| Authari | |
|---|---|
| King of the Lombards | |
 Woodcut vignette of Authari in the 1493Nuremberg Chronicle | |
| Reign | 584 – 590 |
| Predecessor | Rule of the Dukes |
| Successor | Agilulf |
| Born | c. 550 |
| Died | 5 September 590 Pavia,Neustria Lombard Kingdom |
| Spouse | Theodelinda |
| Father | Cleph |
| Religion | Arianism |
Authari (c. 550 – 5 September 590) was king of theLombards from 584 to his death. He was considered the first Lombard king to have adopted some level ofRomanitas (Roman-ness) and introduced policies that led to drastic changes, particularly in the treatment of theRomans and greater tolerance for theChristian faith.[1]
TheKingdom of the Lombards was anearly medieval state established by the Lombards, aGermanic people, on theItalian Peninsula in the latter part of the 6th century. The Kingdom was traditionally governed as anelective monarchy; the king was elected by the very highest-rankingaristocrats, thedukes.
Authari was the son ofCleph, King of the Lombards, and duke of an unknown city.[2] When Cleph was murdered in 574, the Lombard nobility refused to appoint a successor, resulting in a decade-longinterregnum known as theRule of the Dukes, represented by leading regionaloligarchs who held sway.[3]
In 574 and 575 the Lombards invadedProvence, then part of thekingdom of Burgundy of theMerovingianGuntram, but Burgundian counteroffensives pushed them across theAlps and intonorthern Italy, where they occupied theSusa andAosta Valleys.[3] Meanwhile, the Merovingian kingdom allied itself with theByzantines and counter-attacked; the combinedFrankish and Byzantine armies marched through theTyrol valley of theEtsch intoMeran and up to the gates ofTrent.[4] While successful at first, the Lombard Duke of Trent,Euin, was able to repulse their assaults and crushed the invaders nearSalurn.[4] Not only was Euin able to score victory but he also strengthened the Lombards' regional ties by marrying the daughter ofGaribald I, duke ofBavaria in 578.[4][a]
Under pressure from the Franks, who—under Byzantine employ—invaded Italy again in 584, the Lombards elected Duke Authari as their king, who defeated the intruders.[4] When the next Frankish imposition occurred in 588, it proved a fiasco for the invading forces since both Authari's Lombards and Garibald's Bavarian forces were allied and defeated them accordingly.[4] Additional imperial tactics of paying one barbarian group to fight another came into play when theAlemannic mercenary commanderDroctulf was persuaded to abandon the Lombards and join the imperial forces in assailing his former confederates.[5] However, Authari overcame Droctulf's forces—Authari was later celebrated for retakingClassis from the Lombards—and Droctulf retreated toBrescia and Ravenna.[6]
Then in 590, the Frankish envoy Grippo led another combined imperial and Frankish army against the Lombards. Their intention to drive them from Italy, but after capturingModena,Mantua, andAltino, had to stop at the Lombard capital atPavia upon learning that the Frankish leader Cedinus had signed a ten-month truce with King Authari, which forced them to return toGaul.[7] As a result of this and other debacles across the empire,Constantinople and the reestablished imperial western empire atRavenna were required to come to terms with the permanent presence of the Lombards in Italy.[7]
Despite his conversion toArian Christianity[b] and his permissive tolerance of the Catholic religion—unlike his predecessors—Authari still forbade the sons of Lombards from being baptized as Catholics, since he viewed it as an "instrument of the Empire" that would sap "the warrior vitality" from them.[10]
Authari marriedTheodelinda, daughter of theBavarian dukeGaribald I, on 15 May 589 atVerona. A detailed account of the courtship by the eighth-century historianPaul the Deacon revealed that the marriage was also a political alliance designed to provide additional sanction to Authari's royal position.[11] In addition, Theodelinda was also chosen due to the long-standing ties between the Lombards and the Bavarians as well as their mutual hostility toward the Franks.[12] She also claimed descent from the ancient Lombard royal line.[12]
When Authari died inPavia in 590, possibly bypoison, he was succeeded as king byAgilulf, duke ofTurin, on the advice, sought by the dukes, of Theodelinda, who married the new king.[13][c] He was buried in theChurch of Santi Gervasio e Protasio inPavia.[16]
In the wake of Authari's death, Theodelinda increased her cooperation with Pope Gregory in what has been deemed a religious "high-point in Lombard history" by historian Shami Ghosh.[17]
Throughout the 7th century, Authari's successors continued to strengthen the Lombard monarchy and bolster their ethnic identity, while at the same time expanding the Lombard control of Italy.[18] These successors (like Agilulf) not only extended the reachof the Lombards but also instituted important changes in the religion and governmental structure of the Lombards.[19]
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)| Regnal titles | ||
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| Vacant Title last held by Cleph | King of the Lombards 584–590 | Succeeded by |
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| People | |
