| Duchy of the Pentapolis Ducatus Pentapolis Δουκάτον Πενταπόλεως | |
|---|---|
| Duchy of theByzantine Empire | |
| 7th century – c. 752 | |
 The Pentapolis on the Adriatic was part of the Exarchate of Ravenna, an administrative unit of the Byzantine Empire. Red dots indicate the Pentapolis, orange other cities of the Exarchate. | |
| Capital | Rimini |
| Historical era | Middle Ages |
• Establishment | 7th century |
| c. 752 | |
| Today part of | Italy |
In theByzantine Empire, theDuchy of the Pentapolis was aduchy (Latin:ducatus), a territory ruled by aduke (dux) appointed by and under theExarch of Ravenna. The Pentapolis (from the Greek termπεντάπολις, "five cities") consisted of the cities ofAncona,Fano,Pesaro,Rimini andSinigaglia. It lay along theAdriatic coast between the riversMarecchia andMisco immediately south of the core territory of the exarchate ruled directly by the exarch (the Ravennate), east of theDuchy of Perugia, another Byzantine territory, and north of theDuchy of Spoleto, which was part of theLombard Kingdom of Italy (founded in 568). The duchy probably extended inland as far as theApennine Mountains, perhaps beyond, and its southernmost town wasHumana (Numera) on the northern bank of the Misco.[1] The capital of the Pentapolis was Rimini and the duke was both the civil and military authority in the duchy.[2]
The Pentapolis was one of the more commercially vibrant parts ofItaly. The citizens of the Pentapolis tried constantly to reduce the authority of the exarch in the duchy, while Byzantine Italy generally experienced a generaldecentralisation during the 7th century.[3] In 725, when theExarch Paul wanted to lead apunitive expedition against theDuchy of Rome, wherePope Gregory II and the citizens had usurped imperial prerogatives and deposed and replaced the reigning duke, he raised troops in the Ravennate and the Pentapolis. The Lombard historianPaul the Deacon says that he had great difficulty in raising the necessary troops and his expedition was ultimately a failure.[4] In 726, theiconoclasm of EmperorLeo III the Isaurian (r. 717–741) first became public, possibly even through an edict againstsacred images. The inability of the exarch to impose his authority in Rome and his weakness in the Pentapolis was transformed into impotence when the "armies", that is, theRoman military aristocracies, of the duchies of the Ravennate, the Pentapolis, andVenetia rose in revolt declaring that they would protect the pope from the imperial decree, which Paul had been ordered to enforce throughout Italy (727).[4]
In 738, the Lombard kingLiutprand marched through the Pentapolis on his way toSpoleto, and during his transit was attacked by a group of "Spoletans" (Lombards from central Italy) and "Romans" (local Pentapolitans). The locals may have been incited to this alliance against Liutprand by the exarch,Eutychius, who may have had a deal with the duke of Spoleto,Transamund II.[5] The Pentapolitans were not traditionally on good terms with either the Byzantines, whom Liutprand fought in 728–729, or the exarch inRavenna, whom Liutprand also fought frequently, but they were unlikely to regard Lombard incursions in their region as a liberation.[6] Liutprand attacked Ravenna andCesena on thevia Aemilia in 743, probably with the goal of controlling a passage through Byzantine territory to Spoleto. His successor,Ratchis, attacked several cities in the Pentapolis and Perugia in 749, before retiring to become a monk.[7] By 752, the Pentapolis was conquered by KingAistulf of the Lombards.[8]
In 754,Pepin the Short crossed the Alps, defeated Aistulf, and gave to the pope the lands which Aistulf had torn from theducatus Romanus (Duchy of Rome) and the exarchate (including the Pentapolis).[9]
