Editing Padua (section)

===Late Antiquity===
The history of Padua during [[Late Antiquity]] follows the course of events common to most cities of north-eastern Italy. Padua suffered from the invasion of the [[Huns]] and was savagely sacked by [[Attila the Hun|Attila]] in 450. A number of years afterward, it fell under the control of the [[Goths|Gothic]] kings [[Odoacer]] and [[Theodoric the Great]]. It was reconquered for a short time by the [[Byzantine Empire]] in 540 during the [[Gothic War (535–554)|Gothic War]]. However, depopulation from plague and war ensued. The city was again seized by the Goths under [[Totila]], but was restored to the Eastern Empire by [[Narses]] only to fall under the control of the [[Lombards]] in 568. During these years, many Paduans sought safety in the countryside and especially in the nearby lagoons of what would become [[Venice]]. In 601, the city rose in revolt against [[Agilulf]], the Lombard king who put the city under siege. After enduring a 12-year-long bloody siege, the Lombards stormed and burned the city. Many ancient artifacts and buildings were seriously damaged. The remains of an amphitheater (the ''Arena'') and some bridge foundations are all that remain of Roman Padua today.{{Dubious|date=July 2012}} The townspeople fled to the hills and later returned to eke out a living among the ruins; the ruling class abandoned the city for the [[Venetian Lagoon]], according to a chronicle.{{Citation needed|date=September 2010}} The city did not easily recover from this blow, and Padua was still weak when the [[Franks]] succeeded the Lombards as masters of northern Italy.