alternatehistory.com

So, the initial invasion of Italy by the Lombards was a pretty easy affair; possibly because of the help of the Byzantine administrator of the region (Narses, I think) who, it is said, invited the Lombards in to the peninsula because he had fallen out of favor in Constantinople. What ever the case, by 586, all of Italy had fallen under the control of the Lombards under their King Albion the Great. To this day, the name Italy is known only to classicists, and the Kingdom of the Lombards founded as survived as "Lombardy".

So,WI the initial conquest had done differently, maybe Albion falls in battle, is assassinated, or just doesn't do as well, and the Byzantines are left with control of part of Italy?
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