Book 1

Chapter XXV

At this period the emperor Justinian was governing the Roman empire with good fortune. He was both prosperous in waging wars and admirable in civil matters. For by Belisarius, the patrician, he vigorously subdued the Persians and by this same Belisarius he reduced to utter destruction the nation of the Wandals, captured their king Gelismer and restored all Africa to the Roman empire after ninety-six years. Again by the power of Belisarius he overcame the nation of the Goths in Italy and took captive Witichis their king. He subdued also the Moors who afterwards infested Africa together with their king Amtalas, by John the ex-consul, a man of wonderful courage. In like manner too, he subjugated other nations by right of war. For this reason, on account of his victories over them all, he deserved to have his surnames and to be called Alamannicus, Gothicus, Francicus, Germanicus, Anticus, Alanicus, Wandalicus, and Africanus. He also arranged in wonderful brevity the laws of the Romans whose prolixity was very great and whose lack of harmony was injurious. For all the laws of the emperors which were certainly contained in many volumes he abridged into twelve books, and he ordered this volume called the Justinian Code. On the other hand, the laws of special magistrates or judges which were spread over almost two thousand books, he reduced to the number of fifty and called that work by the name of "Digests" or "Pandects." He also composed anew four books of "Institutes" in which the texture of all laws is briefly described ; he also ordered that the new laws which he himself had ordained, when reduced to one volume, should be called in the same way the "New Code" (Novels). The same emperor also built within the city of Constantinople to Christ our Lord, who is the wisdom of God the Father, a church which he called by the Greek name " Hagia Sophia," that is, "Divine Wisdom." The workmanship of this so far excels that of all other buildings that in all the regions of the earth its like cannot be found. This emperor in fact was Catholic in his faith, upright in his deeds, just in his judgments, and therefore, to him all things came together for good. In his time Cassiodorus was renowned in the city of Rome [1] for knowledge both human and divine. Among other things which he nobly wrote, he expounded particularly in a most powerful way the obscure parts of the Psalms. He was in the first place a consul, then a senator, and at last a monk. At this time also Dionisius, an abbott established in the city of Rome, computed a reckoning of Easter time by a wonderful argumentation. [2] Then also, at Constantinople, Priscian of Caesarea explored the depths of the grammatical art, as I might say, and then also, Arator, a subdeacon of the Roman church, a wonderful poet, wrote the acts of the apostles in hexameter verses.

[1] His work was done mostly at Ravenna and Viviers in Brutthun (where he retired to a monastery). His fame was not confined to Rome but extended throughout Italy, and the entire Roman world.
[2] In his Cyclus Paschalis he also introduced the annunciation of the birth of Christ as the starting point of chronology.


Chapter XXVI

In these days also the most blessed father Benedict, first in a place called Sublacus (Subiaco), which is distant forty miles [1] from the city of Rome, and afterwards in the stronghold of Cassinum (Monte Cassino [2]), which is called Arx, was renowned for his great life and his apostolic virtues. His biography, as is known, the blessed Pope Gregory composed in delightful language in his Dialogues. I also, according to my meager talent, have braided together in the following manner in honor of so great a father, each of his miracles by means of corresponding distichs in elegiac meter.[3] . . . We have woven also in this manner a hymn in iambic Archilochian meter, containing each of the miracles of the same father.[4] . . . I may here briefly relate a thing that the blessed pope Gregory did not at all describe in his life of this most holy father. When, by divine admonition, he had come almost fifty miles from Sublacus to this place where his body reposes, three ravens, whom he was accustomed to feed, followed him, flying around him. And at every crossway, while he came hither, two angels appearing in the form of young men, showed him which way he ought to take. And in this place [Cassinuni] a certain servant of God then had a dwelling, to whom a voice from heaven said :

Leave these sacred spots, another friend is at hand.

And when he had come here, that is to the citadel of Cassinum he always restrained himself in great abstinence, but especially at the time of Lent he remained shut up and removed from the noise of the world. I have taken all these things from the song of the poet Marcus, who coming hither to this same father, composed some verses in his praise, but to guard against too great prolixity, I have not described them in these books. It is certain, however, that this illustrious father came to this fertile place overlooking a rich valley, being called by heaven for this purpose, that there should be here a community of many monks, as has actually occurred under God's guidance. These things, which were not to be omitted, having been briefly told, let us return to the regular order of our history.

[1] A Roman mile is 142 yards less than the English statute mile.
[2] A famous monastery, 45 miles N. W. of Naples, the cradle of the Benedictine order.
[3] The sixty-four distichs which follow are found in Appendix III, as they have no proper connection with the history. They had been written by Paul previously, and certain additions to them contained in other MSS. are published by Bethmann (331).
[4] These verses are also contained in Appendix III.


Chapter XXVII.

Now Audoin, king of the Langobards, of whom we have spoken, had to wife Rodelinda, who bore him Alboin, a man fitted for wars and energetic in all things. Then Audoin died, [1] and afterwards Alboin, the tenth king, entered upon the government of his country according to the wishes of all, and since he had everywhere a name very illustrious and distinguished for power, Chlothar, the king of the Franks, joined to him in marriage his daughter Chlotsuinda. From her he begot one daughter only, Alpsuinda by name. Meanwhile Turisind, king of the Gepidae, died, and Cunimund succeeded him in the sovereignty. And he, desiring to avenge the old injuries of the Gepidae, broke his treaty with the Langobards and chose war rather than peace. [2] But Alboin entered into a perpetual treaty with the Avars, who were first called Huns, and afterwards Avars, from the name of their own king. [3] Then he set out for the war prepared by the Gepidae. When the latter were hastening against him in a different direction, the Avars, as they had agreed with Alboin, invaded their country. A sad messenger coming to Cunimund, announced to him that the Avars had entered his territories. Although cast down in spirit, and put into sore straits on both sides, still he urged his people to fight first with the Langobards, and that, if they should be able to overcome these, they should then drive the army of the Huns from their country. Therefore battle is joined and they fight with all their might. The Langobards become the victors, raging against the Gepidae in such wrath that they reduce them to utter destruction, and out of an abundant multitude scarcely the messenger survives. [4] In this battle Alboin killed Cunimund, and made out of his head, which he carried off, a drinking goblet. This kind of a goblet is called among them "scala," [5] but in the Latin language "patera." And he led away as a captive, [6] Cunimund's daughter, Rosemund by name, together with a great multitude of both sexes and every age, and because Chlotsuinda had died he married her, to his own injury, as afterwards appeared. Then the Langobards secured such great booty that they now attained the most ample riches, but the race of the Gepidae were so diminished that from that time on they had no king. But all who were able to survive the war were either subjected to the Langobards or groan even up to the present time in bondage to a grievous mastery, since the Huns possess their country. But the name of Alboin was spread abroad far and wide, so illustrious, that even up to this time his noble bearing and glory, the good fortune of his wars and his courage are celebrated, not only among the Bavarians and the Saxons, but also among other men of the same tongue in their songs. It is also related by many up to the present time that a special kind of arms was made under him.

[1] Probably about 565 (Hodgkin., V, 137).
[2] Paul apparently confounds two wars in one. Alboin in the first overcomes Cunimund; then the emperor Justin prepares to aid the Gepidae and Alboin offers to make peace and to marry Rosemund. His offer is refused and in the second war Cunimund is killed (Waitz).
[3] These were a horde of Asiatics who had entered Europe in the closing years of the reign of Justinian, had extorted large subsidies from him and had penetrated westward as far as Thuringia (Hodgkin, V, 137). Their chief bore the title of cagan or khan. The treaty made by Alboin with the khan Baian shows that the Avars drove a hard bargain with the Langobards. Baian consented to the alliance only on condition that the Langobards should give the Avars a tenth part of their livestock and that in the event of victory the Avars should receive one-half of the spoils and the whole of the lands of the Gepidae (Schmidt, 63—64).
[4] The destruction of the kingdom of the Gepidae occurred in 566 or 567 (Hartmann, II, 1, 31).
[5] Compare the Norse word skaal, skoal, German Schale. Hodgkin, however, thinks it is related rather to the German Schadel, our skull (V, 139).
[6] It appears he first saw Rosemund when he went to the court of Turisind to get his arms (Schmidt, 62). On account of political considerations he had to marry Chlotsuinda, daughter of the Frankish king, Chlothar I, but when she died, he sued for the hand of Rosemund, and when it was refused, he forcibly carried her away into his kingdom (p. 63). Cunimund vainly demanded the return of his daughter, and was unwilling that she should marry the hated Langobard. War followed, in which at first the Langobards had the better, but finally they were defeated as the Gepidae had brought Justin II, who had succeeded Justinian over to their side. The result was that Rosemund was set free. Then Alboin sought allies and found them in the Avars (id.). When Cunimund heard of this he again sought the aid of Justin and promised to cede Sirmium and other possessions to the empire in return for assistance. Justin delayed and remained neutral, but finally took Sirmium after the Gepidae were defeated (Schmidt, 64).