The Diaries of Desiderius: A Lombard Timeline

[Tarabas]

Prologue

“Cherish your days as a knight, my son, for these are days of bravery and glory. At the end of the day, you may wash your hands of the blood of the enemy slain in a fair combat. But when the day will come that you shall be King, how will you wash away the blood of the unknown innocents who died by the consequences of your will? This is why we wear the Iron Crown, where the Holy Nail from the Cross of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ rests. Holy and blessed by His sacrifice, and yet, a constant reminder that the life of a ruler is suffering and atonement of sins. Sins others have committed, sins we know we have committed, and sins we will never know we have committed”.

Praecepta Regis Desiderii ad Adalgisum filium, (better known as "The Diaries of Desiderius"), fragmentum 3

 

[Tarabas]

Hi everyone! This is my first attempt at a timeline, so any criticism is welcome. Before we go into the timeline, I feel a little explanation is needed. The figure of Desiderius, the last Lombard king, always intrigued me, but I never had the chance to study him in detail. While looking for a different book in a library, I stumbled upon an (attempt at) a biography of him, which inspired me to try and prove myself in writing an AH. The scarcity of sources is both a blessing and a curse, but I believe will allow me to be freer in making my choices whenever is needed. The fist liberty I took is to create the fictional Diaries of Desiderius (wether they are true or a later forgery is a big debate TTL). The only spoiler I now give is that (unexpectedly) the Lombard kingdom survives longer than OTL and is to play an interesting role in the European and Mediterranean world. That being said, I wish an happy new year to everyone!

 

[John7755 يوحنا]

I welcome a Lombard timeline. They are frequently neglected in history and the primary of the Franks in european history assured this fact.

One point to make, do try to take account of the inevitable importance and primacy that the Papacy should hold in a Lombard kingdom of Italy.

 

[Prince di Corsica]

Oh this ought to be interesting. It's not easy making a TL around this period. I always find the lack of information an issue, but I hope you can use it for your own gain here

 

[Tarabas]

I welcome a Lombard timeline. They are frequently neglected in history and the primary of the Franks in european history assured this fact.

One point to make, do try to take account of the inevitable importance and primacy that the Papacy should hold in a Lombard kingdom of Italy.

Glad you welcome this! You are right: they are so neglected we often forgot how interesting they were. And you are right on the Papacy as well. One of the main features of this TL will be a more pragmatical attitude of Desiderius with respect to the Papacy (mainly its claim to the Exarchate). Hope to make this dynamic as interesting as possible.

Oh this ought to be interesting. It's not easy making a TL around this period. I always find the lack of information an issue, but I hope you can use it for your own gain here

Thanks for your words! As I said, is an issue but gives you enough room to breathe and create. However, the little we know suggests that the fall of the Lombard Kingdom was everything but inevitable, even at a late stage of Desiderius' reign. This gave me an extra motivation to choose this period for my TL.

 

[Tarabas]

Chapter I: The bid for the Iron Crown

“A king is as powerful as the promises he can make.”

“The Diaries of Desiderius”, fragmentum 15

A.D. 756

Desiderius, the first of his name, King of the Lombards, was not born to be a king. Despite being of noble descent (it is highly debated wether his father was Duke of Brescia, where Desiderius was born), he was by no means one of the great magnates of the Lombard Kingdom. The family of his wife Ansa was surely richer; however, a lucky marriage alone does not explain his rise in prominence. We do not know the circumstances under which King Astolfus created him Duke in Tuscany, but he must have been of his closest collaborators, given the recent turmoil and unrest that had plagued that particular part of the realm. Probably more of a diplomat and an administrator than a warrior, he successfully pacified Tuscany, gathering enough support to make his bid to th throne when his master and mentor died in 757. His support in the core lands of the Lombard kingdom was feeble at best, so that Rachis, ex king and Astolfus’ son, could march and occupy the capital of Pavia from his exile in the abbey of Montecassino, where he ad been a monk since his deposition in 749. A member of the Friulan aristocracy, the ”monk king” could count on the finest soldiers in the Lombard kingdom, hardened by constant border battles against the Avars. The Frankish armies were another matter. Knowing this, Desiderius reached then to the Pope Stephan II, pledging to give him back the former byzantine territories of the Exarchate occupied by Astolfus. This immediately won him the support of Pepin, recently anointed by Stephan King of the Franks. A papal delegation led by Fulradus, Pepin’s councilor and Paul (brother of the Pope and future Pope himself) reached Desiderius in Tuscany. There, the wanna-be-king swore to keep his promises and marched with the papal delegation (and a respectable Frankish contingent) to Pavia. The memory of the recent and nearly effortless campaigns of Pepin in the lombard kingdom was still so fresh that Desiderius march was swift and met little to no resistance. The only military episode with noticing happened at the gates of Pavia, where two famous and renowned Friulan warriors, Ferdulf and Arghait, foolishly dared one another to defy the Frankish soldiers and rescue the Lombard honor, utterly compromised by Astolfus. The sortie ended in a bloodbath for the Lombards, and Rachis surrendered the city. Desiderius was crowned shortly after, in march, 757, and while Rachis disappeared from history (probably blinded and forced into a different monastery, or slain) we have the first record appearance of Desiderius’ son and heir: Adelchis. It is rare, even for the son of a King, to be mentioned in the chronicles at a very young age (the legends of his great force and prowess even as a child are certainly a later creation, and occupy a decent chunk of the "matter of Lombardy"), but this event could not be overlooked. Just a few days after the coronation of his father, Adelchis left, to be raised as a stewart (some say a hostage, and likely he was both) at the Frankish court.

 

[Tarabas]

Chapter II: Securing the Iron Crown (part one: Spoleto)

“A king has no friends: he has only allies and enemies. A weak king needs allies to make war, a proud king needs enemies to make peace. A true king needs neither the former nor the latter, does not love the former and does not hate
the latter. Instead, he but learns from both, is fair and just to both, and is prepared to kill both. For the allies of today may well be enemies of tomorrow, and vice versa."

"The Diaries of Desiderius", fragmentum 19

A.D. 757

The real reason why Adelchis was sent to the Frankish court is probably lost to history. Sources from the Papal Court say it was a way to secure Desiderius’ loyalty and the restitution of the occupied cities to the Pope; Frankish sources say that Desiderius, impressed by the brutal efficiency shown by the Franks at the gates of Pavia, hoped that thus his son and heir “would learn to be as brave and valiant as a Frank”. Later Lombard sources state instead that Desiderius thought Adelchis would be safer there, as he feared rebellion from the noble houses of Austria [1] that has supported Rachis over him. Probably, all were true-to some extent. On the one hand, we know Adelchis was well treated and respected at th Frankish court, becoming a close friend of Charles- the future Charlemagne- as well as his brother-in-law. He also took part in many military campaigns by his side, where he got a first-rate military education- and made himself a name as as a brave warrior and a skilled commander in the process.
On the other hand, Desiderius kept true to his word, giving “back” to the Pope the occupied cities of Ravenna, Rimini, Fano, Forlì, Urbino and Gubbio. An exception was made (with Frankish blessing) for Comacchio, whose had grown rich with his near monopoly of the commerce between the core Lombard lands and the east. But this was clearly not enough to secure the Iron Crown firmly on Desiderius’ head. The new king needed victories, and most importantly, he needed his own victories. The first opportunity was given him by the Duke of Spoleto, Alboinus. A man of Astolfus’ himself (and some say a personal friend of Desiderius) he watched the unfolding fo the events in Pavia without taking a side. Probably deeming Desiderius weak enough, he tried and reassert the semi-independence of the Duchy of Spoleto he himself had ended during Astolfus’ reign. He famously claimed “Spoleto has thrived without a Lombard king for two centuries, it can survive without a Frankish puppet for four centuries”. The thing is, Desiderius was no puppet. The king himself marched swiftly from the Capital (only with Lombard forces) and went straightaway to storm Spoleto. The attack was so efficient and brutal that the very personal guards of Alboinus handed him off in return for safety. The local tradition would have Desiderius coldly say to Alboinus (who was screaming to the guards “I am your Duke!”) the famous sentence “Any man who needs to say “I am the Duke” is no true Duke” and kill him on the spot. True or not, it seems something the author of the Diaries would have said. Be as it may, we know the Duchy was back under royal control by October 757, and no Duke was appointed until 763. The king spent then quite some time in Spoleto, where he was later depicted as “the joust king who freed the Duchy from the tyrant Alboinus”. It was there that he heard the news from Rome: Pope Stephan II was dead.

 

[Tarabas]

Chapter III: Securing the Iron Crown (part two: Benevento)

“You shall always be true to your word, my beloved son, so choose your words carefully. Sharp swords may end the life of many a man, but sharps words can kill empires- and give birth to new ones."

"The Diaries of Desiderius", fragmentum 47

A.D. 758

Had the election of the new Pope taken longer, probably Desiderius would have tried some move to influence said election. However, Paulus I, brother of the former Pope Stephan II, had an overwhelming support in the city. Desiderius was probably willing to meet with the new successor of Saint Peter, but before he had to settle things in Benevento. The southern Duchy was in a situation akin to that of Spoleto, and needed a similar solution. Luckily for the Lombard King, the Duke Liutprand was young (his mother Scauniperga had acted as his regent until very recently, a situation unheard of in Lombard Italy) and unexperienced. When the news that the King was going after him reached Benevento, he was quick to flee the city and seek refuge in Otranto. This partly explains how quick the city of Benevento was to open the gates to Desiderius and accept its new rulers, the Duke Arechis and his wife Adelperga, Desiderius’ daughter. Arechis was also quick to prove himself a capable ruler, while Adelperga would immediately shine as a charming and intelligent Duchess. The Dukedom then chose stability over legitimacy, so that support for Liutprand outside Otranto became virtually nigh by April 758. Still, the city was a formidable fortress for the standards of the time, and Desiderius had no fleet to speak of to force a blockade from the sea. An offer was made in this sense by Ghiorghios, an emissary of the Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire. Desiderius took then the opportunity to make contact with the court in Constantinople. Word spread that the Lombard King was grateful “for the wholehearted and sincere support of the Emperor”. When word of this passed through the walls in Otranto, Liutprand felt lost, and reached to the King for terms. Desiderius agreed to spare the city and assured that Liutprand “would live a life worth of saving his mortal soul.” Too late did the former Duke would learn that this meant being beheaded shortly after having confessed his sins. He would probably never learn that Desiderius had turned down the offer of the eastern fleet.
By June, 758, the whole of the kingdom seemed firmly in the hands of Desiderius. But it was not time to go back to Pavia yet. Before reaching his capital, the king would visit his daughter in Benevento, meet again whith Ghiorgios in Naples and, most importantly, pay his respects to the new Pope in Rome.

 

[Tarabas]

So, after having the first chapters out, I would like to give some clarifications on the PODs. First, we have the bloodbath outside Pavia. It is modeled after a suicide attack against Avar (or Slavs) raiders that happened OTL at the beginning of the VIII century and basically killed the flower of the Friulan knightood in a single strike. Second, and most important, the fact that Adelchis goes as a hostage to the Frankish court. We do know that there were hostages from a letter Paulus I sent to Pepin (we will turn to this letter later), but none of them seemed to be important enough to give Desiderius a compelling reason to oblige the terms he had agreed upon and give the Pope what he wanted. Further, I would like to give Adelchis a different, more military background. A third reason to do this are the Diaries (which are loosely inspired by the "Praecepta" Saint Istvan, King of Hungary, wrote OTL to his son Imre): I liked the idea that they would be advices to a distant son.
The rest of the events described up to now is pretty much OTL. I admit I had to flesh the details a bit, so both Alboinus' and Liutprand's deaths are made-up. I am trying to construct Alt-Desiderius as a complex character, somewhat of a anti-hero; I hope I will succeed.

 

[Tarabas]

Chapter IV: A Pope’s Paranoia

“God can see and judge the truth in your heart; the men cannot, but will always try and guess. Keep in mind that this is seldom an educated guess, but rather, a game of perception. The more you control this, the more you control men.”

"The Diaries of Desiderius”, fragmentum 79

A.D. 759

Rome

Pope Paul I never managed to feel truly safe. Sure, Desiderius had been true to his word, but he had also secured control over the totality of the Lombard Kingdom with relative ease- and what mattered most, swift brutality. The feeling was that he could take any territories he wished in Italy almost at will- and he was now controlling Spoleto directly now. Too close to the Holy See for any wise Pope’s taste. And besides, what was he plotting with the eastern romans? Rumor had it he was offering to occupy Ravenna and the Pentapolis to give them back to Constantinople. But in exchange for what? Sure he would make this out of love for the legality of the Emperor’s claim on those lands. The Emperor could hardly project power in Italy any more, besides some naval support… but what for? Maybe Desiderius was after a tribute. Gold was gold, after all.
The real problem with the Papal/Lombard relationship was that it was an awkward equilibrium of weaknesses rather than of powers- wether the protagonists were aware of this or not is up to debate. Whatever forces the Pope could muster in Italy were no match for Desiderius’ armies, which in turn stood no chance against the Franks… who had as honored guest the heir presumptive to the Iron Crown. And besides, they needed a good reason to cross the Alps. Maybe a Lombard host marching on the Holy City was good enough? The latter news spread panic in the Papal Curia. But then, when Desiderius arrived, he sent an envoy to Paul, humbly asking to be admitted as a pilgrim “ad limina apostolorum”. The two then met at Saint Peter’s Basilica. This meeting was held in mutual distrust, and unsurprisingly, it dissatisfied both the King and the Pope. The latter was effectively toothless, and could not deny publicly the former’s requests, which were plain and simple: Adelchis and the other hostages at the Frankish court were to be allowed a safe passage home. The Lombard had done what was requested of them, after all. The Pope publicly thanked Desiderius , calling him “Our most beloved son”, and promptly wrote a letter to Pepin asking him “to return a poor boy to his most pious and just father’s love”. However, the Pope sent along a second secret letter, asking Pepin to deny any request Desiderius was making. The first letter had been extorted at sword point by the scheming Lombard, who was ready to reoccupy all Papal Lands, and (God forbid!) Rome herself once his son and hear would cross the Alps, with the help of three hundred Greek vessels. And besides,(the letter went on), Desiderius had slain "with treachery and cruelty the rightful Dukes of Spoleto and Benevento, who had swore fealty to the Pope and to Pepin”. The latter claim was laughable at best and was clearly made up by the Pope, but Paul’s gambit was that many phantom threats would equal a real one. Unluckily for him, that was not the case. Pepin was no fool, and the trick used by the Pope to send the letter (that is, showing Desiderius the first, fake one, in order to grant safe passage to the envoys who would sneak the secret one) was ill received by the Frankish court. However, the Pope had a point: Adelchis was too valuable an asset to be handed back. He, and his closest friends (whose feats would later be immortalized as “The Iron Companions” in the homonym epic poem), would stay, while all the other hostages were to be returned.
This would have been received with a shock of rage in Pavia, if it were not for a secret offer that came along with the Frankish envoys escorting the hostages back home…

 

[Mccarthypaddy1216]

I like what I’m reading so far and get a chance to see a A part of Italian history you never really get to read about good job mate

 

[Tarabas]

I like what I’m reading so far and get a chance to see a A part of Italian history you never really get to read about good job mate

Thank you very much! Glad you like it, I appreciate very much your feedback. Yes, this part of the history of Italy (a staggering two centuries) is usually treated as a parenthesis, a mere interlude, while I find it so fascinating...

 

[Tarabas]

Narrative Interlude n° 1: “For Saint John protects the Realm"

“Prophecies are fulfilled only by who believes in them”.

"The Diaries of Desiderius", fragmentum 11

A.D. 759

Desiderius was walking alone inside the Basilica. Nobody was to enter, apart from a special visit he was expecting. The King liked to spent some time inside empty churches. He had the word spread that he was constantly and devoting praying, but that was far from the truth. The dark and cold halls of some churches were good places to think freely, letting the stream of his thought go whenever they pleased. it was relaxing, and it really helped him see which path to choose. God knew if he needed that in that moment; for this he had chosen the Basilica of Saint John in Monza. The place was not as well kept as one could expect (one beam of two seemed to be dangerously rotten; the rumors that the local priest was stealing from the Church’s own funds, part of the reason which had attracted the king there in the first place, had to be true) and one but you could breath history inside that place, where three lombard kings, (most remarkably Rotari, the legislator) and the great Queen Teodelinda had being laid to rest until kingdom come. Well, Rotari’s eternal sleep had not been an easy one, since his very son Rodoaldus had decided to open up his tomb and steal the treasures buried inside. A king could never truly get some peace and quiet, apparently. Desiderius then remembered that the very Saint John had appeared in a vision to Rodoaldus, banishing him forever from the Church forever. When Rodoaldus had to get back inside (to what end Desiderius could not understand) a mysterious forced had repelled him, hitting the poor idiot at the throat. You don’t mess with Saint John, Desiderius mused. He half-jokingly asked the saint to grant him the same power to repel any invader from his Kingdom. He would then be openly called “The Franks’ Bane”, not the “Frank’s puppet” at his back. He could not totally blame who called him that, however: that’s how he got his crown, after all. This made him think of his biggest problem.
“Saint John, forget about that power. Could you just give our Holy Father Paul some good sense?”. He even imagined the Baptist replying “How many people at one time you wish to repel?”. A wolfish half smile appeared on the king’s face. He had four cities occupied back in retaliation for the trick of the hidden letter. Ho would have to hand them back eventually, though. For three he did not care much, but Ravenna was too high a prize, and he wanted it. He had also set things in motion for this to happen, but it was not time-not yet. Maybe he should pray for good. He kneeled in a small Chapel on the right side. There the sorry state of the Basilica was even more clear; a beam was so rotten it would crack at the first touch. He would solve this later. He reached for his sword, and laid it at the altar’s feet. He did in in an impulse, as if inspired by the Baptist. Maybe he wanted to purifiy it from the blood he had spilled? True, fe had done for the realm, but… what was the realm? And where was Paul- the Deacon, not the Pope? He should have already arrived.
For the first time in months, the king truly prayed. It had been two long tiring years since he had become king… Peace, he felt peace. Maybe he was really atoning for his sins? And then, a noise distracted him. It was a footstep, no doubt. No one was allowed inside, unless... Desiderius had already reached for his sword. His instinct had saved him. He parried and slashed back at the two men who had sneaked behind his back God knew from where.
“Death to the Frankish puppet!” yelled the shortest one. This would alarm the guards outside, but they were far. The two men were young and strong; Desiderius needed to act quickly. He dished the shortest one, his blade fleeing through the hall. The tallest was a giant, nearly as tall as…. Desiderius charged forward with cold fury. The giant, caught by surprise, moved backwards and backwards. Desiderius then with all hi weight against him, knocking him against the beam- which broke instantly, with part of the roof. A stone hit the giant neat on the head, killing him on spot. The shortest one, who had recovered his blade, came back at Desiderius. The king was tired (and aghast at the lack of support of his bloody guards) but he guessed Saint John was protecting him, as he managed to kill the man. He then went to the door, which had been closed from the inside. He opened it, and two of his guards, who had been alarmed and were trying to force through the entrance, fell inside. Desiderius looked coldly at them. Small wonder the Franks could make as they wished whenever they crossed the Alps. With a glacial calm, the King ordered “ Take the priest”.
Some hours later, Paul the Deacon, the most famous and renowned Lombard historian of all times, was brought in from of his King. His delay was suspicious, and he was from a great Friulan family- kin to the ones who had so clumsily tried and kill their own king, as the parish priest, their accomplice, had revealed. Besides, Desiderius was waiting for him in Monza, in order to give him a task “of the utmost importance”.
“Why do you think I summoned you here?” The king asked. He was coldly courteous- more precisely, he was curious.
Paul’s answer was firm and brilliant- although Desiderius could see the man was uncomfortable. Was it shock for the news, or he expected to get different news?
“Your majesty has received an offer by the Frankish king. I suppose, a proposal of bethrotal between your son Adelchi and Gisela, daughter of Pepin. I also suppose you are willing to accept, so the only reason I can think of is to go as an envoy at the Frankish court, and serve as a councilor for the young prince.”
Desiderius was pleased. He replied: “Wise man often do foolish things- they seldom do stupid things”.
“What do you mean, your majesty?”
“You are clearly clever as I remembered. You cannot be so stupid as to come here- if you were part of the plot.”
“Maybe I got word and came to play the innocent.”
Desiderius laughed. “Then you would be the boldest man, the very man I need besides my son. So, will you stand beside your king?”
“I will”.
“Good. You will travel as soon as you’re ready."
“Before I go, there is something Your Majesty should know. An old prophecy has been confirmed today.”
“Prophecies are fulfilled only by who believes in them”.
"You should write this, your majesty. Looks like a good advice to your son."
"Maybe I will. Or you will. Go on."
“An hermit said to the Emperos Constans II, who was trying to retake Italy, that the Lombard Kingdom would be invincible until the Basilica of Saint John in Monza would be cared for- and the devotion to Saint John kept strong. For Saint John protects the realm”.
“Saint John protects the realm.” Desiderius replied. Saint John had really protected him, today. This gave him and idea. “You shall be my son’s mentor and councilor. at the Frankish court, where he will wed the girl, Gisela. You shall also write the story of what happened today, then. How the Baptist summoned my sword in my hands, and how he made collapse the roof of the Chapel-as he did not bear the presence of unholy murderers in his Basilica. We order a grand reform of this most Holy temple, to make it one of the most splendid in Christendom. It will be our humble thanksgiving to Saint John, for he protects the realm!”.
“As your Majesty commands”.
“So be it. You are dismissed”.
Desiderius wanted to go to sleep, but he left that very night instead, headed for Austria [1], to spill some blood- or better said, to administer his justice. If that was what God Almighty wanted of him, so be it. “For Saint John may protect the realm, but it is Desiderius who rules it”. Whatever “the realm” was.

 

[Mccarthypaddy1216]

I think this is a good chapter you get a feel for the character’s personality and what’s going through his head but there were some minor misspellings and Errors other than that it was very decent

 

[Tarabas]

I think this is a good chapter you get a feel for the character’s personality and what’s going through his head but there were some minor misspellings and Errors other than that it was very decent

Glad you liked it! And again, thanks a lot for your feedback. Any criticism, questions, suggestions are most welcome! Sorry for the misspellings, misprint is my middle name.. I will reread carefully and fix them asap!