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
