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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