Liutprand

See also Liutprand the Lombard, king of the Lombards (712 – 744).

Liutprand (Liudprand, Luitprand) (c. 922-972), the Lombard historian and author, bishop of Cremona, was born towards the beginning of the 10th century, of a good family.

In 931 he entered service as page to Hugh of Arles, who kept court at Pavia as King of Italy and who married the notorious and powerful Marozia of Rome; he was educated at the court and became a cleric at the Cathedral of Pavia. After Hugh died in 947, leaving his son and co-king Lothair on the throne as King of Italy, Liutprand became confidential secretary to the actual ruler of Italy, Berengar II, marchese d'Ivrea, for whom he became chancellor and by whom he was sent on an embassy (949) to the Byzantine court of Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus. Since both Liutprand's father and his stepfather had been sent as ambassadors to Constantinople, and as Liutprand fitted himself by learning Greek (not widely known in the 10th-century West) he seemed well suited for a mission of that kind, but it proved a fruitless and humiliating four months' experience, for which Liutprand revenged himself in his account, Antapodosis ("retribution").

On his return, however, he fell from favor at Pavia and attached himself to Berengar's rival, the emperor Otto I who became King of Italy upon the death of Lothair in 950, and with whom he returned to Italy in 961 and was invested as bishop of Cremona the following year. Liutprand was often entrusted with important diplomacy for Berenger: in 963 he was sent to Pope John XII at the beginning of the quarrel between the pope and the emperor, when the papacy was allied with Berenger's son Adelbert. Liutprand attended the Roman conclave of bishops that deposed John XII, November 6, 963 and wrote the only connected narrative of the events.

He was frequently employed in missions to the pope, and in 968 he was sent again to Constantinople, this time to demand for the younger Otto (afterwards Otto II) the hand of Theophano, daughter of the emperor Romanus II. Peace with the Eastern Emperor, who still claimed Benevento and Capua, for long actually in Lombard hands, and whose forces had come to strife with Otto in Bari recently, was Liutprand's recommended course of action, and his humiliating and disastrous reception at Constantinople was doubly rankling. (For exerpts of his bitter Relatio see link below.)

His account of this embassy in the Relatio de Legatione Constantinopolitana is perhaps the most graphic and lively piece of writing which has come down to us from the 10th century. The detailed description of Constantinople and the Byzantine court is a document of rare value, though highly coloured by his ill reception and offended dignity. The Catholic Encyclopedia asserted "Liutprand's writings are a very important historical source for the tenth century; he is ever a strong partisan and is frequently unfair towards his adversaries."

Whether he returned in 971 with the embassy to bring Theophanu or not is uncertain. Liutprand must have died in 972, for his successor as bishop of Cremona was installed in 973.

He wrote:

• Antapodosis, seu rerum per Europam gestarum, Libri VI, a historical narrative, relating to events, largely in Italy, from 887 to 949, "compiled with the object of avenging himself upon Berengar and Willa his queen" according to the Encyclopædia Britannica 1911;
• Historia Ottonis, a praise of his patron Otto, unfortunately covering only the years from 960 to 964, written as a partisan of the emperor and
• Relatio de legatione Constantinopolitana ad Nicephorum Phocam covering the years 968 and 969.

External links

• Catholic Encyclopedia (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09313a.htm): Liutprand of Cremona
• Zdravko Batzarov, Encyclopædia Orbis latini: (http://www.orbilat.com/Encyclopaedia/L/Liutprand_of_Cremona.html) Liutprand of Cremona
• Liutprand, Relatio: (http://medieval.ucdavis.edu/20A/Luitprand.html) excerpts (in English)

Reference: writings in English

• F.A. Wright, translator, The Works of Liudprand of Cremona London and New York 1930.
• J.J. Norwich, editor, Liutprand of Cremona, The Embassy to Constantinople and Other Writings Everyman Library, London: Dent, 1993.
• Brian Scott, editor and translator, Liudprand of Cremona, Relatio de Legatione Constantinopolitan, Bristol Classical Press, 1993. de:Liutprand von Cremona