The death of Narses, whose name alone had intimi dated the barbarians, left Italy again exposed to their in Ya In the year 568, the 'Lombards, a nation of German or Scandinavian origin, first established themselves on the banks of the Po, and occupied that part of the north of Italy which still bears their name. They were then go verned by Alboinus, a chief who had already distinguished himself in his wars with Gepidie, whose king, Cunemund, he had defeated and slain. This prince having made him self master of Milan, was then crowned king of Italy with the usual solemnities; it was not, however, till three years after, that he made himself master of Pavia, at that time considered the principal scat of the monarchy. This important acquisition was the last victory of Al boinus, who was murdered at a festival by his wife Rosa mund, whom he had brutally compelled to drink from a cup made of the skull of her father Cuncmund, king of the Gepidx. Alboinus was succeeded by Clephis, who continued to lead the Lombards to victory, but whose cruelty and other vices were the cause of his murder after a reign of three years. The death of Clephis was follow ed by an interregnum of 10 years, which might rather be termed an anatchy, as the government was in the hands of no less than 36 dukes or military governors of the pro vinces, who acted as regents during the minority of the children of the late king. The terror of a threatened invasion by Childebert, king of the Franks, at length determined the Lombards to raise Autharis (the son of Clephis) to the throne, who, by his prudence and valour, soon restored tranquillity to the kingdom, and frustrated the attempts of the Franks to gain a footing in Italy. The dynasty of the Lombard princes continued to reign in the northern pro vinces of Italy for the space of 160 years, still prosecuting with various success their schemes of conquest, but with out ever attaining to the principal object of their ambition, the entire subjection of Italy. To enter particularly into the history of these monarchs seems unnecessary in this work, especially as the annals are peculiarly perplexed by the constant internal commotions which the feudal govern ment of the Lombards naturally gave rise to.
The situation of those provinces, which, under the name of the exarchate of Ravenna, still retained their allegiance to the Grecian empire, was still more deplorable than that of the subjects of the Lombards. Continually exposed to the vexatious exactions of the rapacious exarchs of Ra venna, from which their spiritual fathers, the bishops of Rome, had alone power to protect them, their affections were gradually transferred to them, and every tie which connected them with the empire became loosened. The people were sunk in profound ignorance ; their spirit was broken by oppression ; and it was only in a few trading towns, where, fostered by the spirit of commerce, a few sparks of liberty still remained. At length, however, the exarchs, having exhausted the resources of the people, made an attempt to extend their depredations to the pro perty of the church ; and the pontiffs, exasperated by this sacrilege, and weary of a government at once tyrannical and feeble, began to look out for a more powerful protec tion against the daily increasing power of the Lombards.
Charles, king of the Franks, better known by the ap pellation of Charlemagne, excited by the intrigues of Pope Adrian, whose territories had been invaded by Dcsiderius, king of the Lombards, prepared to pass the Alps at the head of a formidable army. A. D, 584. On his approach,
the Lombard troops, though advantageously posted, were seized with a sudden panic, and fled ; and although Desi derius and Adelchis his son continued their resistance fur a few months, the capture of the former in Pavia put an end to the struggle ; and with him ceased the power and monarchy of the Lombards. The pontiff and his successor received a grant from Charlemagne of the territories for merly governed by the exarch of Ravenna, and Pepin, the second son of the conqueror, was crowned king or Italy, the administration during his minority being left to the Pope. The remains of the Lombards still, however, kept their ground in the south, under the Duke of Benevento, but were at length obliged to submit to the superior force of Charlemagne. The prudent administration of this prince had, not less than his military glory, attached to him the affections of the Italians ; and when hailed by the Pope Leer III. as Emperor of the West, his election was sanctioned by the united assent of all orders of the people. The reign of Pepin over Italy was short, and he died before his father, in his 34th year, at a time when the highest expectations were entertained from his prudence and wisdom. He was succeeded by his 1,011 Bernard ; but this young prince hav ing become an object of jealousy to his uncle Louis, king of France and emperor of the West, was tempted to join in a rebellion against hint ; and being defeated, and alter his defeat persuaded to throw himself on the emperor's mercy, was by him sentenced to lose his eyes. The sentence was executed in so cruel a manner, that he died in couse sience of the operation ; and the kingdom of Italy, with the title of king, was conferred upon Lothaire, tile em peror's eldest sun. The reign of this prince was consum ed in unsuccessful wars with his brothers, the kings of France and Aquitaine ; and at his death, basing bestowed on his second son Lothaire the territory now denominated after him, Lotharingia, or Lorraine, there remained no thing to Louis II. his eldest, but the title of emperor, and the kingdom of Italy.
During these family discords of the successors of Charlemagne, the feudatories of the empire in Italy had made rapid advances towards independence ; and over most of them the emperor rather maintained an influence than an authority. Of these the most powerful were the Dukes of Benevento, a race of Lombard princes, who had, as we have already seen, even defied the power of Charle magne himself. At this period, the succession was con tended between two competitors, one of whom, distrust ing his own resources, called in to his aid a body of African Saracens. This measure for a time proved successful, until his antagonist, following his example, obtained the assistance of the Saracens of Spain. The Beneventan princes were soon weary of these barbarous auxiliaries ; and at length, finding their cities destroyed, and country pillaged by the ferocity of their allies, were obliged to ap ply for assistance to the emperor. The valour of Louis soon succeeded in defeating the barbarians, and the con tending princes having submitted to him their claims, the duchy was divided into the principalities of Benevento and Salerno, and their sovereigns reduced to their former situ ation of vassals of the empire. • For a more particular ac count of these and the succeeding revolutions of the south of Italy, see the articles NAPLES and SICILY.