Thrasimund II of Spoleto
Encyclopedia
Thrasimund II or Transamund II was the Lombard
Duke of Spoleto from 724 to 745, though he was twice driven from power by the king, Liutprand
. Transamund rose to power by deposing his own father, Faroald II
, and tonsuring him in a monastery.
In 737 or 738, Thrasimund captured Gallese
and thus disrupted communication between Rome
and Ravenna
. Pope Gregory III
offered to pay for the return of Gallese in return for a peace treaty with Thrasimund. The treaty included the duke of Benevento, Gregory
. Liutprand rejected the treaty as contrary his interests and attacked Thrasimund as a traitor. He had taken Spoleto by 16 June 739 and appointed Hilderic
as his replacement. Thrasimund fled to Rome, where Liutprand besieged him. The king took Amelia
, Orte
, Bomarzo
, and Bieda, but still the pope refused to release his refugee. Gregory even wrote to ask Charles Martel
, Duke of the Franks
, for assistance. Charles, however, refused.
In December 740, Thrasimund recovered his duchy and killed Hilderic with Papal-Beneventan aid, but did not return the confiscated papal cities and his alliance with the pope ruptured. Liutprand did not recognise Thrasimund's reconquest and set out to dispossess him a second time. This time Liutprand met with Gregory's successor, Zachary
, in 742 and, promising to restore the four towns, allied with the Romans and forced Thrasimund to flee again. Thrasimund was caught and put in a monastery. Agiprand
, Liutprand's nephew, was put in his place. The new duke of Benevento, Godescalc
, who had succeeded Gregory without royal assent and continued to support Thrasimund, was the next object of royal wrath.
On Liutprand's death in 744, Thrasimund managed to regain power in Spoleto. He lasted another year under the weak King Hildeprand the Useless until he died.
Lombards
The Lombards , also referred to as Longobards, were a Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin, who from 568 to 774 ruled a Kingdom in Italy...
Duke of Spoleto from 724 to 745, though he was twice driven from power by the 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...
. Transamund rose to power by deposing his own father, Faroald II
Faroald II of Spoleto
Faroald II was the duke of Spoleto from 703, when he succeeded his own father Thrasimund I.Faroald attacked and took Classis, the port of Ravenna, but he was ordered to return it by King Liutprand. Faroald also founded and endowed the monastery of San Pietro in Valle at Ferentillo...
, and tonsuring him in a monastery.
In 737 or 738, Thrasimund captured Gallese
Gallese
Gallese is an Italian comune in the Province of Viterbo, 35 km from that city.It was taken by Duke Thrasimund II of Spoleto in 737 or 738, at which time it was essential to communications between Rome and Ravenna and had a large fortress....
and thus disrupted communication between Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and Ravenna
Ravenna
Ravenna is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy and the second largest comune in Italy by land area, although, at , it is little more than half the size of the largest comune, Rome...
. Pope Gregory III
Pope Gregory III
Pope Saint Gregory III was pope from 731 to 741. A Syrian by birth, he succeeded Gregory II in March 731. His pontificate, like that of his predecessor, was disturbed by the iconoclastic controversy in the Byzantine Empire, in which he vainly invoked the intervention of Charles Martel.Elected by...
offered to pay for the return of Gallese in return for a peace treaty with Thrasimund. The treaty included the duke of Benevento, Gregory
Gregory of Benevento
Gregory was a nephew of King Liutprand of the Lombards, who appointed him Duke of Benevento in 733 or thereabouts after removing both the usurper Audelais and the minor Gisulf II. He governed the "people of the Samnites," as Paul the Deacon calls the Beneventans, for seven years.He was married to...
. Liutprand rejected the treaty as contrary his interests and attacked Thrasimund as a traitor. He had taken Spoleto by 16 June 739 and appointed Hilderic
Hilderic of Spoleto
Hilderic was the Lombard Duke of Spoleto briefly from 739 to 740. He was the first appointee of Liutprand, King of the Lombards, against the rebellious Thrasimund II....
as his replacement. Thrasimund fled to Rome, where Liutprand besieged him. The king took Amelia
Amelia
-Places:* Amelia, Umbria, a town in Italy* Amelia, Louisiana, a census-designated place in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana, United States* Amelia, Nebraska, an unincorporated community in Holt County, Nebraska, United States...
, Orte
Orte
Orte is a comune in the province of Viterbo, in the Italian region Latium Lazio, located about 60 km north of Rome and about 24 km east of Viterbo. As of 31 December 2006, Orte had a population of 8,364....
, Bomarzo
Bomarzo
Bomarzo is a town and comune of the province of Viterbo , in the lower valley of the Tiber. It is located 14.5 km ENE of Viterbo and 68 km NNW of Rome.-History:...
, and Bieda, but still the pope refused to release his refugee. Gregory even wrote to ask Charles Martel
Charles Martel
Charles Martel , also known as Charles the Hammer, was a Frankish military and political leader, who served as Mayor of the Palace under the Merovingian kings and ruled de facto during an interregnum at the end of his life, using the title Duke and Prince of the Franks. In 739 he was offered the...
, Duke of the Franks
Duke of the Franks
The title dux et princeps Francorum, or duke and prince of the Franks, was the title adopted by Pepin of Heristal after his epoch-making victory at the Battle of Tertry in 687...
, for assistance. Charles, however, refused.
In December 740, Thrasimund recovered his duchy and killed Hilderic with Papal-Beneventan aid, but did not return the confiscated papal cities and his alliance with the pope ruptured. Liutprand did not recognise Thrasimund's reconquest and set out to dispossess him a second time. This time Liutprand met with Gregory's successor, Zachary
Pope Zachary
Pope Saint Zachary was Pope of the Catholic Church from 741 to 752. A Greek from Calabria, he was the last pope of the Byzantine Papacy...
, in 742 and, promising to restore the four towns, allied with the Romans and forced Thrasimund to flee again. Thrasimund was caught and put in a monastery. Agiprand
Agiprand of Spoleto
Agiprand was briefly the Duke of Spoleto between 742 and 744.In late 741, Thrasimund II refused to return to Pope Gregory III those cities he had promised him and Gregory's successor, Zachary, turned for support to King Liutprand...
, Liutprand's nephew, was put in his place. The new duke of Benevento, Godescalc
Godescalc of Benevento
Godescalc, was the Duke of Benevento in Langobardia minor from 740 to his assassination in 743. Godescalc's accession was without approval of the king....
, who had succeeded Gregory without royal assent and continued to support Thrasimund, was the next object of royal wrath.
On Liutprand's death in 744, Thrasimund managed to regain power in Spoleto. He lasted another year under the weak King Hildeprand the Useless until he died.
Sources
- 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. Translated by William Dudley Foulke. University of Pennsylvania: 1907. - Hartmann, Ludo Moritz. Geschichte Italiens im Mittelalter. Gotha, 1903.
- Hodgkin, ThomasThomas Hodgkin (historian)Thomas Hodgkin , British historian, son of John Hodgkin , barrister and Quaker minister, and Elizabeth Howard ....
. Italy and her Invaders. Clarendon Press: 1895.