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196 conquer for themselves a better and richer land in Italy, which many of them already knew. At the command of Alboin they assembled on 1 April 568, with family, goods and chattels, with a mixed multitude of all the subjugated races already assimilated by their people. With a great number of allies — 20,000 Saxons among others — and grouped in tribes (fara) they crossed the Alps under the guidance of Alboin. About the same time Narses was recalled by Justinian's successor: hence arose a rumour, reporting that the commander had committed treason, by calling the Lombards; and this became the saga of Narses.

In spite of the well-organised defensive system which Narses had established, the Romans seem to have been surprised and made no attempt at defence. The Lombards threw down the Friulian limes with its castles and, marching into the Venetian plain, took Cividale (Forum Julii), the first important place that fell into their hands, and afterwards the residence of the ducal dynasty of the Gisulfings; they also destroyed the town of Aquileia, whose patriarch fled to Grado, the later New-Aquileia, with his treasure, part of the population, and of the soldiers. But the imperialists succeeded in holding out in Padua, Monselice, and Mantua, thereby defending the line of the Po, while Vicenza and Verona fell into Alboin's hands, so that the important limes of Tridentum, which bordered on Bavaria in the north, was separated from the bulk of the imperial army. On 4 September 569, Alboin entered Milan; the archbishop Honoratus fled to Genoa, which for two generations remained the asylum of the bishops of Milan. Ticinum (Pavia) alone offered resistance for a time and could only be taken after a long siege, during which and afterwards other Lombard troops scoured the country up to the Alps and took possession of the land except a few fortifications. Undoubtedly the Lombard bands had as little idea of systematic attack as the imperialists of systematic defence: and it seems the latter judged the Lombard invasions to be like other barbarian invasions, which soon passed away. Alboin himself seems to have dated his reign in Italy from the time of his occupation of Milan.

Alboin did not long enjoy his fame. Revolted by her husband's insolence, who forced her to drink from a cup made of her father Kunimund's skull, Rosamund conspired with Alboin's foster-brother Helmechis and a powerful man called Peredeo; the barbarian hero-king was murdered in his bed (in spring 572). But as Rosamund could not realise her plan of taking possession of the throne with Helmechis, against the Lombards' opposition, the two fled to Ravenna, taking the royal treasure with them. Here the queen wanted to get rid of her accomplice and marry Longinus, praefect of Italy; but Helmechis forced her to finish the poison she had given him. So the praefect could only deliver Alboin's daughter and the treasure to Constantinople, This is what the saga related, and we can neither