Editing Lombards (section)

====Arian monarchy====
{{Unreferenced section|date=October 2018}}
[[File:Chlothar II.jpg|thumb|The Frankish [[Merovingian]] King [[Chlothar II]] in combat with the Lombards]]
In 572, Alboin was murdered in Verona in a plot led by his wife, Rosamund, who later fled to [[Ravenna]]. His successor, [[Cleph]], was also assassinated, after a ruthless reign of 18 months. His death began an interregnum of years (the "[[Rule of the Dukes]]") during which the [[Duke (Lombard)|duke]]s did not elect any king, a period regarded as a time of violence and disorder. In 586, threatened by a Frankish invasion, the dukes elected Cleph's son, [[Authari]], as king. In 589, he married [[Theodelinda]], daughter of [[Garibald I of Bavaria]], the Duke of [[Duchy of Bavaria|Bavaria]]. The Catholic Theodelinda was a friend of [[Pope Gregory I]] and pushed for Christianization. In the meantime, Authari embarked on a policy of internal reconciliation and tried to reorganize royal administration. The dukes yielded half their estates for the maintenance of the king and his court in Pavia. On the foreign affairs side, Authari managed to thwart the dangerous alliance between the Byzantines and the Franks.

Authari died in 591 and was succeeded by [[Agilulf]], the duke of [[Duchy of Turin|Turin]], who also married Theodelinda in the same year. Agilulf successfully fought the rebel dukes of northern Italy, conquering [[Padua]] in 601, [[Cremona]] and [[Mantua]] in 603, and forcing the [[Exarch of Ravenna]] to pay tribute. Agilulf died in 616; Theodelinda reigned alone until 628 when she was succeeded by [[Adaloald]]. [[Arioald]], the head of the Arian opposition who had married Theodelinda's daughter Gundeperga, later deposed Adaloald.

Arioald was succeeded by [[Rothari]], regarded by many authorities as the most energetic of all Lombard kings. He extended his dominions, conquering [[Liguria]] in 643 and the remaining part of the Byzantine territories of inner [[Veneto]], including the Roman city of ''Opitergium'' ([[Oderzo]]). Rothari also made the famous edict bearing his name, the ''[[Edictum Rothari]]'', which established the laws and the customs of his people in [[Latin]]: the edict did not apply to the tributaries of the Lombards, who could retain their own laws. Rothari's son [[Rodoald]] succeeded him in 652, still very young, and was killed by his opponents.

At the death of King [[Aripert I]] in 661, the kingdom was split between his children [[Perctarit]], who set his capital in Milan, and [[Godepert]], who reigned from [[Pavia]] ([[Ticinum]]). Perctarit was overthrown by [[Grimoald I of Benevento|Grimoald]], son of Gisulf, duke of [[Duchy of Friuli|Friuli]] and [[Duchy of Benevento|Benevento]] since 647. Perctarit fled to the [[Avars (Carpathians)|Avars]] and then to the Franks. Grimoald managed to regain control over the duchies and deflected the late attempt of the [[Byzantine emperor]] [[Constans II (Byzantine Empire)|Constans II]] to conquer southern Italy. He also defeated the Franks. At Grimoald's death in 671 [[Perctarit]] returned and promoted tolerance between Arians and Catholics, but he could not defeat the Arian party, led by Arachi, duke of [[Duchy of Tridentum|Trento]], who submitted only to his son, the philo-Catholic [[Cunincpert]].

The Lombards engaged in fierce battles with [[Slavic peoples]] during these years: from 623 to 626 the Lombards unsuccessfully attacked the [[Carantania]]ns, and, in 663–64, the Slavs raided the [[Vipava Valley]] and the [[Friuli]].