Lupus was theDuke of Friuli from between 660 and 663 to his death around 666.
Immediately after he succeeded to Friuli, Lupus invadedGrado with a body of cavalry and plundered the city, then proceeding toAquileia, where he stole the treasures of thePatriarchate.
WhenKing Grimoald went south to rescue his sonRomuald and theDuchy of Benevento from the invasion of theByzantine EmperorConstans II, he put Lupus in charge ofPavia. Lupus played the tyrant during Grimoald's absence, believing that the king would not return, thus was forced to flee toCividale, seat of Friuli, and enter into rebellion when the king did come north again. Grimoald promptly asked theKhagan of the Avars to attack Friuli in order to prevent a civil war in Italy. Fighting lasted for four days at Flovius,[1] during which Lupus held his own for three, taking much booty and slaughtering many men, before his own losses and the arrival of Avar reinforcements forced his army to retreat. He himself was killed in battle.
Lupus' sonArnefrit claimed Friuli on his father's death, but was unseated by Grimoald. Lupus' daughterTheuderada (or Theodorada) married the aforementioned Romuald. She acted as regent of Benevento for their sonGisulf.
"Lupus" literally means "Wolf" in Latin, so this may have been a Latinization for the Duke's real birth name (Wolf,Wulf, orUlf).
| Preceded by | Duke of Friuli 663–666 | Succeeded by |
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