Obraz Longobardów w "Liber Pontificalis". Od inwazji na Italię do upadku królestwa (568/569–774)
The image of the Lombards in "Liber Pontificalis". From the invasion of Italy till the fall of their Kingdom (568/569–774)

Summary/Abstract: The article concerns the image of the Lombards in "Liber Pontificalis", the chronicle of papal pontificates, which represented point of view of popes and their environment. In biographies of popes from the end of 6th century the Lombards appeared quite often as invaders plundering Italy however, due to generally laconic and reporting character of those vitae, information which concerned the Lombards was short and deprived of clear rhetorical features. In biographies from 7th century the Lombards were absent. The Lombards became the object of biographers’ interest in 8th century along with resuming Lombard military pressure. Biographies from that period were literary expanded and focused on Lombard rulers. The image of the kings was quite diverse in them though all were treated as danger for the Apostolic See. In the case of king Liutprand, positive elements was noticed as well. The image of Ratchis is similar. Aiustlf was described in extreme negative way because he attempted to conquer Rome. The median of the images of Liutprand and Aisutlf is the image of king Desiderius. Right is the claim, that the negative image of the Lombards in that period was attached to the lack of earlier intensive contact between them and papacy, which escalated in Rome the feeling of unfamiliarity and memory of the danger they were in 6th century. It seems however that the crucial factor, influencing on the image of the Lombards in "Liber Pontificalis", was just the necessity to present the popes in the most positive way, what was done at the cost of the Lombards.

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