The Lombards: The Ancient Longobards (Peoples of Europe)

The Lombards, also known as the Longobards, were a Germanic tribe whose fabled origins lay in the barbarian realm of Scandinavia. After centuries of obscurity during the long period of Roman domination in Europe, the Lombards began a concerted migration south-eastwards, coming to prominence immediately after the fall of Rome. Pushing across the Danube to occupy Hungary, the tribe emerged as a powerful protagonist in the former heartland of the Empire in the early sixth century AD. The Lombards subsequently invaded Italy in AD 568-569, where they successfully countered the Byzantines and established a kingdom based on the fertile north Italian plains. This endured for more than two centuries before its conquest by Charlemagne, and even after this defeat, a Lombard state continued to exist in southern Italy until the eleventh century. In this book, the author combines many sources, archaeological and historical, to offer a fresh and vividly detailed picture of Lombard society - its people, settlements, material and spiritual culture - and its evolution from martial 'barbarian' tribe to complex urbanized state. List of Plates viii List of Figures xiii Preface xv Acknowledgements xx Chronological Table xxii List of Rulers: Kings, Emperors, Dukes, Exarchs and Popes XXV 1. Longobard Origins 1 2. Longobards in Pannonia 31 3. The Longobards and Italy 69 4. Society and Economy 109 5. Settlement and Defence in Longobard Italy 145 6. Religion, Architecture and Art 183 7. Longobard Heritage: Benevento and Beyond 204 Bibliography and Abbreviations 231 Index 247 Combining archaeological and historical sources, this book offers a detailed picture of Lombard society- a Germanic tribe whose fabled origins lay in the barbarian realm of Scandinavia. It traces the history of its people, settlements, material and spiritual culture - and its evolution from martial 'barbarian' tribe to complex urbanized state. This book offers a survey of the history and archaeology of the Longobards (known until recently as the Lombards), one of the many barbarian tribes who exploited the collapse of the Roman Empire.