Euin
Encyclopedia
Euin also Ewin or Eoin, was the first Lombard
Duke of Trent
(from 569) during the Rule of the Dukes
, an interregnum
(575–585) during which the Kingdom of Italy
was ruled by its regional magnates, the dukes of the thirty or so cities. Euin participated in several significant wars during his long reign. The primary source for his career is Paul the Deacon's
Historia Langobardorum.
In 584 the Frankish kings Guntram of Burgundy
and Childebert II of Austrasia
invaded northwestern Italy. The fortress Anagnis
, north of Trent
, surrendered to them and was consequently the victim of a plundering expedition by Ragilo, the Lombard count of Lagaris. Ragilo and his army, however, were attacked in the field of "Rotalian" by a Frankish army under Chramnichis. Ragilo and many of his followers, still with their booty, were killed. Chramnichis then moved on to "devastate Trent", but probably this phrase (in Paul the Deacon) refers not to a Frankish occupation of the city itself but just a raid of its environs. At Salurnis, Euin, the duke of Trent, ambushed Chramnichis and killed him. He took the Franks' booty and regained the booty collected by Ragilo. He then drove the Franks from the duchy of Trent.
Paul records that it was around this time, when Sigebert I of Austrasia
was assassinated by Chilperic I of Neustria
(584), that Euin married a daughter of Garibald I
, whom Paul refers to as "king of the Bavarians". The elder sister of Euin's wife was Theudelinda, who in 589 married the Lombard king Authari
.
In 587 Authari sent an army under Euin into Istria
. By tactics Paul only describes as "plunderings and burnings", Euin established peace for a year and returned with a large tribute
for Authari. In 590 Childebert invaded Italy with an army led by twenty dukes, notably Auduald, Olo, and Cedinus. Olo was killed trying to take Bilitio
and Auduald, with six other dukes, camped outside Milan
waiting for the army of the Byzantine emperor Maurice
, which never came. Cedinus, with thirteen dukes, invaded the northeast, and marched west. In the duchy of Trent he destroyed the fortresses of Tesana
, Maletum
, Sermiana, Appianum, Fagitana
, Cimbra
, Vitianum
, Bremtonicum
, Volaenes
, and Ennemase
. With dysentery
racking his army and the Byzantine reinforcements yet to show up, Cedinus made a ten-month truce and returned across the Alps. In May 591, Authari's successor, Agilulf
, sent Agnellus, Bishop of Trent, to the Frankish court of Brunhilda to secure the ransom of several Tridentine prisoners captured in the previous war, which he did. At that same time Euin went to the Franks to negotiate a peace, which he did.
Euin was dead by January 595, when he was replaced by Gaidoald
, described by Paul as "a good man and a Catholic in religion".
Lombards
The Lombards , also referred to as Longobards, were a Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin, who from 568 to 774 ruled a Kingdom in Italy...
Duke of Trent
Duchy of Tridentum
The Duchy of Tridentum was an autonomous Lombard duchy, established by Euin during the Lombard interregnum of 574–584 that followed the assassination of the Lombard leader Alboin...
(from 569) during the Rule of the Dukes
Rule of the Dukes
The Rule of the Dukes was an interregnum in the Lombard Kingdom of Italy during which Italy was ruled by the Lombard dukes of the old Roman provinces and urban centres...
, an interregnum
Interregnum
An interregnum is a period of discontinuity or "gap" in a government, organization, or social order...
(575–585) during which the Kingdom of Italy
Kingdom of the Lombards
The Kingdom of the Lombards or Lombard Kingdom was an early medieval state, with its capital in Pavia, established by the Lombards on the Italian Peninsula between 568-569 and 774 .Effective control by the rulers of both the major areas that constituted the...
was ruled by its regional magnates, the dukes of the thirty or so cities. Euin participated in several significant wars during his long reign. The primary source for his career is Paul the Deacon's
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:...
Historia Langobardorum.
In 584 the Frankish kings Guntram of Burgundy
Guntram
Saint Guntram was the king of Burgundy from 561 to 592. He was a son of Chlothar I and Ingunda...
and Childebert II of Austrasia
Childebert II
.Childebert II was the Merovingian king of Austrasia, which included Provence at the time, from 575 until his death in 595, the eldest and succeeding son of Sigebert I, and the king of Burgundy from 592 to his death, as the adopted and succeeding son of his uncle Guntram.-Childhood:When his father...
invaded northwestern Italy. The fortress Anagnis
Nano
Nano- is a prefix meaning a billionth. Used primarily in the metric system, this prefix denotes a factor of 10−9 or . It is frequently encountered in science and electronics for prefixing units of time and length, such as 30 nanoseconds , 100 nanometres or in the case of electrical capacitance,...
, north of Trent
Trento
Trento is an Italian city located in the Adige River valley in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. It is the capital of Trentino...
, surrendered to them and was consequently the victim of a plundering expedition by Ragilo, the Lombard count of Lagaris. Ragilo and his army, however, were attacked in the field of "Rotalian" by a Frankish army under Chramnichis. Ragilo and many of his followers, still with their booty, were killed. Chramnichis then moved on to "devastate Trent", but probably this phrase (in Paul the Deacon) refers not to a Frankish occupation of the city itself but just a raid of its environs. At Salurnis, Euin, the duke of Trent, ambushed Chramnichis and killed him. He took the Franks' booty and regained the booty collected by Ragilo. He then drove the Franks from the duchy of Trent.
Paul records that it was around this time, when Sigebert I of Austrasia
Sigebert I
Sigebert I was the king of Austrasia from the death of his father in 561 to his own death. He was the third surviving son out of four of Clotaire I and Ingund...
was assassinated by Chilperic I of Neustria
Chilperic I
Chilperic I was the king of Neustria from 561 to his death. He was one of the sons of the Frankish king Clotaire I and Queen Aregund....
(584), that Euin married a daughter of Garibald I
Garibald I of Bavaria
Garibald I was Duke of Bavaria from 555 until 591. He stands at the head of the Agilolfings and the Bavarian Dynasty that ruled the Kingdom of the Lombards....
, whom Paul refers to as "king of the Bavarians". The elder sister of Euin's wife was Theudelinda, who in 589 married the Lombard king Authari
Authari
Authari also known as Agilolf, was king of the Lombards from 584 to his death. After his father, Cleph, died in 574, the Lombardic nobility refused to appoint a successor, resulting in ten years interregnum known as the Rule of the Dukes.In 574 and 575 the Lombards made the blunder of invading...
.
In 587 Authari sent an army under Euin into Istria
Istria
Istria , formerly Histria , is the largest peninsula in the Adriatic Sea. The peninsula is located at the head of the Adriatic between the Gulf of Trieste and the Bay of Kvarner...
. By tactics Paul only describes as "plunderings and burnings", Euin established peace for a year and returned with a large tribute
Tribute
A tribute is wealth, often in kind, that one party gives to another as a sign of respect or, as was often the case in historical contexts, of submission or allegiance. Various ancient states, which could be called suzerains, exacted tribute from areas they had conquered or threatened to conquer...
for Authari. In 590 Childebert invaded Italy with an army led by twenty dukes, notably Auduald, Olo, and Cedinus. Olo was killed trying to take Bilitio
Bellinzona
Bellinzona is the administrative capital of the canton Ticino in Switzerland. The city is famous for its three castles that have been UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 2000....
and Auduald, with six other dukes, camped outside Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
waiting for the army of the Byzantine emperor Maurice
Maurice
Maurice is a given name used as a name or surname. It originates as a French name derived from the Roman Mauritius and was subsequently used in English speaking countries as well. It is of Latin origin, meaning "dark-skinned, Moorish", and might refer to:...
, which never came. Cedinus, with thirteen dukes, invaded the northeast, and marched west. In the duchy of Trent he destroyed the fortresses of Tesana
Tisens
Tisens is a comune in South Tyrol in the Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 60 km north of the city of Trento and about 15 km northwest of the city of Bolzano .-Geography:...
, Maletum
Male
Male refers to the biological sex of an organism, or part of an organism, which produces small mobile gametes, called spermatozoa. Each spermatozoon can fuse with a larger female gamete or ovum, in the process of fertilization...
, Sermiana, Appianum, Fagitana
Faedo
Faedo is a comune in Trentino in the northern Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 15 km north of Trento. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 566 and an area of 10.6 km².-Geography:...
, Cimbra
Cembra
Cembra is a comune in Trentino in the northern Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 15 km northeast of Trento. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 1,776 and an area of 17.0 km²....
, Vitianum
Vezzano
Vezzano refers to several towns in Italy:*Vezzano, in Trentino.*Vezzano Ligure.*Vezzano sul Crostolo....
, Bremtonicum
Brentonico
Brentonico is a comune in Trentino in the northern Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 30 km southwest of Trento...
, Volaenes
Volano
Volano is a comune in Trentino in the northern Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 15 km south of Trento. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 2,851 and an area of 10.8 km²....
, and Ennemase
Neumarkt
-Places:Austria*Neumarkt am Wallersee, in Salzburg*Neumarkt an der Raab, in Burgenland*Neumarkt an der Ybbs, in Lower Austria*Neumarkt im Hausruckkreis, in the Hausruckviertel, Upper Austria*Neumarkt im Mühlkreis, in the Mühlviertel, Upper Austria...
. With dysentery
Dysentery
Dysentery is an inflammatory disorder of the intestine, especially of the colon, that results in severe diarrhea containing mucus and/or blood in the faeces with fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, dysentery can be fatal.There are differences between dysentery and normal bloody diarrhoea...
racking his army and the Byzantine reinforcements yet to show up, Cedinus made a ten-month truce and returned across the Alps. In May 591, Authari's successor, Agilulf
Agilulf
Agilulf called the Thuringian, was a duke of Turin and king of the Lombards from 591 until his death.-Biography:A relative of his predecessor Authari, he was selected king on the advice of the Christian queen and widow of Authari, Theodelinda, whom he then married...
, sent Agnellus, Bishop of Trent, to the Frankish court of Brunhilda to secure the ransom of several Tridentine prisoners captured in the previous war, which he did. At that same time Euin went to the Franks to negotiate a peace, which he did.
Euin was dead by January 595, when he was replaced by Gaidoald
Gaidoald
Gaidoald was the second Lombard Duke of Trent. He was assigned to Trent on the death of Euin in January 595. He was described by Paul the Deacon as "a good man and a Catholic in religion" in his Historia Langobardorum. In 602 or 603, Gaidoald and fellow duke Gisulf I of Friuli made peace with king...
, described by Paul as "a good man and a Catholic in religion".