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584] and on the other side, a Frankish duke, Chramnichis, advanced from Austrasia into the dukedom of Trent, but was, after a short success, totally defeated with his troops by the duke Evin near Salurn. These conflicts took a dangerous aspect when the Emperor Maurice sent subsidies (50,000 solidi) to the young king Childebert of Austrasia in order to drive out the Lombards.

In 584 King Childebert conducted an army against Italy, and so weak had the want of monarchical leading rendered the Lombard dukes that they dared not offer resistance, and sent presents in token of submission. Besides this their force of resistance had been weakened by the treason of some of their fellow-countrymen who were not ashamed of joining the imperialists against their own people. The imperial policy was to combat barbarians with barbarians, and to spend abundant means for this purpose. In this manner they had won over the duke Drocton of Brexillum, a Lombard duke of Suevic family, who succeeded in expelling Faroald from Classis, and other deserters were found as well. Standing in danger of losing all their booty by dispersing their forces, the dukes of West Italy at last resolved to unite again under a king's leading.

They elected Authari the son of Cleph (584), and conceded to him (as we hear), in order to give material foundation to the new kingdom, half of their own lands, which were later administered by royal gastaldi. The dukedom had, in consequence of the settlements during the last ten years, become quite a different thing from what it had been at the time of Alboin, and also the new kingdom was obliged to represent not only the leading power of the army as before but also territorial power.

The king's attempt to strengthen the new central power against the forces of disunion, grown strong during the last period, now formed the most important part of the Lombard State's politics, as it was the king's task to form a really united State. He was no longer satisfied with the dignity of a barbarian chieftain, but aspired to reign lawfully within the territory of the Roman Empire. We see this from the fact that Authari first took up the name Flavius, which all his successors kept, though he was not acknowledged by the Empire, as for instance Theodoric had been.

The Lombards wanted this territory to comprise all Italy, and a legend illustrating the fact tells us that Authari rode into the sea at the south point of Italy, and touched a solitary column, projecting out of the waves, with his spear and called out: "This is to be the boundary of the Lombard realm"; but in reality Authari's task was of a more modest character and limited to the north of Italy. A new attack of the Austrasians failed in consequence of the leaders' disagreements, and as the Exarch Smaragdus felt too weak to offer resistance to the Lombards without their help, Authari managed to conclude an armistice for three