Romuald II of Benevento
Encyclopedia
Romuald II the Younger was the son of Gisulf I
and Winiperga. He succeeded as duke of Benevento on the death of his father, which is dated variously as 698, 706, or 707. According to Paul the Deacon
, Gisulf reigned 17 years, which would imply his death in 698, but Paul also mentions acts which seem certainly to have occurred around 705. He gives Romuald a reign of 26 years, which puts his death in either 724, 731, or 732.
Romuald conflicted with both the Duchy of Spoleto
and the Duchy of Naples
during his long reign. Conflict with the latter brought him into conflict with the Papacy as well. He took the outlying castle of Cumae
from John I of Naples
in 716 and ignored Pope Gregory II
's pleas and offers of compensation for restitution. In 717, the pope funded an expedition of John's which decisively defeated his gastald
's army and displaced his men from Cuma.
Romuald was married twice: firstly to Guntberga (or Gumperga), daughter of King Liutprand
's sister Aurona, and secondly to Ranigunda, daughter of Duke Gaiduald of Brescia. He was succeeded by his son by Gumperga, Gisulf II
, but he was a minor and was removed by the usurper Adelais
, though his life was spared.
Gisulf I of Benevento
Gisulf I was the duke of Benevento from 680, when his brother Grimoald died. His father was Romuald I. His mother was Theodrada , daughter of Lupus of Friuli, and she exercised the regency for him for the first years of his reign....
and Winiperga. He succeeded as duke of Benevento on the death of his father, which is dated variously as 698, 706, or 707. According to Paul the Deacon
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:...
, Gisulf reigned 17 years, which would imply his death in 698, but Paul also mentions acts which seem certainly to have occurred around 705. He gives Romuald a reign of 26 years, which puts his death in either 724, 731, or 732.
Romuald conflicted with both the Duchy of Spoleto
Duchy of Spoleto
The independent Duchy of Spoleto was a Lombard territory founded about 570 in central Italy by the Lombard dux Faroald.- Lombards :The Lombards, a Germanic people, had invaded Italy in 568 and conquered much of it, establishing a Kingdom divided between several dukes dependent on the King, who had...
and the Duchy of Naples
Duchy of Naples
The Duchy of Naples began as a Byzantine province that was constituted in the seventh century, in the reduced coastal lands that the Lombards had not conquered during their invasion of Italy in the sixth century...
during his long reign. Conflict with the latter brought him into conflict with the Papacy as well. He took the outlying castle of Cumae
Cumae
Cumae is an ancient Greek settlement lying to the northwest of Naples in the Italian region of Campania. Cumae was the first Greek colony on the mainland of Italy , and the seat of the Cumaean Sibyl...
from John I of Naples
John I of Naples
John I was the duke of Naples from September 711 to his death, probably in 719. The main source for his reign is the Chronicon ducum et principum Beneventi, Salerni, et Capuae et ducum Neapolis....
in 716 and ignored Pope Gregory II
Pope Gregory II
Pope Saint Gregory II was pope from May 19, 715 to his death on February 11, 731, succeeding Pope Constantine. Having, it is said, bought off the Lombards for thirty pounds of gold, Charles Martel having refused his call for aid, he used the tranquillity thus obtained for vigorous missionary...
's pleas and offers of compensation for restitution. In 717, the pope funded an expedition of John's which decisively defeated his gastald
Gastald
A gastald was a Lombard official in charge of some portion of the royal demesne with civil, martial, and judicial powers. By the Edictum Rothari of 643, the gastalds were given the civil authority in the cities and the reeves the like authority in the countryside...
's army and displaced his men from Cuma.
Romuald was married twice: firstly to Guntberga (or Gumperga), daughter of King Liutprand
Liutprand, King of the Lombards
Liutprand was the King of the Lombards from 712 to 744 and is chiefly remembered for his Donation of Sutri, in 728, and his long reign, which brought him into a series of conflicts, mostly successful, with most of Italy. He profited by Byzantine weakness to enlarge his domains in Emilia and the...
's sister Aurona, and secondly to Ranigunda, daughter of Duke Gaiduald of Brescia. He was succeeded by his son by Gumperga, Gisulf II
Gisulf II of Benevento
Gisulf II was the third last duke of Benevento before the fall of the Lombard kingdom. He ruled from 743, when King Liutprand came down and removed Godescalc, to his death up to ten years later....
, but he was a minor and was removed by the usurper Adelais
Audelais of Benevento
Audelais was an usurper of the duchy of Benevento for two years after the death of Romuald II. He overthrew Romuald's son and heir, Gisulf II....
, though his life was spared.
Sources
- Lexikon des Mittelalters: Romuald II. Herzog von Benevent (698-724).
- Paul the DeaconPaul the DeaconPaul the Deacon , also known as Paulus Diaconus, Warnefred, Barnefridus and Cassinensis, , was a Benedictine monk and historian of the Lombards.-Life:...
. Historia Langobardorum. Available at Northvegr.