history of florence-第4部分

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relief　of　Italy；　but　the　Sclavi；　another　northern　people；　having

crossed　the　Danube　and　attacked　Illyria　and　Thrace；　prevented　him；　so

that　Totila　held　almost　the　whole　country。　Having　conquered　the

Slavonians；　Justinian　sent　Narses；　a　eunuch；　a　man　of　great　military

talent；　who；　having　arrived　in　Italy；　routed　and　slew　Totila。　The

Goths　who　escaped　sought　refuge　in　Pavia；　where　they　created　Teias

their　king。　On　the　other　hand；　Narses　after　the　victory　took　Rome；　and

coming　to　an　engagement　with　Teias　near　Nocera；　slew　him　and　routed

his　army。　By　this　victory；　the　power　of　the　Goths　in　Italy　was　quite

annihilated；　after　having　existed　for　seventy　years；　from　the　coming

of　Theodoric　to　the　death　of　Teias。



No　sooner　was　Italy　delivered　from　the　Goths　than　Justinian　died；　and

was　succeeded　by　Justin；　his　son；　who；　at　the　instigation　of　Sophia；

his　wife；　recalled　Narses；　and　sent　Longinus　in　his　stead。　Like　those

who　preceded　him；　he　made　his　abode　at　Ravenna；　and　besides　this；　gave

a　new　form　to　the　government　of　Italy；　for　he　did　not　appoint

governors　of　provinces；　as　the　Goths　had　done；　but　in　every　city　and

town　of　importance　placed　a　ruler　whom　he　called　a　duke。　Neither　in

this　arrangement　did　he　respect　Rome　more　than　the　other　cities；　for

having　set　aside　the　consuls　and　senate；　names　which　up　to　this　time

had　been　preserved；　he　placed　her　under　a　duke；　who　was　sent　every

year　from　Ravenna；　and　called　her　the　duchy　of　Rome；　while　to　him　who

remained　in　Ravenna；　and　governed　the　whole　of　Italy　for　the　emperor；

was　given　the　name　of　Exarch。　This　division　of　the　country　greatly

facilitated　the　ruin　of　Italy；　and　gave　the　Lombards　an　early　occasion

of　occupying　it。　Narses　was　greatly　enraged　with　the　emperor；　for

having　recalled　him　from　the　government　of　the　province；　which　he　had

won　with　his　own　valor　and　blood；　while　Sophia；　not　content　with　the

injury　done　by　withdrawing　him；　treated　him　in　the　most　offensive

manner；　saying　she　wished　him　to　come　back　that　he　might　spin　with　the

other　eunuchs。　Full　of　indignation；　Narses　persuaded　Alboin；　king　of

the　Lombards；　who　then　reigned　in　Pannonia；　to　invade　and　take

possession　of　Italy。



The　Lombards；　as　was　said　before；　occupied　those　places　upon　the

Danube　which　had　been　vacated　by　the　Eruli　and　Turingi；　when　Odoacer

their　king　led　them　into　Italy；　where；　having　been　established　for

some　time；　their　dominions　were　held　by　Alboin；　a　man　ferocious　and

bold；　under　whom　they　crossed　the　Danube；　and　coming　to　an　engagement

with　Cunimund；　king　of　the　Zepidi；　who　held　Pannonia；　conquered　and

slew　him。　Alboin　finding　Rosamond；　daughter　of　Cunimund；　among　the

captives；　took　her　to　wife；　and　made　himself　sovereign　of　Pannonia；

and；　moved　by　his　savage　nature；　caused　the　skull　of　Cunimund　to　be

formed　into　a　cup；　from　which；　in　memory　of　the　victory；　he　drank。

Being　invited　into　Italy　by　Narses；　with　whom　he　had　been　in

friendship　during　the　war　with　the　Goths；　he　left　Pannonia　to　the

Huns；　who　after　the　death　of　Attila　had　returned　to　their　country。

Finding；　on　his　arrival；　the　province　divided　into　so　many　parts；　he

presently　occupied　Pavia；　Milan；　Verona；　Vicenza；　the　whole　of

Tuscany；　and　the　greater　part　of　Flamminia；　which　is　now　called

Romagna。　These　great　and　rapid　acquisitions　made　him　think　the

conquest　of　Italy　already　secured；　he　therefore　gave　a　great　feast　at

Verona；　and　having　become　elevated　with　wine；　ordered　the　skull　of

Cunimund　to　be　filled；　and　caused　it　to　be　presented　to　the　queen

Rosamond；　who　sat　opposite；　saying　loud　enough　for　her　to　hear；　that

upon　occasion　of　such　great　joy　she　should　drink　with　her　father。

These　words　were　like　a　dagger　to　the　lady's　bosom　and　she　resolved　to

have　revenge。　Knowing　that　Helmichis；　a　noble　Lombard；　was　in　love

with　one　of　her　maids；　she　arranged　with　the　young　woman；　that

Helmichis；　without　being　acquainted　with　the　fact；　should　sleep　with

her　instead　of　his　mistress。　Having　effected　her　design；　Rosamond

discovered　herself　to　Helmichis；　and　gave　him　the　choice　either　of

killing　Alboin；　and　taking　herself　and　the　kingdom　as　his　reward；　or

of　being　put　to　death　as　the　ravisher　of　the　queen。　Helmichis

consented　to　destroy　Alboin；　but　after　the　murder；　finding　they　could

not　occupy　the　kingdom；　and　fearful　that　the　Lombards　would　put　them

to　death　for　the　love　they　bore　to　Alboin；　they　seized　the　royal

treasure；　and　fled　with　it　to　Longinus；　at　Ravenna；　who　received　them

favorably。



During　these　troubles　the　emperor　Justinus　died；　and　was　succeeded　by

Tiberius；　who；　occupied　in　the　wars　with　the　Parthians；　could　not

attend　to　the　affairs　of　Italy；　and　this　seeming　to　Longinus　to

present　an　opportunity；　by　means　of　Rosamond　and　her　wealth；　of

becoming　king　of　the　Lombards　and　of　the　whole　of　Italy；　he

communicated　his　design　to　her；　persuaded　her　to　destroy　Helmichis；

and　so　take　him　for　her　husband。　To　this　end；　having　prepared　poisoned

wine；　she　with　her　own　hand　presented　it　to　Helmichis；　who　complained

of　thirst　as　he　came　from　the　bath。　Having　drunk　half　of　it；　he

suspected　the　truth；　from　the　unusual　sensation　it　occasioned　and

compelled　her　to　drink　the　remainder；　so　that　in　a　few　hours　both　came

to　their　end；　and　Longinus　was　deprived　of　the　hope　of　becoming　king。



In　the　meantime　the　Lombards；　having　drawn　themselves　together　in

Pavia；　which　was　become　the　principal　seat　of　their　empire；　made

Clefis　their　king。　He　rebuilt　Imola；　destroyed　by　Narses；　and　occupied

Remini　and　almost　every　place　up　to　Rome；　but　he　died　in　the　course　of

his　victories。　Clefis　was　cruel　to　such　a　degree；　not　only　toward

strangers；　but　to　his　own　Lombards；　that　these　people；　sickened　of

royal　power；　did　not　create　another　king；　but　appointed　among

themselves　thirty　dukes　to　govern　the　rest。　This　prevented　the

Lombards　from　occupying　the　whole　of　Italy；　or　of　extending　their

dominion　further　than　Benevento；　for；　of　the　cities　of　Rome；　Ravenna；

Cremona；　Mantua；　Padua；　Monselice；　Parma；　Bologna；　Faenza；　Forli；　and

Cesena；　some　defended　themselves　for　a　time；　and　others　never　fell

under　their　dominion；　since；　not　having　a　king；　they　became　less

prompt　for　war；　and　when　they　afterward　appointed　one；　they　were；　by

living　in　freedom；　become　less　obedient；　and　more　apt　to　quarrel　among

themselves；　which　from　the　first　prevented　a　fortunate　issue　of　their

military　expeditions；　and　was　the　ultimate　cause　of　their　being　driven

out　of　Italy。　The　affairs　of　the　Lombards　being　in　the　state　just

described；　the　Romans　and　Longinus　came　to　an　agreement　with　them；

that　each　should　lay　down　their　arms　and　enjoy　what　they　already

possessed。







CHAPTER　III



　　Beginning　of　the　greatness　of　the　pontiffs　in　ItalyAbuse　of

　　censures　and　indulgencesThe　pope　applies　to　Pepin；　king　of

　　France；　for　assistanceDonation　of　Pepin　to　the　pontiff

　　CharlemagneEnd　of　the　kingdom　of　the　LombardsThe　title　of

　　cardinal　begins　to　be　usedThe　empire　passes　to　the　Germans

　　Berengarius；　duke　of　Fruili；　created　king　of　ItalyPisa　becomes

　　greatOrder　and　division　of　the　states　of　ItalyElectors　of　the

　　emperor　created。



In　these　times　the　popes　began　to　acquire　greater　temporal　authority

than　they　had　previously　possessed；　although　the　immediate　successors

of　St。　Peter　were　more　reverenced　for　the　holiness　of　their　lives；　and

the　miracles　which　they　performed；　and　their　example　so　greatly

extended　the　Christian　religion；　that　princes　of　other　states　embraced

it；　in　order　to　obviate　the　confusion　which　prevailed　at　that　period。

The　emperor　having　become　a　Christian　and　returned　to　Constantinople；

it　followed；　as　was　remarked　at　the　commencement　of　the　book；　that　the

Roman　empire　was　the　more　easily　ruined；　and　the　church　more　rapidly

increased　her　authority。　Nevertheless；　the　whole　of　Italy；　being

subject　either　to　the　emperors　or　the　kings　till　the　coming　of　the

Lombards；　the　popes　never　acquired　any　greater　authority　than　what

reverence　for　their　habits　and　doctrine　gave　them。　In　other　respects

they　obeyed　the　emperors　or　kings；　officiated　for　them　in　their

affairs；　as　ministers　or　agents；　and　were　even　sometimes　put　to　death

by　them。　He　who　caused　them　to　become　of　more　importance　in　the

affairs　of　Italy；　was　Theodoric；　king　of　the　Goths；　when　he

established　the　seat　of　his　empire　at　Ravenna；　for；　Rome　being　without

a　prince；　the　Romans　found　it　necessary；　for　their　safety；　to　yield

obedience　to　the　pope；　his　authority；　however；　was　not　greatly

increased　thereby；　the　only　advantage　being；　that　the　church　of　Rome

was　allowed　to　take　precedence　of　that　of　Ravenna。　But　the　Lombards

having　taken　possession；　and　Italy　being　divided　into　many　parts；　the

pope　had　an　opportunity　of　greater　exertion。　Being　as　it　were　the　head

of　Rome；　both　the　emperor　of　Constantinople　and　the　Lombards　respected

him；　so　that　the　Romans；　by　his　means；　entered　into　league　with　the

Lombards；　and　with　Longinus；　not　as　subjects；　but　as　equals。　Thus　the

popes；　at　one　time　friends　of　the　Greeks；　and　at　another　of　the

Lombards；　increased　their　own　power；　but　upon　the　ruin　of　the　eastern

empire；　which　occurred　during　the　time　of　Heraclius；　their　influence

was　reduced；　for　the　Sclavi；　of　whom　we　spoke　before；　again　assailed

Illyria；　and　having　occupied　the　country；　named　it　Sclavonia；　after

themselves；　and　the　other　parts　were　attacked　by　the　Persians；　then　by

the　Saracens　under　Mohammed；　and　lastly　by　the　Turks；　who　took　Syria；

Africa；　and　Egypt。　These　causes　induced　the　reigning　pope；　in　his

distress；　to　seek　new　friends；　and　he　applied　to　the　king　of　France。

Nearly　all　the　wars　which　the　northern　barbarians　carried　on　in　Italy；

it　may　be　here　remarked；　were　occasioned　by　the　pontiffs；　and　the

hordes；　with　which　the　country　was　inundated；　were　generally　called　in

by　them。　The　same　mode　of　proceeding　still　continued；　and　kept　Italy

weak　and　unsettled。　And；　therefore；　i