Recent historiography has long debated the meaning that Paul the Deacon intended to convey in the Historia Langobardorum, concluding its narrative some thirty years prior to 774, the year in which Charlemagne brought an end to the Lombard kingdom in central and northern Italy. The account of the events that followed the fall of Pavia – which primarily affected the southern part of the peninsula – forms the core of the Ystoriola Langobardorum Beneventum degentium by Erchempert, who describes Paul as a ‘highly competent historian’ who, ‘not without reason’, chose to omit the deposition of Desiderius, so as to pass on to posterity the memory of a gens Langobardorum which, upon the death of Liutprand in 744, had reached its zenith. Erchempert, whilst being aware that ‘it is the custom of an intelligent historian’ to omit the calamitous events that have befallen one’s own people, nevertheless declares his intention to recount the failures and defeats of the Beneventans so that they may serve as a useful lesson for posterity. In carrying out this task, our author provides a wealth of useful information on the vicissitudes of the principality and on the influence the Franks exerted upon them.
La più recente storiografia ha dibattuto a lungo sul senso che Paolo Diacono ha inteso dare all’Historia Langobardorum concludendone la trama un trentennio prima del 774, anno in cui Carlo Magno poneva fine al regno longobardo nell’Italia centro-settentrionale. La narrazione degli eventi che seguirono alla caduta di Pavia, e che interessarono maggiormente la parte meridionale della penisola, costituiscono il nucleo dell’Ystoriola Langobardorum Beneventum degentium di Erchemperto, il quale definisce Paolo uno "storico assai competente" che, "non senza ragione", ha scelto di omettere la deposizione di Desiderio, così da trasmettere ai posteri il ricordo di una gens Langobardorum che, alla morte di Liutprando nel 744, aveva raggiunto il suo apice. Erchemperto, pur essendo consapevole che “è costume di uno storico intelligente” traslasciare gli eventi nefasti che hanno colpito il proprio popolo, dichiara tuttavia di voler narrare gli insuccessi e le sconfitte dei Beneventani affinché siano di utile ammaestramento per i posteri. Nel portare a compimento questa operazione, il nostro autore tramanda non poche utili informazioni sulle vicissitudini del principato e sull’influenza che in esse ebbero i Franchi.
Erchemperto e i franchi: spunti di riflessione dall’Ystoriola Langobardorum Beneventum degentium
Emanuele Piazza
2025-01-01
Abstract
Recent historiography has long debated the meaning that Paul the Deacon intended to convey in the Historia Langobardorum, concluding its narrative some thirty years prior to 774, the year in which Charlemagne brought an end to the Lombard kingdom in central and northern Italy. The account of the events that followed the fall of Pavia – which primarily affected the southern part of the peninsula – forms the core of the Ystoriola Langobardorum Beneventum degentium by Erchempert, who describes Paul as a ‘highly competent historian’ who, ‘not without reason’, chose to omit the deposition of Desiderius, so as to pass on to posterity the memory of a gens Langobardorum which, upon the death of Liutprand in 744, had reached its zenith. Erchempert, whilst being aware that ‘it is the custom of an intelligent historian’ to omit the calamitous events that have befallen one’s own people, nevertheless declares his intention to recount the failures and defeats of the Beneventans so that they may serve as a useful lesson for posterity. In carrying out this task, our author provides a wealth of useful information on the vicissitudes of the principality and on the influence the Franks exerted upon them.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
