LIUTPRAND, King of the Lombards. — In 703,
Ansprand, in the bitter struggles for succession to the
Lombard throne, was forced to take refuge with his younger
son L. at the court of Theodbert, King of the Bavarians.
Nine years later (712), he returned to Italy, fought near
Pavia, and defeated the usurper Aripert. After only three
months on the throne, L. succeeded him in government.
L., having escaped a conspiracy plotted against him by a
relative, devoted ten years of his reign to reorganizing the
State and continued with new laws the legislative work of
Rotari.
These laws were drawn up in fifteen assemblies from 719
to 724 and comprise 153 chapters. The King styled himself
a Christian and Catholic prince, embellishing his prologues
with biblical reminiscences that attest to the use of secretaries
in the drafting of the laws. Chapter 33 shows a particular
influence of ecclesiastical thought. A very significant part of
the legislation aims to combat homicide by elevating the
value of human life and adding confiscation of the culprit’s
property to the judgment, except in cases of legitimate
defense. The laws directed against superstitions and the
practice of sorcery reveal in the King a wise and enlightened
spirit (cf. also ROTARI).
Around 726, taking advantage of the strife that had broken
out in the Exarchate over the iconoclastic controversy, he
invaded first the Exarchate, conquering Bologna and other
cities of Emilia, then the Pentapolis, seizing Rimini,
Ancona, and Osimo, capturing Classe and besieging Ravenna,
while part of his forces pushed into the Duchy of Rome,
occupying the castle of Sutri, which L. later donated to the
Pope. He then moved into central and southern Italy,
defeating the dukes of Spoleto and Benevento, and invaded
the Duchy of Rome, but was stopped and placated by Gregory
II; L. entered Rome as a friend and pilgrim, visited St.
Peter’s, and departed.
In 734 he returned to the field, invaded the Exarchate, and
laid siege to Ravenna, but with only brief success, for the
city was soon liberated by the Venetians.
L. maintained friendly relations with Charles Martel, who
sought the Lombard king’s aid against the Saracens harassing
southern France. Returning from France, he moved against
Trasamund, the rebellious Duke of Spoleto, depriving him of
his duchy. He intervened to quell disturbances in Benevento,
and since Gregory III had refused to hand over Godescalc,
the usurper of the Duchy of Benevento, he invaded Roman
territory, occupying several castles, but then returned to
Pavia (739) to prepare a new expedition. In 740 he again
assailed the Exarchate and Ravenna, while individual Lombard
bands devastated the patrimonies of the Roman Church. The
Pope appealed to Charles Martel, but without effect. The new
Pope Zachary reached an agreement with L.; new difficulties
arose, especially when Trasamund, Duke of Spoleto, was
deposed and replaced by Agiprand, the King’s nephew.
Zachary was received by L. at Terni (742) and compensated
for the damages suffered.
With affairs in the South unsettled, L. returned to Pavia and
the following year marched again against the Exarchate,
turning his forces against the Greeks. The still-free
populations of Emilia appealed to the Pope, who intervened
effectively, and as usual the Lombard King heeded the voice
of the Pope, who had personally gone to Pavia (743). Before
the envoys sent to Constantinople to negotiate peace could
return, L. died in January 744. He was first buried beside
his father in the church of San Adriano in Pavia, but in the
12th century his remains were transferred to the church of
San Pietro in Ciel d’Oro, where L. had brought the relics of
St. Augustine from Sardinia.