Kilka uwag o dwóch opowieściach o zwycięstwie Longobardów nad Herulami (Paweł Diakon, Historia Langobardorum, I, 20 i Prokopiusz z Cezarei, De Bellis, VI, 14)
A few remarks on two stories about the Lombards victory over Heruls (Paul the Deacon, Historia Langobardorum, 1:20, and Procopius of Caesarea, De Bellis, 6:14)

Summary/Abstract: The article presents an analysis of two narratives of the war between the Heruls and the Lombards fought in 508. Leaving aside any attempts to see “how it really was” with the course of the conflict, the author focuses on a narrative side of the story written by Procopius of Caesarea and Paul the Deacon. The accounts of both authors are subjected to one main idea: that the victory depended neither on the size and strength of the army, nor the courage of the troops, but was the result of God’s decision to support one of the sides. In the version presented by Procopius, God in the form of a black cloud took side with the Lombards, who with a sense of profound humility wanted to avoid military conflict to the end, and were forced to go to war. The defeat of the Heruls was their punishment for initiating the war without any just reason. In the version presented by Paul the Deacon the defeat of the Heruls was the punishment for the arrogance of their king and the contempt this soldiers felt for the Lombardian troops.

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