Arechis II of Benevento
Encyclopedia
Arechis II (died August 26, 787) was Duke (and later Prince) of Benevento
, in southern Italy, from 758 until his death. . While he sought to expand Benevento's influence into areas of Italy still controlled by the Byzantine Empire, he also had to resist attacks by Charlemagne, who was building a Frankish empire and had conquered northern Italy.
who had invaded the Italian peninsula in the late sixth century and established a Lombard kingdom in northern Italy with its capital at Pavia, and two independent duchies in southern Italy, at Spoleto
and Benevento.
Arechis was the son of Duke Liutprand
, whom he succeeded in 756. Initially Arechis continued to use the title duke of Benevento
. After the Lombard kingdom fell to Charlemagne in 774, however, probably as a gesture of independence, Arechis adopted the title prince of Benevento until his death in 787.
Around 757 Arechis married Adelperga
, a daughter of the north Italian Lombard king, Desiderius
. Arichis thus established friendly (but largely independent) relations with Desiderius, which lasted until the Lombard kingdom fell to the Franks in 774 and Desiderius was deposed. The Beneventan couple produced five children, three boys and two girls.
By eighth century standards, Adelperga and Arichis were notable patrons of culture. Adelperga commissioned the major Lombard writer Paul the Deacon
to produce his Historia Romana, a textbook of Roman history which was widely-used during the rest of the Middle Ages. (Some historians also argue that they commissioned Paul's more famous Historia gentis Langobardorum although this is uncertain.) Arichis arranged for the transfer of saints' relics to the newly-commissioned church of Santa Sofia
in Benevento. This still survives, albeit heavily restored. It is decorated with rare eighth century frescoes. He also put resources into building works at Salerno
, including a new palace and castle. Salerno became an increasingly important port and city from Arechis's reign onwards. Major south Italian monasteries, such as Montecassino and San Vincenzo al Volturno
, also received substantial donations from him.
Arechis was the duke when Charlemagne
conquered the north Italian Lombard kingdom in 774 and made himself king of the Lombards. Although Arechis refused to submit to Charlemagne, Benevento was left largely unmolested, probably because it was simply too far away to be reached easily and Charlemagne had many other calls on his time. In the same year Arechis adopted the title of "prince of Benevento". He also issued a handful of laws. Both these acts were probably intended as a gesture of defiance against Charlemagne, since hitherto no duke of Benevento had ever legislated - only the Lombard kings. Since Charlemagne now styled himself king of the Lombards, Arechis was effectively rejecting Charlemagne's right to this title.
In 776, Arechis was probably involved in a Lombard conspiracy to throw off Frankish domination. Charlemagne successfully crushed this revolt, which was mostly focused in Friuli, in north-east Italy. Arechis does not seem to have provided much practical support for the rebellion and Charlemagne was forced to hurry back north of the Alps, rather than dealing with Arechis. Once again, geographical distance had protected Arechis from the Franks.
Arechis's Beneventan state continued to skirmish with and try to seize territory from the neighbouring Byzantine duchy of Naples
. At some point, however, perhaps in the mid-780s, Arechis reached an agreement with the duke of Naples set out in a document called a 'pactum'. This sets out detailed provisions dealing with landholding and dispute settlement. It was perhaps intended to free Benevento to deal with the looming Frankish threat.
This crystallised in 787, when Charlemagne advanced into south Italy and besieged Capua, another important town in the principality of Benevento. Arechis left Benevento itself and retreated to his new centre, the port of Salerno
. Under pressure, Arechis apparently submitted to Frankish
suzerainty
. As Einhard
, Charlemagne's biographer, describes it in his Vita Caroli Magni:
Superficially, Charlemagne seemed to have imposed himself on Benevento. Arechis had paid tribute and one of his sons was being held hostage as a guarantee of Benevento's loyalty. Frankish influence was also given formal expression. Traditionally Benevento had produced and used gold coinage but from 787 the Beneventan mint began to strike silver coins too, similar to those issued by Charlemagne's Frankish kingdom. Both the new silver and the traditional gold coins, as well as Beneventan legal documents, all started to include Charlemagne's name and title alongside those of Arechis. The inclusion of titles on coins and in charters was considered an important marker of political authority.
However, Einhard overstates Charlemagne's success. Frankish influence in Benevento proved to be very short-lived. When in 788, both Grimoald's elder brother, Romuald, and Arechis himself died, Grimoald
, who was being held hostage by Charlemagne, succeeded as prince of Benevento. Unwisely Charlemagne released Grimoald in return for an oath of loyalty. Grimoald did not keep this promise and, by c. 791, in effect proclaimed himself independent and successfully resisted the Franks.
Benevento
Benevento is a town and comune of Campania, Italy, capital of the province of Benevento, 50 km northeast of Naples. It is situated on a hill 130 m above sea-level at the confluence of the Calore Irpino and Sabato...
, in southern Italy, from 758 until his death. . While he sought to expand Benevento's influence into areas of Italy still controlled by the Byzantine Empire, he also had to resist attacks by Charlemagne, who was building a Frankish empire and had conquered northern Italy.
Biography
Arechis descended from the LombardsLombards
The Lombards , also referred to as Longobards, were a Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin, who from 568 to 774 ruled a Kingdom in Italy...
who had invaded the Italian peninsula in the late sixth century and established a Lombard kingdom in northern Italy with its capital at Pavia, and two independent duchies in southern Italy, at Spoleto
Duchy of Spoleto
The independent Duchy of Spoleto was a Lombard territory founded about 570 in central Italy by the Lombard dux Faroald.- Lombards :The Lombards, a Germanic people, had invaded Italy in 568 and conquered much of it, establishing a Kingdom divided between several dukes dependent on the King, who had...
and Benevento.
Arechis was the son of Duke Liutprand
Liutprand of Benevento
Liutprand was the duke of Benevento from the death of his father Gisulf II in 749 until his own deposition. He reigned under the regency of his mother, Scauniperga, who supported King Aistulf, until 756....
, whom he succeeded in 756. Initially Arechis continued to use the title duke of Benevento
Benevento
Benevento is a town and comune of Campania, Italy, capital of the province of Benevento, 50 km northeast of Naples. It is situated on a hill 130 m above sea-level at the confluence of the Calore Irpino and Sabato...
. After the Lombard kingdom fell to Charlemagne in 774, however, probably as a gesture of independence, Arechis adopted the title prince of Benevento until his death in 787.
Around 757 Arechis married Adelperga
Adelperga
Adelperga was the daughter of Desiderius, King of the Lombards, and his wife Ansa.Desiderius arranged a strategic marriage between his daughter and the Duke of Benevento, Arechis II, to secure his power in Italy...
, a daughter of the north Italian Lombard king, Desiderius
Desiderius
Desiderius was the last king of the Lombard Kingdom of northern Italy...
. Arichis thus established friendly (but largely independent) relations with Desiderius, which lasted until the Lombard kingdom fell to the Franks in 774 and Desiderius was deposed. The Beneventan couple produced five children, three boys and two girls.
By eighth century standards, Adelperga and Arichis were notable patrons of culture. Adelperga commissioned the major Lombard writer Paul the Deacon
Paul the Deacon
Paul the Deacon , also known as Paulus Diaconus, Warnefred, Barnefridus and Cassinensis, , was a Benedictine monk and historian of the Lombards.-Life:...
to produce his Historia Romana, a textbook of Roman history which was widely-used during the rest of the Middle Ages. (Some historians also argue that they commissioned Paul's more famous Historia gentis Langobardorum although this is uncertain.) Arichis arranged for the transfer of saints' relics to the newly-commissioned church of Santa Sofia
Santa Sofia, Benevento
Santa Sofia is a church in Benevento, southern Italy, one of the main surviving examples of Lombard architecture.In 2011, it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of a group of seven inscribed as Longobards in Italy...
in Benevento. This still survives, albeit heavily restored. It is decorated with rare eighth century frescoes. He also put resources into building works at Salerno
Salerno
Salerno is a city and comune in Campania and is the capital of the province of the same name. It is located on the Gulf of Salerno on the Tyrrhenian Sea....
, including a new palace and castle. Salerno became an increasingly important port and city from Arechis's reign onwards. Major south Italian monasteries, such as Montecassino and San Vincenzo al Volturno
San Vincenzo al Volturno
San Vincenzo al Volturno is an historic Benedictine monastery located in the territories of the Comune of Castel San Vincenzo, in the Province of Isernia, near the source of the river Volturno in Italy...
, also received substantial donations from him.
Arechis was the duke when Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
conquered the north Italian Lombard kingdom in 774 and made himself king of the Lombards. Although Arechis refused to submit to Charlemagne, Benevento was left largely unmolested, probably because it was simply too far away to be reached easily and Charlemagne had many other calls on his time. In the same year Arechis adopted the title of "prince of Benevento". He also issued a handful of laws. Both these acts were probably intended as a gesture of defiance against Charlemagne, since hitherto no duke of Benevento had ever legislated - only the Lombard kings. Since Charlemagne now styled himself king of the Lombards, Arechis was effectively rejecting Charlemagne's right to this title.
In 776, Arechis was probably involved in a Lombard conspiracy to throw off Frankish domination. Charlemagne successfully crushed this revolt, which was mostly focused in Friuli, in north-east Italy. Arechis does not seem to have provided much practical support for the rebellion and Charlemagne was forced to hurry back north of the Alps, rather than dealing with Arechis. Once again, geographical distance had protected Arechis from the Franks.
Arechis's Beneventan state continued to skirmish with and try to seize territory from the neighbouring Byzantine duchy of Naples
Duchy of Naples
The Duchy of Naples began as a Byzantine province that was constituted in the seventh century, in the reduced coastal lands that the Lombards had not conquered during their invasion of Italy in the sixth century...
. At some point, however, perhaps in the mid-780s, Arechis reached an agreement with the duke of Naples set out in a document called a 'pactum'. This sets out detailed provisions dealing with landholding and dispute settlement. It was perhaps intended to free Benevento to deal with the looming Frankish threat.
This crystallised in 787, when Charlemagne advanced into south Italy and besieged Capua, another important town in the principality of Benevento. Arechis left Benevento itself and retreated to his new centre, the port of Salerno
Salerno
Salerno is a city and comune in Campania and is the capital of the province of the same name. It is located on the Gulf of Salerno on the Tyrrhenian Sea....
. Under pressure, Arechis apparently submitted to Frankish
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
suzerainty
Suzerainty
Suzerainty occurs where a region or people is a tributary to a more powerful entity which controls its foreign affairs while allowing the tributary vassal state some limited domestic autonomy. The dominant entity in the suzerainty relationship, or the more powerful entity itself, is called a...
. As Einhard
Einhard
Einhard was a Frankish scholar and courtier. Einhard was a dedicated servant of Charlemagne and his son Louis the Pious; his main work is a biography of Charlemagne, the Vita Karoli Magni, "one of the most precious literary bequests of the early Middle Ages."-Public life:Einhard was from the eastern...
, Charlemagne's biographer, describes it in his Vita Caroli Magni:
Superficially, Charlemagne seemed to have imposed himself on Benevento. Arechis had paid tribute and one of his sons was being held hostage as a guarantee of Benevento's loyalty. Frankish influence was also given formal expression. Traditionally Benevento had produced and used gold coinage but from 787 the Beneventan mint began to strike silver coins too, similar to those issued by Charlemagne's Frankish kingdom. Both the new silver and the traditional gold coins, as well as Beneventan legal documents, all started to include Charlemagne's name and title alongside those of Arechis. The inclusion of titles on coins and in charters was considered an important marker of political authority.
However, Einhard overstates Charlemagne's success. Frankish influence in Benevento proved to be very short-lived. When in 788, both Grimoald's elder brother, Romuald, and Arechis himself died, Grimoald
Grimoald III of Benevento
Grimoald III was the Lombard Prince of Benevento from 788 until his own death. He was the second son of Arechis II and Adelperga. In 787, he and his elder brother Romoald were sent as hostages to Charlemagne who had descended the Italian peninsula as far as Salerno to receive the submission of...
, who was being held hostage by Charlemagne, succeeded as prince of Benevento. Unwisely Charlemagne released Grimoald in return for an oath of loyalty. Grimoald did not keep this promise and, by c. 791, in effect proclaimed himself independent and successfully resisted the Franks.
Sources
- EinhardEinhardEinhard was a Frankish scholar and courtier. Einhard was a dedicated servant of Charlemagne and his son Louis the Pious; his main work is a biography of Charlemagne, the Vita Karoli Magni, "one of the most precious literary bequests of the early Middle Ages."-Public life:Einhard was from the eastern...
. The Life of Charlemagne. Translated by Samuel Epes Turner.