Book 5

Chapter XXI.

Then Grimuald, compelled by necessity, began to collect an army that he might drive the Avars out of his territories. He set up therefore in the midst of the plain his camp and the place where he lodged the Avar (ambassadors), and since he had only a slender fragment of his army, he caused those he had to pass frequently during several days before the eyes of the envoys in different dress and furnished with various kinds of arms, as if a new army was constantly advancing. The ambassadors of the Avars indeed, when they saw this same army pass by, first in one way and then in another, believed that the multitude of the Langobards was immense. And Grimuald thus spoke to them: "With all this multitude of an army which you have seen I will straightway fall upon the Cagan and the Avars unless they shall quickly depart from the territories of the Friulans." When the envoys of the Avars had seen and heard these things, and had repeated them to their king, he presently returned with all his army to his own kingdom.


Chapter XXII.

Finally, after Lupus was killed in this way, as we have related, Arnefrit, his son, sought to obtain the dukedom at Forum Julii in the place of his father. But fearing the power of king Grimuald, he fled into Carnuntum, which they corruptly call Carantanum (Carinthia) [1] to the nation of the Slavs, [2] and afterwards coming with the Slavs as if about to resume the dukedom by their means, he was killed when the Friulans attacked him at the fortress of Nemae (Nimis), which is not far distant from Forum Julii.[3]

[1] The name given by Paul (Carnuntum), the modern Presburg, is incorrect, Carantanum was the proper name for Carinthia (Hodgkin, VI, 288, note 1).
[2] These Slavs belonged to the Slovene branch of the Slav race (Hodgkin VI, 288).
[3] About 15 miles northwest of Cividale (Hodgkin, VI, 288).


Chapter XXIII.

Afterwards Wechtari was appointed duke at Forum Julii. He was born at the city of Vincentia (Vicenza), was a kind man, and one who ruled his people mildly. When the nation of the Slavs had heard that he had set out for Ticinum, they collected a strong multitude and determined to attack the fortress of Forum Julii, and they came and laid out their camp in the place which is called Broxas, [1] not far from Forum Julii. But it happened according to the Divine will that the evening before, duke Wechtari came back from Ticinum without the knowledge of the Slavs. While his companions, as is wont to happen, had gone home, he himself, hearing these tidings concerning the Slavs, advanced with a few men, that is, twenty-five, against them. When the Slavs saw him coming with so few they laughed, saying that the patriarch was advancing against them with his clergy. When he had come near the bridge of the river Natisio (Natisone) [2] which was where the Slavs were staying, he took his helmet from his head and showed his face to them. He was bald-headed, and when the Slavs recognized him that he was Wechtari, they were immediately alarmed and cried out that Wechtari was there, and terrified by God they thought more of flight than of battle. Then Wechtari, rushing upon them with the few men he had, overthrew them with such great slaughter that out of five thousand men a few only remained, who escaped with difficulty.[3]

[1] Bethmann believes that a certain stronghold, Purgessimus, is meant, near the bridge hereafter referred to; others say Prosascus, at the source of the Natisone; others, Borgo Bressana, a suburb of Cividale (Waitz). Musoni (Atti del Congresso in Cividale, 1899, pp. 187, 188) considers all these conjectures inadmissible, and shows that it was at the place now called Brischis, near that city.
[2] Waitz says the bridge of San Pietro dei Schiavi. Musoni (Atti, etc., p. 191), believes it was probably the present bridge of San Quirino.
[3] It is evident that this account, which is no doubt based upon oral tradition and perhaps has some historical basis, has been greatly exaggerated, if indeed there is not a mistake in the figures, as Muratori suggests, The allusion to the patriarch also appears to contain an anachronism, since it was in 737, after these events, that the patriarch Calixtus removed his see to Cividale. Communities of Slavs still inhabit a portion of Friuli; they are divided, according to their linguistic peculiarities, into four principal groups, and probably came into this district at different times. (Musoni, Atti del Congresso in Cividale, 1899, pp. 187, 193.)


Chapter XXIV.

After this Wechtari, Landari held the dukedom at Forum Julii, and when he died Rodoald succeeded him in the dukedom.


Chapter XXV.

When then, as we have said, duke Lupus had died, king Grimuald gave Lupus [1] daughter Theuderada to his own son Romuald, who was governing Beneventum. [1] From her he begot three sons, that is, Grimuald, Gisulf, and also Arichis.

[1] Theuderada emulated Theudelinda in piety, and established the duchy of Benevento in the Catholic faith (Hodgkin, VI, 297,
298).


Chapter XXVI.

Also king Grimuald avenged his injuries (received) from all those who deserted him when he had set out for Beneventum.


Chapter XXVII.

But he also destroyed in the following manner Forum Populi (Forlimpopoli), a city of the Romans, [1] whose citizens had inflicted certain injuries upon him when he set out for Beneventum and had often annoyed his couriers going from Beneventum and returning. Having left Tuscany [2] through Bardo's Alp [3] (Bardi) at the time of Lent without any knowledge of the Romans, he rushed unexpectedly upon that city on the holy Sabbath of Easter itself [4] in the hour when the baptism was occurring and made so great a carnage of men slain that he killed in the sacred font itself even those deacons who were baptizing little infants. And he so overthrew that city that very few inhabitants remain in it up to the present time.

[1] On the Aemilian way, twenty miles south of Ravenna (Hodgkin, VI, 290).
[2] Read e Tuscia egressus in place of Tnsciam ingressus (Hodgkin VI, 290, note 3).
[3] A pass of the Apennines near Parma. There is evidently some mistake, either in the text or else by Paul, as the two places are far apart (Hodgkin, VI, 290, note 3). Otto von Freising says that the whole Apennine range was so called (Abel).
[4] 'Sabbato paschali'. Abel translates Easter Saturday, Hodgkin (VI, 290) Easter Sunday, which seems more probable from the context.


Chapter XXVIII.

Grimuald had indeed no ordinary hatred against the Romans, since they had once treacherously betrayed his brothers Taso and Cacco. [1] Wherefore he destroyed to its foundations the city of Opitergium (Oderzo) where they were killed, and divided the territories of those who had dwelt there among the people of Forum Julii (Cividale), Tarvisium (Treviso) and Ceneta (Ceneda).

[1] IV, 38, supra.


Chapter XXIX.

During these times a duke of the Bulgarians, Alzeco by name, left his own people, from what cause is unknown, and peacefully entering Italy with the whole army of his dukedom, came to king Grimuald, promising to serve him and to dwell in his country. And the king directing him to Beneventum to his son Romuald, ordered that the latter should assign to him and his people places to dwell in. [1] Duke Romuald, receiving them graciously, accorded to them extensive tracts to settle which had been deserted up to that time, namely, Sepinum (Sepino), Bovianum (Bojano), Isernia [2] and other cities with their territories and directed that Alzeco himself, the name of his title being changed, should be called gastaldius [3] instead of duke. And they dwell up to the present time in these places, as we have said, and although they also speak Latin, they have not at all forsaken the use of their own language.

[1] Theophanes (Historia Miscella) relates the story differently (Waitz).
[2] Places in the highlands of Samnium (Hodgkin VI, 284).
[3] See note II, 32, supra, pp. 88-91.


Chapter XXX.

When the emperor Constans, as we said, [1] had been killed in Sicily and the tyrant Mezetius who had succeeded him had been punished, Constantine, the son of the emperor Constantius, undertook the government of the empire of the Romans and reigned over the Romans seventeen years. In the times of Constans indeed the archbishop Theodore and the abbot Adrian, also a very learned man, were sent by pope Vitalian into Britain and made very many churches of the Angles productive of the fruit of ecclasiastical doctrine. Of these men archbishop Theodore has described, with wonderful and discerning reflection, the sentences for sinners, namely, for how many years one ought to do penance for each sin.

[1] Ch. 12, sitpra.
[2] The book is entitled 'Poenitentiale' (Giansevero).