The region of the north, in proportion as it is removed from the heat of the sun and is chilled with snow and frost, is so much the more healthful to the bodies of men and fitted for the propagation of nations, just as, on the other hand, every southern region, the nearer it is to the heat of the sun, the more it abounds in diseases and is less fitted for the bringing up of the human race. From this it happens that such great multitudes of peoples spring up in the north, and that that entire region from...

Now when the frequent victories of the Langobards were noised about in every direction, Narses, keeper of the imperial archives, who was then ruling over Italy and preparing for war against Totila, king of the Goths, inasmuch as he long before had the Langobards for allies, directed messengers to Alboin, asking that he should furnish him assistance to fight with the Goths. Then Alboin sent a chosen band of his¹ to give support to the Romans against the Goths. They were transported into Italy by a bay² of the Adriatic sea, and having joined the Romans, began the struggle with...

Some of the dukes of the Langobards then, with a strong army invaded Gaul.¹ Hospitius, a man of God, who had been cloistered at Nicea (Nice), foresaw their invasion a long while beforehand, by revelation of the Holy Spirit, and predicted to the citizens of that city what calamities were impending. For he was a man of the greatest abstinence and of praiseworthy life, who, bound by iron chains upon his flesh and clad with goat’s hair, used bread alone and a few dates for his food. But in the days of Lent he mas nourished by the roots of...

When therefore Agilulf, who was also called Ago, had been confirmed in the royal dignity¹ he sent Agnellus,² Bishop of Tridentum (Trent) to France for the sake of those who had been led captive by the Franks from the fortified places of Tridentum. And Agnellus, on his return thence, brought back with him a number of captives whom Brunihilde,³ the queen of the Franks had ransomed with her own money. Also Euin, duke of the people of Trent, proceeded to Gaul to obtain peace and when he had procured it he returned.

In this year there was a very severe...

When therefore Grimuald had been confirmed in the sovereignty¹ at Ticinum, he married not long afterward king Aripert’s daughter who had already been betrothed to him and whose brother Godepert he had killed. He sent back indeed to their own homes, supplied with many gifts, the army of Beneventines by whose aid he had acquired the sovereignty. He kept however quite a number of them to dwell with him, bestowing upon them very extensive possessions.

When he afterwards learned that Perctarit had gone to Scythia as an exile and was living with the Cagan, he sent word to this Cagan,...

While these things were occurring among the Langobards across the Po, Romuald, duke of the Beneventines after he had collected a great multitude of an army, attacked and captured Tarentum (Taranto) and in like manner Brundisium (Brindisi) and subjugated to his dominion all that very extensive region which surrounds them.¹ His wife Theuderata, too, built at the same time, a church in honor of the blessed apostle Peter outside the walls of the city of Beneventum and in that place she established a convent of many nuns.

Romuald, too, after he had governed the dukedom sixteen years was withdrawn from...