Lombards
Their legacy is apparent in Lombardy, northern Italy, the region deriving its name from them. Roman-era historians in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD mention them as one of the Suebian peoples, living on the Lower Elbe. After a period with no contemporary accounts in the 3rd, 4th, and most of the 5th century, they reappear near the Danube river. Legendary accounts of their migration are found in early medieval texts, including the Origo Gentis Langobardorum and Paul the Deacon's History of the Lombards.
- Born
- 1st century AD (Lower Elbe region)
- Died
- Lombard identity and communities continued long after the 11th-century Norman conquest of their southern Italian states; the people did not simply cease to exist.
- Field
- Migration, conquest, kingdom-building
- Nationality
- Germanic (Suebian)
- Known for
- Conquest of Italy, founding of Lombard Kingdom, origin of Lombardy
Lore & Background
The Lombards first appear in Roman-era histories of the 1st and 2nd centuries AD as a Suebian people living on the Lower Elbe, near present-day Hamburg. There are no contemporary accounts of them in the 3rd or 4th century, or for most of the 5th century. They reappear near the Danube river, far to the south. Legendary accounts in the Origo Gentis Langobardorum, the Chronicon Gothanum, and Paul the Deacon's History describe a migration from near the North Sea to the Danube, though details differ. In the Danube region, they came into conflict with other kingdoms. Under King Tato (c. The Lombards also settled in Pannonia, in modern-day Hungary, where archaeologists have unearthed burial sites showing Lombard men and women buried together as families, unusual among Germanic peoples at the time.
Reader's Guide
The Lombards' significance lies in their conquest and settlement of Italy, which reshaped the political and cultural landscape of the peninsula. The Lombards were joined by numerous Saxons, Heruls, Gepids, Bulgars, Thuringians, and Ostrogoths, and their invasion was almost unopposed. They established a Lombard Kingdom in north and central Italy, reaching its zenith under the 8th-century ruler Liutprand. In 774 AD, the kingdom was conquered by the Frankish king Charlemagne and integrated into the Frankish Empire. Lombard nobles continued to rule southern parts of Italy into the 11th century, when they were conquered by the Normans and added to the County of Sicily. During this period, southern Italy under Lombard control was known to the Norse as Langbarðaland, as inscribed on Norse runestones. The name Lombardy derives from them, and their legacy persists in the region's identity.
Did You Know?
- The name Lombard likely derives from Proto-Germanic *lang- 'long' and *bard- 'beard', meaning 'the Long-beards'.
- Near Szólád, Hungary, archaeologists found Lombard burial sites with men and women buried together as families, unusual among Germanic peoples.
- The Lombard kingdom was conquered by Charlemagne in 774 AD and integrated into the Frankish Empire.
- Norse sources refer to Lombardy in northern Italy as Langbarðaland, not the Lombard-controlled southern principalities like Benevento.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where did the Lombards originally come from?
Roman-era historians from the 1st and 2nd centuries AD placed them among the Suebian peoples living along the Lower Elbe. After a long gap in the historical record during the 3rd through 5th centuries, they reappear near the Danube before their famous migration south into Italy.
How did the Lombard story end?
The main Lombard Kingdom in Italy fell in 774 AD, ending their rule over most of the peninsula. A smaller remnant in southern Italy persisted until the 11th century, when the Normans finally conquered them and erased the last Lombard political presence.
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