The Lombard were a Germanic tribe who, by the end of the 5th century CE, had settled their territory north of the Danube River, which corresponds approximately to the area that is now modern-day Austria. Under the rule of Alboin, the Lombards invaded and migrated to a defenceless Italy in 568 CE, and within a year had conquered and occupied all major cities north of the Po River.
[1]
When they arrived in Italy the Lombards were divided into clans, each with its own war-leader, but by the middle of the seventh century a monarchy had been established which led to a centralised authority which each of the clans ‘dukes’ were answerable to.
[2]
In 773 CE the Franks under Charlemagne, and in alliance with Pope Adrian I, invaded Italy. After a year of siege they captured the city of Pavia and the Lombards surrendered to Charlemagne. He became the ruler of both the Lombards and the Franks, and Lombardian rule in Italy came to an end.
[1]
[1]: “Lombard | People | Britannica”. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/E6RFZXRD
[2]: Peters 2003: x. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/X4ETPHA7
| 32 N | |
| 33 N |
| Lombard Kingdom |
| Verona | 568 CE |
| Milan | 584 CE |
| Lombards | |
| Kingdom of the Lombards | |
| Langobards |
| - |
| 214,500 km2 |
| 4,000,000 people |
| - |
| inferred absent |
| present |
| inferred absent |
| unknown |
| unknown |
| unknown |
| present |
| unknown |
| present |
| unknown |
| inferred present |
| present |
| present |
| present |
| present |
| unknown |
| present |
| present |
| present |
| present |
| present |
| present |
| absent |
| unknown |
| present |
| inferred present |
| unknown |
| present |
| present |
| inferred absent |
| present |
| absent |
| present |
| present |
| inferred absent |
| present |
| inferred absent |
| unknown |
| unknown |
| unknown |
| - |
| Year Range | Lombard Kingdom (it_lombard_k) was in: |
|---|
Verona was made the first capital of Lombard Italy by the conquering king, Albion. [1] In 584, when the monarchy was dissolved, the capital city was moved west to Milan. [2] In 620 the capital shifted again to Pavia, just south of Milan, where it remained and housed the royal Lombard court. [3] [4]
[1]: Christie 1998: 145. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/975BEGKF
[2]: Christie 1998: 146. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/975BEGKF
[3]: Peters 2003: xi. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/X4ETPHA7
[4]: Christie 1998: 147. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/975BEGKF
Verona was made the first capital of Lombard Italy by the conquering king, Albion. [1] In 584, when the monarchy was dissolved, the capital city was moved west to Milan. [2] In 620 the capital shifted again to Pavia, just south of Milan, where it remained and housed the royal Lombard court. [3] [4]
[1]: Christie 1998: 145. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/975BEGKF
[2]: Christie 1998: 146. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/975BEGKF
[3]: Peters 2003: xi. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/X4ETPHA7
[4]: Christie 1998: 147. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/975BEGKF
Settlement figures have not been mentioned in the sources consulted.
square kilometres. The exact extent of the Lombard territory in this period is not known as the Byzantines still held intermittent areas in the north of Italy where the Lombards were centred, as well as along the coast, around Rome, and the south of the peninsula. [1] However, judging by the maps included in the sources and tracking this on google maps gives a very approximate estimate of around 214,500 square kilometres.
[1]: Wickham 1981: 31. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/Z539DW5B
Inhabitant. Exact polity population figures have not been mentioned in the sources consulted. However, Wickham (1981) estimates that there may have been around 200,000 Lombards that migrated to Italy, who made up approximately 5-8% of the population of the region, while the remaining 92-95% were Romans. [1] Therefore it could be calculated from this that there were approximately four million inhabitants in the Lombard held territories of Italy.
[1]: Wickham 1981: 65. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/Z539DW5B
[1] [2] [3] Kings were elected from the noble class and were seen as a representative or head of the Lombard people, rather than a monarch with absolute power. : 1. King :: 2. War Chiefs (later as Dukes) ::: 3. Officials (notaries, chancellor, cellarer, treasurer) :::: 4. Lesser/local administrators
[1]: Christie 1998: 115. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/975BEGKF
[2]: Clayton 2021: 162. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/4N2ZFRX8
[3]: Wickham 1981: 39-42. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/Z539DW5B
All freemen were expected to carry out military service as and when their duke or king summoned them. However there does not seem to have been a standing professional army. [1] [2]
[1]: Christie 1998: 118. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/975BEGKF
[2]: Clayton 2021: 162. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/4N2ZFRX8
All freemen were expected to carry out military service as and when their duke or king summoned them. However there does not seem to have been a standing professional army. [1] [2]
[1]: Christie 1998: 118. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/975BEGKF
[2]: Clayton 2021: 162. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/4N2ZFRX8
Specialized government buildings have not been mentioned in the sources consulted.
It is very likely that cities at least had food storage sites, however this has not been mentioned in the sources consulted.
Knowledge buildings have not been mentioned in the sources consulted
Lombard cemeteries were built rapidly as soon as they moved in to their new Italian territories. Around the city of Cividale especially there were several cemeteries built within the first year. Tombs and crypts were used for elite individuals. [1]
[1]: Christie 1998: 77, 100, 158. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/975BEGKF
It is very likely that there was religious literature in but it has not been discussed directly in the sources consulted.
Lists, tables, and classifications have not been mentioned in the sources consulted.
Paul the Deacon – a noble and scholar who later became a monk after the invasion of Lombard territory by the Franks – wrote several historical works, including The History of the Lombards. Germanic legends and folklore were written into historical narratives. [1]
[1]: Peters 2003: xii-xiv. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/X4ETPHA7
Poetry and verse was written by scholars such as Paul the Deacon. [1] Panegyrics “such as the Carmen de Synodo Ticinesi of c.690, the Laudes Mediolanensis Civitatis (c.740) and the Laudes Veronensis or Veronae Rythmica Descriptio (c.795-800)”. [2]
[1]: Peters 2003: xii. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/X4ETPHA7
[2]: Christie 1998: 150. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/975BEGKF
The adoption of the Byzantine coins as Lombard currency meant that they continued to be minted in both the Byzantium territories of Italy, and in the new Lombard territories. Tremisses, a lighter gold inferior copy of the Byzantine solidi coin, were also minted by the Lombards. Additionally the Lombard kings began minting their own silver coins from the late seventh century. [1]
[1]: Christie 1998: 141-142. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/975BEGKF
These structures have not been mentioned in the sources consulted.
General postal service have not been mentioned in the sources consulted.
Measurement systems have not been mentioned in the sources consulted.
Measurement systems have not been mentioned in the sources consulted.
Measurement systems have not been mentioned in the sources consulted.
Measurement systems have not been mentioned in the sources consulted.
Measurement systems have not been mentioned in the sources consulted.
Measurement systems have not been mentioned in the sources consulted.