Monday 6 July 2015

Paulus Diaconus: a treacherous widow (part 2).



The story of the Longobards and the Avars continues. I say `story’ and not `history ‘: though Paulus Diaconus called his work a historia, there are many elements which rather point to a story. Take for instance the episode below of the small boy Grimoaldus who is taken prisoner, but succeeds in killing his captor. It is highly unlikely that this happened, but within the framework of the story it functions as example of heroism.
The fate of Romilda is gruelling: after one night sleeping was her, the king of the Avars gives her over to twelve men to rape her and after that he orders to put her on a sharp stake. The sexual connotation is evident: as a punishment for her lust she is split from below. But this apt punishment is maybe a bit too fitting: the Avars are barbarous monsters and Romilda is a sexual pervert and of course this is simply how Paulus wants us to understand them. Probably Romilda had something to do with betraying Friuli and I won’t be surprised if she was actually killed, but I am not convinced of the historical details Paulus presents us.
The final part tells how her daughters were quite unlike their mother and preserved their virginity while in captivity. They did this by putting pieces of raw chicken meat between their breasts under the band, which due to the heat soon started to rot away and spread a sinking smell (crudorum pullorum carnes sibi inter mammas sub fascia posuerunt, quae ex calore putrefactae odorem foetidum exalabant). This kept the Avars away from the girls and Paulus advises this device for other women in the same position. This too sounds rather as a made up story than as history, but again, it has a purpose within the wider framework: set in opposition to their mother they had to keep their virginity.
Mediaeval historical narrative has moral overtones: what actually happened is presented equally with what should have happened. This to the great frustration of modern historians, but it makes good reading!


Paulus Diaconus, Historia Langobardorum 4, 37 (second part):

Taso vero et Cacco seu Raduald, filii Gisulfi et Romildae, cum hanc Avarorum malitiam cognovissent, statim ascensis equis fugam arripiunt. E quibus unus Grimoaldum puerulum fratrem suum, dum existimaret utpote parvulum super equum currentem se tenere non posse, melius ducens eundem gladio perimere quam captivitatis iugum sustinere, eum occidere voluit. Cum igitur ut eum percuteret lanceam elevasset, puer lacrimans exclamavit, dicens: «Noli me pungere, quia possum me super equum tenere». Qui iniecta manu eum per brachium adprehendens super nudum equi dorsum posuit eundemque ut si posset se continere hortatus est. Puer vero frenum equi manu arripiens, fugientes germanos et ipse secutus est. Quo conperto, Avares mox ascensis equis eos persecuti sunt; sed reliquis veloci fuga evadentibus, Grimoald puerulus ab uno eorum, qui velocius cucurrerat, capitur. Nec tamen eum suus conprehensor gladio ferire propter parvitatem aetatis dignatus est, sed sibi eundem potius serviturum reservavit. Cumque eum ad castra revertens adprehenso eiusdem equi freno reduceret deque tam nobili praeda exultaret – erat enim ipse puerulus eleganti forma, micantibus oculis, lacteo crine perfusus –; qui cum se captivum trahi doleret,

Ingentes animos angusto in pectore versans,

ensem, qualem in illa aetate habere poterat, vagina exemit seque trahentem Avarem, quantulo adnisu valuit, capitis in verticem percussit. Moxque ad cerebrum ictus perveniens, hostis ab equo deiectus est. Puer vero Grimuald verso equo fugam laetabundus arripiens, tandem fratribus iunctus est eisque liberatione sua, nuntiato insuper hostis interitu, inaestimabile gaudium fecit. Avares vero omnes Langobardos qui iam in virili aetate erant gladio perimunt, mulieres vero et parvulos captivitatis iugo addicunt. Romildam vero, quae totius malitiae caput extitit, rex Avarum propter iusiurandum, sicut ei spoponderat, nocte una quasi in matrimonio habuit, novissime vero duodecim Avaribus tradidit, qui eam per totam noctem vicibus sibi succedentes libidine vexarent. Postmodum quoque palum in medio campo configi praecipiens, eandem in eius acumine inseri mandavit, haec insuper exprobrando inquiens: «Talem te dignum est maritum habere». Igitur dira proditrix patriae tali exitio periit, quae amplius suae libidini quam civium et consanguineorum saluti prospexit. Filiae vero eius non matris libidinem secutae, sed castitatis amore studentes ne a barbaris contaminarentur, crudorum pullorum carnes sibi inter mammas sub fascia posuerunt, quae ex calore putrefactae odorem foetidum exalabant. Cumque eas vellent Avares contingere, non sustinentes foetorem, putabant eas naturaliter ita foetere, procul ab eis cum execratione recedentes atque dicentes, omnes Langobardas foetidas esse. Hac igitur arte Avarorum libidinem puellae nobiles evadentes, et ipsae castae servatae sunt et utile servandae castitatis, si quid tale feminis contigerit, mandaverunt  exemplum. Quae postea per diversas regiones venundatae, iuxta nobilitatem suam dignis sunt nuptiis potitae. Nam una earum Alamannorum regi, alia vero dicitur Baioariorum principi nupsisse.

dum existimaret utpote parvulum: as he expected namely that the small boy
ducens: considering
perimo peremi peremptum: to kill
iugum: yoke
pungo pupugi punctum: to prick, sting
iniecta manu: reaching his hand out
brachium: arm
frenum: rein
germanus: brother
quo conperto: when that had been discovered
reliquis veloci fuga evadentibus:  while the rest got away in fast flight
ferio: to strike
dignor: to deign
adprehenso…freno:  the rein being grasped
exulto + abl.: to be joyous about
mico: to glitter
lacteo crine perfusus: overflowing with blond hair
captivum trahi: to be taken as captive
Ingentes animos angusto in pectore versans (Virgil, Georgica, IV, 83): pondering great thoughts in his small heart
ensem, qualem in illa aetate habere poterat: a sword as great as he could handle at his age
eximo exemi exemptum: to draw out
quantulo adnisu valuit: with the little exertion he was capable of
ictus, us (m.): blow
nuntiato insuper hostis interitu: besides the death of the enemy being told
addico: to condemn to
caput: (here) cause
extitit = fuit
iusiurandum: oath
spondeo spopondi sponsum: to promise
novissime: on the next day
vicibus: in turn
libidine vexarent: molested her with their lust
palus:  stake
configo confixi confixum: to fasten, set up
praecipio praecepi praeceptum: to order
insero inserui insertum: to put on
haec insuper exprobrando inquiens: saying besides this as reproach
dirus: terrible
proditrix- icis (f.): female traitor
quae amplius suae libidini quam prospexit: who looked more after her lust than etc.
castitatis amore studentes: striving for chastity in love (studeo is normally constructed with the dat.)
fascia:  a band, bondage (in this case for women to uphold the breasts.)
foetidus = fetidus: stinking
procul ab: far from
utile exemplum mandaverunt: they set a useful example for (utile is here constructed with gen.)
venundo: to sell
iuxta: according to
potior potitus sum (here with abl.): to get, acquire

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