I T A L V. 



535 



7- desponded of success, was unable to make any effective 

 '~^.~~ 11 ' opposition to the victorious Totila; and although Beli- 

 sarius recovered the city of Rome, almost all the rest 

 "ins of Italy again fell under the dominion of the Goths. 

 ^" In this situation of affairs, Belisarius was again recalled, 

 and the machinations of his enemies succeeded in ba- 

 nishing him from the court. (See BELISAIUUS.) The 

 management of the Gothic war was cemmitttd to 

 N'anes, one of the eunuchs of the palace, whose vigor- 

 ous understanding and cnterprizing genius had already 

 raised him to important situations in the court of Ju.-ti- 

 nian. Aware, however, of the causes of the failure of the 

 last expedition, N'arses would not accept of the com- 

 mand without an army and resources sufficient for the 

 enterprize. In obtaining these, he succeeded ; and led 

 to Italy not nly the flower of the Grecian army, but 

 an immense number of young noblemen in the charac- 

 ter of volunteers, who were desirous of making court 

 to the Emperor, by serving their first campaign under 

 T3 de- hi* favourite. The most complete success attended the 

 ssctel uxi arm , of N~ arses, for notwithstanding the most valiant 

 and obstinate resistance of Totila, he was defeated and 

 slain ; and the same f.ite having overtaken his successor 

 Teia, the great body of the Goths surrendered to the 

 Imperial army, and Italy was again, for a short time, 

 re-annexed aj a province to the empire. Narses con- 

 tinued for 1-1 years to govern Italy with wisdom equal 

 to the bravery with which he had conquered it; but, 

 on the death of Justinian, he wa* recalled from 

 tuation by the Emperor 1 1., or rather by the 



Empress Sophia, who governed her husband and the 



, ctn ,E! re * n '- v " ' ' maatcr ' 



The death of Narses, whose name alone had intimi- 

 dated the barbarians, left Italy again exposed to their 



i:r.ai' :.-. 



Jn the year .568. die 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 bear* their name. They were tlu-n 

 governed by Alboinus, a chief who had already dis* 

 . -lied himself in hi* wars with the Gepida?, whose 

 tnuiul, he had defeated and slain. Thii 

 prince having nude himself master of Milan, was then 

 crowned king of Italy with the usual solemnities ; it 

 was not, however, till three years after, that he marie 

 himself master of Pavia, at that time considered the 

 principal seat of the monarchy. This important acqui- 

 tition was the last victory of Alboinus, who was mur- 

 dered at a festival by hi* wife Rosamund, whom he had 

 brutally compelled to drink from a cup made of the 

 skull of bar father Cunemund, king of the Gepida*. 

 Alboinu* was succeeded by Clephi*, wb continued to 

 lead the Lombard* to victory, but whose cruelty and 

 other vice* were the cauie of bis murder after a reign 

 of three year*. The death of Clephi* was followed by 

 an interregnum of 10 years, which might rather be 

 termed an anarchy, a* the government was in the hand* 

 of no less than 36 duke* or military governors of the 

 province*, who acted as regent* during the minor/ 

 the children of the late king. The terror of a threaten- 

 ed invasion by Childebcrt, king of the Franks, at 

 length determined the Lombards to raise Autbaris(the 

 son .; to the throne, 1 Vnce 



and valour, soon restored tranquillity to the kingdom, 

 and frustrated the attempts of the Franks to gain a : 

 ing in Iu' dynasty of the Lombard princes 



continued to nign in the northern province* of Italy 

 e space ot r, :,till prosecuting with va- 



rious lucres* their schemes of conquest, but without 



ever attaining to the principal object of their ambition. History. 

 the entire subjection of Italy. To enter particularly '*" "V"' 

 into the history of these monarchs seems unnecessary in 

 this work, especially as the annals are peculiarly per- 

 plexed by the constant internal commotions which the 

 feudal government 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 s-till more de- 

 plorable than that of the subjects of the LombanN. 

 Continually exposed to the vexatious exactions of the. 

 rapacious exarehs of Ravenna, from which their spirit- 

 ual fathers, the bishops of Rome, had alone power to 

 protect them, their aflections were gradually transfer- 

 red 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 op- 

 pression ; 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 depreciations to the pro- 

 perty of the church ; and the pontiffs, exasperated by 

 this sacrilege, and weary of a government at once ty- 

 rannical and feeble, began to look out for a more power- 

 ful protection 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 Ue- 

 siderius, king of the Lombards, prepared to pass the 

 Alps at the head of a formidable army. On his ap- 

 proach, the Lombard troops, though advantageously 

 posted, were seized with a sudden panic, and fled ; and 

 although Desideriiu and Adelchis his son continued 

 their resistance for a few months, the capture of the for- 

 mer in Pavia put an end to the struggle; and with him 

 ceased the power and monarchy of the Lombards. The 

 pontiff and hi* successor received a grant from Charle- 

 magne of the territories formerly governed by the ex- 

 arch of Ravenna, and Pepin, the second son of the con- 

 queror, was crowned king of Italy, the administration 

 during his minority being left to the Pope. The re- 

 mains of the Lombards, still, however, kept their ground 

 in the south, under the Duke of Denevento, 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 aflections of the Italians ; and when hailed 

 by the Pope I-co 1 1 1. as Emperor of the West, his elec- 

 tion was sanctioned by the united assent of all orders 

 of the people. The reign of Pcpin over Italy was short, 

 and he died before his father in hi* 34th year, at a time A. D. 

 whn the highest expectations were entertained from 

 hit prudence and wisdom. He was succeeded by his 

 ton Bernard ; but tlu's young prince having become an 

 object of jealousy to his uncle Louis, king of France 

 and Emperor of the West, was tempted to join in a re- 

 bellion against him ; ami being defeated, and after his 

 defeat penuaded to throw himself on the Emperor's 

 mercy, was by him sentenced to lo. k e his eyes. The 

 ,-c was executed in so cruel a manner, that he 

 died in consequence of the operation ; and the kingdom 

 of Italy, with the title of king, was conferred upon Lo- 

 thaire, the emperor's eldest son. The reifin <>f this 

 prince was consumed in unsuccesful wars with his bro- 

 thers the king* of France and Aquitaine; and at his 

 death, having bestowed on his second son Lothaire the 



Charle- 

 magne in- 

 Yde Italy. 

 A. 1). > i. 



Conquers 

 Che Lom- 

 bards and 

 obtains the 

 crown for 

 hie son 

 Ptpin. 



