History Of The Lombards. Paolo Diacono – Paulus Diaconus

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      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.

       3.

       So that part which fell to the fate of having to abandon the native soil and look for foreign lands, gave two leaders, Ibore and Aione. Two young brothers, flourishing and most vigorous of all. They all said goodbye to their loved ones and the land of their fathers, then set off to find new lands to live in and establish their home. Among them, there was the mother of the two leaders, she had the name Gambara, a keen woman of genius and provident in advising and giving wisdom. In moments of uncertainty, they made no difference to her.

       4.

       I do not think of moving away from the subject matter, if for a while I invert the order of the narration and I tell, in short, as long as my pen is wandering in Germany, of a prodigy, which is known there to all, besides to something else. In the extreme territories of Germany, to the north east, on the shores of the ocean, under a high cliff, you can see a cavity in which seven men, it is not known for how long, rest dormant in a long sleep, intact not only in the body but also in the guise, precisely because they have resisted without corrupting for so many years, they are the object of veneration, by СКАЧАТЬ