5 m N A P 
NAPLES, a kingdom of Italy, comprehending the 
ancient Samnium, Apulia, Campania, Lucania, and 
Bruttium. It is bounded on the north-weft by the Cam- 
pagna di Roma, Umbria, and the marquifate of Ancona; 
on the north-eaft by the Adriatic, and on the other parts by 
the Mediterranean. It lies between lat. 37. 46. and 42. 55. N. 
and between Ion. 13. 20. and 19. 15. E. Its form has been 
likened to the lower part of a leg and foot; its greateft 
length from fouth-weft to north-eaft being 375 Englifli 
miles, its greateft breadth 116, and its circuit 1223. Ac¬ 
cording to Pinkerton, it contains, 29,824. fquare miles. 
POLITICAL HISTORY. 
The ancient hiftory of this country falls under the ar¬ 
ticles Rome and Italy. The prefent ftate of it, as well 
as of the reft of Italy, is owing to the conquefts of Char¬ 
lemagne. When that monarch put an end to the king¬ 
dom of the Lombards, (A.D. 774.) he obliged the dukes 
of Friuli, Spoleto, and Benevento, to acknowdedge him 
as king of Italy ; but allowed them to exercife the fame 
power and authority which they had enjoyed before his 
conqueft. 
Of thefe three dukedoms, Benevento was by far the 
moft powerful and extenfive; it comprehended almoft all 
the prefent kingdom of Naples; that part of Farther Ca¬ 
labria beyond the rivers Savuto and Peto, a few' maritime 
cities in Hither Calabria, with the city of Acripoli, and 
the promontory in its neighbourhood called Capo di Li- 
cofa ; and laftly, the dukedoms of Gaeta, Naples, and 
Amalfi, which were very inconfiderable, and extended 
along the fiiore only about one hundred miles, and w'ere 
interrupted by the Gaftaldate, or county of Capua. 
This flouriihingandextenfive dukedom was at this time 
governed by Arechis, who had married one of the daugh¬ 
ters of the laft king of the Lombards, and had fubmitted, 
and taken the oath of allegiance to the emperor Charles. 
How'ever, a few years after, he renounced his allegiance to 
the Franks, ’declared himfelf an independent fovereign, 
and was acknowledged as fuch by all the inhabitants of his 
duchy. To ftrengthen himfelf againft Pepin king of Italy, 
who refided at Ravenna, he enlarged and fortified the 
city of Benevento, and likewife built Salerno on the fea- 
coaft, furrounding it with a very ftrong and high w’all. 
He engaged in' fever’al wars with the Greeks, whom he 
fometimes obliged to give him hoftages ; but, having in¬ 
vaded the territories of the pope, whom Pepin could not 
aftift, Charlemagne was prevailed on to return to Italy. 
Arechis unable to oppofe fuch a formidable enemy, fent 
liis eldeft fon, Romuald, to Rome, with an offer of fub- 
miffion ; but, at the mitigation of the pope, Charlemagne 
refuted the offer, and detained his fon prifoner; after 
which he ravaged the country, and made himfelf mailer 
of Capua. Other deputies, however, proved more fuc- 
cefsful ; and, in the year 787, a peace was concluded on 
thefe conditions : That Arechis and the Beneventans 
Ihould renew their allegiance to the Franks ; that he iliould 
pay a yearly tribute to Pepin ; deliver up all his treafure; 
and give his fon Grimoald and his daughter Adelgifa, 
with twelve others, as hoftages for his fidelity ; however, 
after many entreaties, Adelgifa was reftored to her father. 
Charles had no fooner left Italy, than Arechis forgot 
all his engagements, and began to negociate with Irene, 
emprefs of Conftantinople, and her fon Conftantine, for 
.expelling the Franks out of Italy. For himfelf, he de- 
fired the honour of patriciate, and the dukedom of Naples 
with all its dependencies ; and, in return, promifed to 
acknowledge the Greek emperor as his fovereign, and to 
live after the manner of the Greeks. He required, how¬ 
ever, to be fupported by a Greek army ; and that his bro¬ 
ther-in-law Adalgifus, fon to Defiderius the laft king of 
the Lombards, ftiould be fent over into Italy, to raife a 
party among his countrymen. Thefe conditions w’ere 
readily accepted,on condition that prince Romuald Ihould 
be fent as an hoftage; ambaffadors were fent to Naples 
with the enfigns of the patrician order, namely, the man- 
L E S. 
tie of cloth of gold, the fword, the comb, ahd the fail* 
dais; but, before the ceremony could be performed, 
prince Romuald died, and foon after him his father, 
whofe death was fuppofed to have been haftened by that 
of his fon. 
Atter the death of Arechis, the Beneventans fent a 
moft fubmiffive embaffy to Charlemagne, entreating him 
to fend them Grimoald, the late king’s fon, and only 
lawful heir to his crown ; threatening at the fame time to 
revolt if their prince was denied them. Charles readily 
granted their requeft, and allowed Grimoald to depart, 
after he had agreed to the following cqnditions, viz. That 
he would oblige the Lombards to {have their beards; that, 
in writings, and on money, the name of the king fliould 
be put before that of the prince; and that he would caufe 
the walls of Salerno, Acerenza, and Confia, to be entirely 
demoliftied. The new king was received by his fubjedts 
with the utmoft joy; and forfometime continued faithful 
to his engagements, excepting only the laft article, which 
he either neglefted or eluded. So far, however, was he 
from afiifting the Greeks, that he gave notice of their ma¬ 
chinations to Pepin king of Italy ; Yaifed an army to op¬ 
pofe his uncle Adalgifus; and, beingjoined by Hildebrand 
duke of Spoleto, and Vinigife the general of Pepin, he 
attacked the Greeks in Calabria loon after they had 
landed, entirely defeated and took his uncle prifoner, 
and, as is faid, put him to a cruel death. Yet, in aftiort 
time, Grimoald contracted an alliance with the Greek 
emperor by marrying his niece Wanzia; and in the fifth 
year of his reign a war broke out between him and Pepin, 
which continued for twelve years ; at the end of which 
time a truce was concluded. Grimoald furvived this pa¬ 
cification only three years, and was fucceeded by his trea- 
furer Grimoald II. who fubmitted to Charlemagne after 
the death of Pepin ; and from this time the Beneventans 
were looked upon as tributaries of the weftern emperors. 
As yet, however, the city of Naples did not own alle¬ 
giance to the dukes of Benevenco, but was held by the 
eaftern emperors ; and frequent wars took place between 
the Beneventans and Neapolitans. This happened to be 
the cafe when Grimoald II. afcended the throne. He 
concluded a peace with them ; which however, was of no 
long continuance ; for Theodore, governor of Naples, 
having granted protection to Dauferius, a noble Bene- 
ventan, who had been concerned in a confpiracy againft 
his prince, Grimoald marched-againft the city of Naples, 
and inverted it by fea and land. Theodore ftill re'fufed to 
deliver up the traitor, and a general engagement both by 
land and fea was the confequence ; in which the Neapo¬ 
litans were defeated with fo great {laughter, that the fea 
was ftained with their blood for more than feven days. 
Theodore then confented to deliver up Dauferius, with 
8oco crowns for the expenfes of the war ; and Grimoald 
not only pardoned Dauferius, but received him into fa¬ 
vour. Tlie latter, however, reflecting on the heinoufnefs 
of his crime, was feized with remorfe ; and went a pil¬ 
grimage to the holy land, carrying a large {'tone in his 
mouth, by way of penance, which he never took out but 
at his meals. 
In the year 821, Grimoald was murdered by Radelchis 
count of Confia, and Sico Gaftald of Acerenza; the latter 
of whom fucceeded to the dukedom of Benevento. Ra¬ 
delchis, being foon after feized with remorfe, became a 
monk; while Sico affociated his fon Sicardo with him in 
the government; and both, being of an ambjtious and 
reftlefs difpofttion, fought a pretence for attacking the 
Neapolitans. This was foon found, and the city was in¬ 
verted by fea and land. The walls were furioufly bat¬ 
tered ; and, part of them being beat down, Sico prepared 
for a general affault. Stephen, at that time duke of Na¬ 
ples, pretended to fubmit; but, that he might prevent 
the city from being pillaged, entreated Sico to put off his 
entry till the morning; and, in the mean time fent out 
his mother and his two children as hoftages. Sico con¬ 
fented to his requeft; but next morning found the breach 
built 
