his paternal uncle, together with Zuchilone. Vacone also fought Ildichi, son of Tatone, who, defeated, fled to the Gepids where he died. So the Gepids, to avenge the offense, declared war on the Lombards.

At that time Vacone forced the Swabians to submit to the Lombard Kingdom. Vacone had three wives: Raicunda, daughter of Fisud King of the Thuringes. Then he married Austrigusa, a Gepide woman, with whom she had two daughters: the first, named Wisigarda, went to Theudiperto King of the Franks as wife; the second, named Walderada, went to Scusualdo to marry another King of the Franks, who then took her in hatred and married her to Garibaldo. Vacone had a third wife, Silinga daughter of the King of Eruli; from her he had a son named Waltari. When Vacone died, his son Waltari reigned for seven years but had no successors. All of these were Letingi.

5.

After Waltari reigned Audoino, these led the Lombards to Pannonia. After him the Kingdom passed to his son Alboino, whose mother was Rodelenda.

In those times Alboino fought with the King of Gepidi Cunimondo. Cunimondo died in that fight and the Gepids were defeated. Alboino married Rosmunda, daughter of Cunimondo, captured as a prey to war, as his first wife Flutsuinda, daughter of Flothario King of the Franks, had died, from whom he had a daughter named Albsuinda. The Lombards lived in Pannonia for forty-two years.

Alboino himself led the Lombards to Italy, at the invitation of the secretaries of Narsete. Alboino, King of the Lombards, left from Pannonia in April, in the first call after Easter. Surely in the second indiction they began to plunder in Italy and in the third indiction he became master of Italy. Alboino reigned in Italy for three years, and was killed in his Verona Palace by Elmichi and his wife Rosmunda through Peritheo.

Elmichi wanted to reign but could not do it because the Lombards wanted to kill him. Then Rosmunda wrote to the prefect Longinus to welcome her to Ravenna. When Longinus heard this request he rejoiced and sent a ship from the fleet to pick them up. Rosmunda, Elmichi and Albsuinda, daughter of Alboino, embarked bringing with them to Ravenna all the treasures of the Lombards. Later the prefect Longinus tried to convince Rosmunda to kill Elmichi and then become his bride. Listening to his requests, Rosmunda prepared a poison and after Elmichi had bathed, he offered it to him to drink in a hot drink. But, as soon as he drank, he realized that he had swallowed a mortal potion, then he ordered that Rosmunda also drink, even if she didn't want to, and so they both died. Then Longinus took the treasures of the Lombards and Albsuinda, daughter of King Alboinus, loaded on a ship bound for Constantinople, and ordered that they be handed over to the Emperor.

6.

The remaining Lombards chose themselves as King Clefi, of the Belei family, Clefi reigned for two years and then died. The Dukes of the Lombards governed themselves for twelve years, after which they chose as their King Autari, son of Claffone. Autari married Teodolinda, daughter of King Garibaldo, and Walderada of the Bavari. Together with Teodolinda his brother named Gundoaldo came, and the King Autari appointed him Duke of the city of Asta (Este = Asti). Autari reigned for seven years. Acquo (Agilulfo), Duke of Thuringia, left Turin and joined the Queen Teodolinda becoming King of the Lombards.

Agilulfo killed the dukes who opposed him, Zangrolf of Verona, Mimulf of the island of S. Giuliano, Gaidulf of Bergamo and the others who were rebels against him. Aquo (Agilulfo) begat a daughter named Gunperga from Teodolinda and reigned for six years. After him Arioaldo reigned for twelve years. After that, Rotari reigned, of the Arodingi dynasty. He destroyed the cities and fortresses of the Romans that were located along the coast, from the surroundings of Luni to the land of the Franks and east to Oderzo. He fought at the Scultenna river and in that battle eight thousand Romans fell.

7.

Rotari reigned for seventeen years, after him Ariperto reigned for nine years, and then Grimoaldo reigned. At that time the Emperor Constantine left Constantinople and came to the Campania region, then moved to Sicily and was killed by his own. Grimoaldo reigned for nine years and then Pertarito reigned.

HISTORY OF THE LOMBARDS

Paul The Deacon

English text

First book

1.

The northern region, the further away it is from the heat of the sun and cold from the frost of the snow, the more it is healthy for the human body and suitable for spreading bloodlines. On the contrary, the regions located at midday, the closer they are to the sun, the more they are rich in diseases and less suitable for raising mortals. So it happens that many peoples are born under the bear, so that the whole region, from Tanai to the West, even if, in it, the individual localities have their own name, it is commonly called Germany. When the Romans occupied it, they called the two provinces beyond the Rhine, Upper Germany and Lower Germany.

From this populous Germany innumerable prisoners were led away and dispersed, sold as slaves to the southern peoples. But it is true that many bloodlines came out of it, because too many of them do not feed them, and in so doing they afflicted parts of Asia and especially neighbouring Europe. This is evidenced by the cities destroyed throughout Illyria and in Gaul, but above all those of the tried and tested Italy, which experienced the cruelty of almost all those peoples. From Germany came the Vandals, the Rugi, the Eruli, the Turcilingi and other ferocious barbarian populations. In the same way came the lineage of the Winili, or the Lombards, who then happily reigned in Italy. They too are Germanic, although some narrate that they came down from the Scandinavian island.

2.

Pliny Second also speaks of this island in his books On the nature of things. It, as those who visited the year tell us, is not on the sea, but is surrounded by marine waves, these penetrate into the land, favoured by the low level of its coasts. The populations who settled there, very prolific, not being able to live all of them together, are divided, as they say, into three parts, and with the draw they chose who was to leave the land of their fathers.