Liutprand 1 was the king ("rex") of the Lombards from 712 to 744. He was the younger son of Ansprand 1; his mother was presumably Theodorada 2: Paul. Diac., Hist. Lang. VI 22. Brother of Sigiprand 1 and Aurona 1: Paul. Diac., Hist. Lang. VI 22 (Sigiprand 1 and Aurona 1), 50 (Aurona 1). He was related to Rothari 2: Paul. Diac., Hist. Lang. VI 38. Uncle of Agiprand 1: Lib. Pont. 93. 11 ("Agiprandum ducem Clusinum, nepotem suum"). Uncle also of Hildeprand 1 (his chosen successor): Lib. Pont. 93. 17. He was also uncle of Gumperga 1, the daughter of his sister Aurona 1: Paul. Diac., Hist. Lang. VI 50. Uncle of Aufusus 1, son of his sister: Paul. Diac., Hist. Lang. VI 58. Uncle of Gisulf 2: Paul. Diac., Hist. Lang. VI 55, 58. Uncle of Gregorios 80: Paul. Diac., Hist. Lang. VI 55. He was related to Petros 79: Paul. Diac., Hist. Lang. VI 58. After Agiprand 1 was driven to seek refuge among the Bavarians, Liutprand 1 was detained in custody by Aripert 1; unlike his siblings he was not subject by Aripert 1 to disfigurement, because he was already ugly and was still youthful ("despicabilem personam et adhuc adulescentulum") ; he was later allowed to leave and rejoin his father among the Bavarians: Paul. Diac., Hist. Lang. VI 22. After the overthrow of Aripert 1 (in 712) Ansprand 1 became king of the Lombards for three months but then died, though not before the Lombards chose Liutprand 1 as their king ("cernentes Langobardi huius interitum, Liutprandum, eius filium, in regali constituunt solio"): Paul. Diac., Hist. Lang. VI 35. He killed his relative Rothari 2 and the sons of Rothari 2, for conspiring against him: Paul. Diac., Hist. Lang. VI 38. He married Guntrut 1, a daughter of the dux of the Bavarians, Theutpert 1, at whose court he had lived in exile; they had one child, a daughter (Anonyma 50): Paul. Diac., Hist. Lang. VI 43. Early in the pontificate of pope Gregory II (Gregorios 72) (715-731) Liutprand 1 restored to the bishop of Rome the papal patrimony of the Cottian Alps, which he himself had recently taken back after Aripert 1 had restored it under pope John VII (Ioannes 228); he also confirmed the restoration: Lib. Pont. 91. 4, Paul. Diac., Hist. Lang. VI 43. He besieged Ravenna and seized Classis, from which he carried off many prisoners and much booty: Lib. Pont. 91. 13, Paul. Diac., Hist. Lang. VI 49. The date of this event was apparently before 727, to judge from its place in the narrative in the Liber Pontificalis. Liutprand 1 and the Lombard duces rejected requests from the exarchos Eutychius (Eutychios 4) to stop helping Gregorios 72 (or Gregorios 7 if post 730) and insisted that the pope should not suffer because of the faith: Lib. Pont. 91. 19. The date of this was between 727 and 731 (see Eutychios 4). Liutprand 1 occupied the fort of Sutrium in 727/728 (indiction 11) but gave it back following letters and gifts from the pope: Lib. Pont. 91. 21. He colluded with the exarchos Eutychios 4 to subdue the Lombard duces of Spoletium and Beneventum and then marched on Rome against the pope, but was persuaded to abandon the plan by Gregorios 72, to whom he did obeisance; he also laid his military equipment together with a golden crown and a silver cross before the tomb of St Peter and (according to the later recension) asked Gregorios 72 to make his peace with Eutychios 4, and then withdrew from Rome: Lib. Pont. 91. 22. According to Paulus, he ordered that Classis be returned to the Romans after it had been seized by the dux of Spoletium, Faroald 1 ("iussu regis Liutprandi hisdem Romanis reddita est"): Paul. Diac., Hist. Lang. VI 44. He supported the election of Callistus (Kallistos 9), archdeacon of Tarvisium, as patriarch of Aquileia: Paul. Diac., Hist. Lang. VI 45 ("adnitente Liutprando principe"). He conferred the ducatus of Forum Iulii on Ratchis 1, dismissing Ratchis 1's father Pemmo 1 after he mistreated the patriarch of Aquileia, Callistus (Kallistos 9): Paul. Diac., Hist. Lang. VI 51. He drove out the rebellious dux of Spoletium, Transamundus (Trasimund 3), and replaced him with Hilderic 1: Paul. Diac., Hist. Lang. VI 55. He visited Beneventum and replaced the dux Gisulf 2, one of his nephews, by another of his nephews Gregorius (Gregorios 80); he took away Gisulf 2, who was still a child, and arranged for him to be educated, and also married him to Scauniperga 1: Paul. Diac., Hist. Lang. VI 55. Under pope Gregory III (Gregorios 7) (731-741) Liutprand 1 attacked the Roman province ("provincia Romane dicionis subiecta"), threatening Rome and plundering Campania and allegedly forcing many Roman nobles to wear Lombard dress and adopt Lombard hair styles; Gregorios 7 is said to have sought help from the Frankish ruler, Charles Martel (Karoulos 2), at this time: Lib. Pont. 92. 14 (later recension only). In 739 Liutprand 1 attacked the Lombard dux of Spoletium, Trasimund 1, who took refuge in Rome; the pope and the dux Stephanos 77 refused to surrender Trasimund 1 and Liutprand 1 laid siege to Rome and also captured four cities belonging to the ducatus of Rome, Ameria, Horta, Polymartium and Blera (all in Tuscia) and then returned home to his palace ("ad suum palatium") in August 739 (indiction 7): Lib. Pont. 93. 2. In 741, the Lombard duces of Beneventum and Spoletium were both allies of the Romans; Liutprand 1 was making preparations for another campaign against Rome ("contra ducatum Romanum") when pope Gregory III (Gregorios 7) died (28 November): Lib. Pont. 93. 3-4. The new pope Zacharias 16 sent an embassy to Liutprand 1 and persuaded him to change his mind and to promise to return the four captured cities; the king then marched on Spoletium to capture Trasimund 1; he was joined by an army from Rome, and Trasimund 1 then submitted to him: Lib. Pont. 93. 4-5. He postponed the return of the four cities, and so pope Zacharias 16 undertook to visit him at Interamna and speak to him about it; Liutprand 1 agreed to restore the four cities, and in addition some properties that the Lombards had occupied and held for a number of years (see list under pope Zacharias 16); he also restored all the captives whom he held (including Leo 111, Sergios 51, Victor 2 and Agnellos 6): Lib. Pont. 93. 8-9. After the visit he sent pope Zacharias 16 back to Rome escorted by his nephew Agiprand 1, Tacipert 1, Ramning 1 and Grimoald 2, who were ordered to return the four captured cities to the pope: Lib. Pont. 93. 11. This all took place before August 742 (during the tenth indiction): Lib. Pont. 93. 12. During the following indiction (742/743) Liutprand 1 made preparations for attacking and besieging Ravenna: Lib. Pont. 93. 12. He refused a request from the pope to restore Caesena to Ravenna (cf. Ambrosios 1 and Benediktos 5), and Zacharias 16 then went to Ravenna in person and from there overcame Liutprand 1's reluctance to meet him and stayed with him in Ticinum, where, at the king's request he celebrated the Feast of St Peter (on 29 June 743); Liutprand 1 finally agreed to return land at Caesena to Ravenna ("ad partem reipublicae"), two thirds immediately and the remainder when his envoys, sent to Constantinople, should return, on 1 July (in 744), and sent the pope with escorts to receive back the territories; shortly after the pope returned to Rome and celebrated again ("denuo") the natale of SS Peter and Paul, Liutprand 1 died (in late 743 or 744); all persecution is said then to have ceased; he was succeeded first and briefly by his nephew Hilbrandus (Hildeprand 1) and then by Ratchis 1: Lib. Pont. 93. 12-17. Cf. also Duchesne, Lib. Pont., n. 36 on p. 437. When he fell ill and drew near to death, the Lombards chose his nephew Hildeprand 1 as king; Liutprand 1 was unhappy at the choice, but because of his illness he accepted Hildeprand 1 as his co-ruler: Paul. Diac., Hist. Lang. VI 55. He died after reigning for thirty-one years and seven months, at an advanced age, and was buried in the Basilica of the martyr Hadrian, where his father was also interred: Paul. Diac., Hist. Lang. VI 58. At some stage he captured strongholds in Aemilia, Feronianum, Montembellium, Buxeta, Persiceta, Pentapolis and Auximum, and also Sutrium, but quickly handed them back to the Romans: Paul. Diac., Hist. Lang. VI 49. He fought frequently with the Romans and was usually victorious, though once his army was defeated at Ariminum in his absence and once the Romans captured a great quantity of gifts being conveyed to him in Pentapolis: Paul. Diac., Hist. Lang. VI 54. When the rebel Trasimund 3 again seized Spoletium and Godescalc 1 became dux of Beneventum on the death of Gregorios 7, Liutprand 1 marched with his army to Spoletium; en route his army was surprised in a wood between Fanum and Forum Sempronii by the troops of Spoletium and the Romans and suffered at their hands: Paul. Diac., Hist. Lang. VI 56. At Spoletium he expelled Trasimund 1 and made him a cleric and installed his own nephew Agiprand 1 as dux; then, as he approached Beneventum, Godescalc 1 fled: Paul. Diac., Hist. Lang. VI 57. At Beneventum he now installed his nephew Gisulf 2 as dux, and returned to his palace (in Ticinum): Paul. Diac., Hist. Lang. VI 58. On hearing that the Arabs had attacked Sardinia and were insulting the remains of St Augustine which had been transferred there, he purchased the relics at great expense and transferred them to Ticinum, reburying them with great honours: Paul. Diac., Hist. Lang. VI 48. He ceremonially cut the hair of Pepin 1, son of Charles Martel (Karoulos 2), and sent him back to his father laden with royal gifts: Paul. Diac., Hist. Lang. VI 53. He responded to an appeal from Charles Martel (Karoulos 2) for help against the Arabs who had captured Arles and were plundering Provence and marched to the aid of Charles Martel (Karoulos 2) with his army; the Arabs left and Liutprand 1 returned to Italy: Paul. Diac., Hist. Lang. VI 54. He constructed basilicas in many of the places which he was accustomed to visit; he also founded monasteries, one of St Peter, known as Caelus Aureus, outside the walls of Ticinum, one called Bercetum on top of the Alp of Bardo (Barturberk, according to a note ad loc.), and one at Olonna, on an estate of his, with a shrine to the martyr Anastasius; he also built churches in many places and a shrine to the Saviour in his own palace, which he furnished with priests and clergy to sing the divine offices to him each day: Paul. Diac., Hist. Lang. VI 58. Described as a man of great wisdom and prudence ("multae sapientiae, consilio sagax"), pious and a peace lover, but powerful in war, merciful to wrongdoers, chaste and modest, an alert orator, generous, uneducated ("litterarum quidem ignarus") but equal to philosophers, and one who cared for his people and was a lawmaker: Paul. Diac., Hist. Lang. VI 58. Early in his reign he captured many forts of the Bavarians, but is said to have preferred discussion to war and to have maintained peace with the Franks and the Avars: Paul. Diac., Hist. Lang. VI 58. Described as a man of great boldness ("vir multae audaciae"), he once challenged two of his bodyguards ("armigeri") who were planning his murder and forced them to confess and beg for mercy, which he granted: Paul. Diac., Hist. Lang. VI 38. King of the Lombards; Liutprand 1 and Paulitio (Paulikios 1) made an agreement on the boundaries of Venetia and on relations between Venetia and the Lombards: John the Deacon, Cron. Ven., p. 91. He purchased relics of St Augustine which had been seized by the Arabs during a raid on Sardinia: John the Deacon, Cron. Ven., p. 94 (and see above).

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