History Of The Lombards

Among these things he made it clear with his pick

admirable realities, similar to nectar;

in fact he drew a precise line

of consecrated life for the followers.

But you, now a powerful guide for your children,

be propitious to the sighs of the flock;

blaze it for good and beware of the snake

to follow you in your path.

I want to report here about a fact that Blessed Gregory does not mention in the life of St. Benedict, our founding father. When, by divine inspiration, he came from Subiaco to these places where he now rests, he was followed by three crows that he used to feed, they flew around him for fifty miles. Arriving here at a crossroads, two angels appeared in the form of young men to show him the way to take. Always here lived a Servant of God in a humble hut to which heaven had said: "Take care of these places, another friend is here". Arriving here, in the Rocca di Cassino, Benedetto mortified himself in a severe and continuous abstinence, above all, in the time of Lent he lived a retreat, away from the worries of the world. I found these news in the song of the poet Marco, who came to visit Benedict and composed some verses in his praise, I don't report them below because I don't want to lengthen my story too much. Heaven was surely the one who led Benedict to this fertile place under which a luxuriant valley lies: he wanted a congregation of many monks to meet here, just as it actually happened, thanks to the guidance of God.

Once I have finished narrating these things, which I could not leave out, I return to our story.

27.

Audoino, King of the Lombards, had Rodelinda as his wife, this generated a son, Alboino, suitable for war and valiant in action. Died Audoino, the tenth king was therefore Alboino who became him with the votes of all. The many exploits of Alboino made him famous and Clotario, King of the Franks, wanted to join him by giving him his daughter Clotsuinda as wife, from this union only a daughter was born, Albsuinda.

At the same time Turisindo, King of the Gepids, died, followed by Cunimondo. The latter, wanting to avenge the old wrongs suffered, broke the peace treaty with the Lombards and prepared the war. Alboino had made a perpetual pact with the Avars, those who were once called Huns and only later Avars, named after their King. Alboino left for the war provoked by the Gepids and while the latter, from various directions, moved against of him, as per agreements made with the Lombard King, the Avars invaded the territory of the Gepids. A sad messenger reached Cunimondo with the news that the Avars had entered their lands. Depressed in morale, faced with an anguished choice, Cunimondo decided to face the Lombards first and urging them to battle added that after winning them they would drive the Huns out of their homeland.

The inevitable battle was waged with all forces, the Lombards were victors and cruelly raged on the Gepids with such fury that they massacred them almost completely, so much so that those who brought the news of the extermination barely escaped. In that battle Alboino killed Cunimondo and, taking his head off, made a glass to drink, on the type of what are called "scala" with them and "patera" in Latin. He also took prisoner the daughter of King Gepides named Rosmunda and a multitude of men and women of all ages. Alboino, given that Clotsunda had died, took Rosmunda as his wife to his future ruin, as it became clear. With that victory the Lombards collected a great wealth. The lineage of the Gepids was destroyed, those who escaped ended up subject in part to the Lombards and in part under the harsh yoke of the Hun empire that still occupies their homeland.

The name of Alboino, however, rose to great fame, so much so that at Bavari, Sassoni and other men who speak the same language, his deeds, luck in war, valor in battle and glory are told. Under his rule, the Lombards also manufactured many new weapons of particular shape as is still told today.

End of the First Book

Second book

1.

While the fame of the continuous victories of the Lombards spread everywhere, Narsete, "Cartulario Imperiale" and governor in Italy, was busy preparing the war against Totila the Goth. Having already been the federated Lombards of the Empire, Narsete sent ambassadors to Alboino asking him to provide an auxiliary contingent for the imminent war against the Goths. Alboino sent a contingent of selected men who arrived in Italy by crossing the Gulf of the Adriatic Sea. These allies of the Romans took part in the battles by defeating and exterminating the Goths, also killing King Totila, honoured and full of gifts, they returned to their lands.

For as long as they remained stationed in Pannonia, the Lombards were Federations of the Roman Republic and helped them against their enemies.

2.

In those years Narsete undertook a war against Duke Buccellino. King Franco Teodeberto, when he returned to Gaul, had left him in Italy together with another Duke, Amingo; they had the task of subjugating the whole peninsula. Buccellino sent rich gifts to his King, these were part of the great accumulated booty, and while he was preparing to winter in Campania, he was reached and won by Narsete in a hard battle in the place known as Tanneto. In the battle Buccellino himself was killed. Later Amingo tried to bring help to Windin, a Goto Count who had rebelled against Narsete, both were defeated by the Roman general, Windin was sent into exile in Constantinople while Amingo was killed by the sword of Narsete. A third Duke, Leutarius, Buccellino's brother, laden with much booty, tried to return to his homeland, but between Verona and Trento, near Lake Benaco, he died of illness.

3.

Narsete still had to wage war against Sindualdo, King of Brioni, a part of the lineage of Eruli that Odoacer brought with him when he came to Italy. To Sindualdo, Narsete had given many privileges as an ally of Rome, but then Sindualdo, taken with pride and a desire to reign, rebelled against Narsete. He defeated him in battle and captured him, then Sindualdo ended up hanging from a high beam.

In addition to this, Patrick Narsete, through General Digisteo, a strong and belligerent man, occupied the whole of Italy. Narsete arrived in Italy as Cartulario but thanks to his value he obtained the Patriziato. He was a pious man, of Catholic religion, generous with the poor and zealous in the restoration of churches. So fervent in vigils and prayers that he obtained victory more with supplications to God than with arms.

4.

At the time when Narsete governed Italy, a very serious plague broke out in the province of Liguria. Suddenly stains appeared in the houses, on doors, vases and clothes, when someone tried to clean them they became even more evident. After a year, men had glands the size of a walnut or date gland in the groin and other delicate parts of the body. This was followed by a strong fever that led to death in three days. Those who made it through the three days had a good chance of surviving. Everywhere there were mourning and tears, and since the word had spread among the people that those who left their homes could survive, they were abandoned, empty, only the dogs remained to keep them. The flocks were left alone in the pastures, without shepherds to watch over them. Where before you could see villages and camps full of people, now they were deserted and abandoned because everyone had fled. The children fled, leaving the corpses of their parents unburied, the parents fled, leaving their children in strong fevers. Those who lingered and remained to give a pitiful burial according to ancient customs, were infected and in turn remained unburied. In giving the last honour to the corpse of the deceased he left his corpse without the honour of burial.

The places returned to primordial silence, no voices in the fields, no whistling of shepherds, no danger of beasts for cattle, no danger for domestic birds. The harvest, which already had to be reaped, waited in vain for the reaper, the vineyard, already without leaves, and with the reddish grapes, remained unharmed on the vine while winter was already looming.

Silence reigned supreme, where before the trumpets of war and the roar of arms were heard, no traveller and no bandits, yet there were corpses as far as the eye could see. The shepherds' shelters had become tombs for men, and the dwellings dens for the beasts. But this misfortune struck only the Romans within Italian territory, as far as the border with the Alemanni and Bavarians.

While this was happening in Italy, Justinian died and in Constantinople Justin II (The Second) took the leadership of the state. Narsete instead captured Vitale, bishop of the city of Altino, who had long before fled to Agunto in the Kingdom of the Franks and condemned him to exile in Sicily.

5.

Narsete, having conquered every Gota lineage in Italy and also the others we have mentioned before, put together such riches of gold, silver and other precious things, arousing great envy in those Romans whom he had defended and protected from many enemies. Their hatred produced a message that they secretly sent to Augustus Justin and his wife Sophia, a message that read: "The Romans are pleased to be slaves of both Goths and Greeks, since we are ruled by a eunuch, Narsete, and kept us oppressed in slavery, and our pious prince ignores him. Deliver us from his hands, or we shall surely deliver the city of Rome and with it ourselves, to the heathen. Upon learning of this, Narsete answered with these words: "If I have acted badly with the Romans, I will have bad. The emperor, outraged with Narsete, sent Longinus to Italy as Prefect to take his place.