Enough of Wando. Let’s move (back) on to Waccho.
An interesting story of Lombard family dynamics was put to paper by Paul the Deacon. We’ve mentioned the same previously but feel there may be a need to relate it here while examining it from a slightly different angle. (We do not reintroduce the same pictures here since you can see them following the above link.
Paul the Deacon, History of the Lombards Book 1, 21
(written circa 787-796)
“But after these things Tato indeed did not long rejoice in the triumph of war, for Waccho, the son of his brother Zuchilo, attacked him and deprived him of his life. Tato’s son Hildechis also fought against Waccho, but when Waccho prevailed and he was overcome, he fled to the Gepidae and remained there an exile up to the end of his life. For this reason the Gepidae from that time incurred enmities with the Langobards. At the same time Waccho fell upon the Suavi and subjected them to his authority. If any one may think that this is a lie and not the truth of the matter, let him read over the prologue of the edict which King Rothari composed of the laws of the Langobards and he will find this written in almost all the manuscripts as we have inserted it in this little history.”
Of course, life for the Lombard princelings was naturally as rough as the life of any would be leader of a warrior band. And certainly we are not in a position to judge who was right and who was wrong – as much as we feel for the here of these events – Hildechis/Hildegis.
What is more relevant – at least to us – is that right after Hildegis’ flight to the Gepides and the description of the mutual “enmity” that arose between those two peoples, there comes in Paul’s story the bizarre claim of a Waccho’s attack on the Suavi. That claim seems strange since the Suavi if these were the Suavi of the Danube do not seem to have anything to do with this story. Why attack the Suavi? What have they got to do with Waccho and Hildegis? Was it just a form of recreation that Waccho indulged in when unable to get at Hildegis?
As we already note previously, Foulke, the translator, was confused by this as well noting that:
“[i]t is hard to see what people are designated by this name. The Suavi who dwelt in the southwestern part of Germany, now Suabia, are too far off. Hodgkin (p. 119) suggests a confusion between Suavia and Savia, the region of the Save. Schmidt (55) says, ‘There is ground to believe that this people is identical with the Suevi of Vannius who possessed the mountain land between the March and the Theiss.‘”
In fact, the claim appears to be strange to Paul too as he tries to justify it by referencing the earlier Origo Gentium Langobardorum as the source of this information, daring any unbelievers to go and look for themselves.
We did just that and here is what came of that investigation.
Origo Gentium Langobardorum, Chapter 4
(written circa 650)
“Claffo, the son of Godehoc, reigned after him. And after him reigned Tato the son of Claffo. The Langobards settled three years in the fields of Feld. Tato fought with Rodolf king of the Heruli and killed him and carried off his banner and helmet. After him the Heruli had no kingly office. And Wacho the son of Unichis killed king Tato his paternal uncle together with Zuchilo. And Wacho fought, and Ildichis the son of Tato fought, and Ildichis fled to the Gippidi where he died. And to avenge his wrong the Gypidis made war with the Langobards. At this time Wacho bent the Suabians under the dominions of the Langobards.“
(Post eum regnavit claffo, filius godehoc. Et post ipsum regnavit tato, filius claffoni. Sederunt langobardi in campis feld annos tres. Pugnavit tato cum rodolfo rege herulorum, et occidit eum, tulit vando ipsius et capsidem. Post eum heruli regnum non habuerunt. Et occidit wacho, filius unichis, tatonem regem barbanem suum cum zuchilone. Et pugnavit wacho, et pugnavit ildichis, filius tatoni, et fugit ildichis ad gippidos, ubi mortuus est. Iniuria vindicanda gippidi scandalum commiserunt cum langobardis. Eo tempore inclinavit wacho suavos sub regno langobardorum).
Well, looking at this, the event seems to be confirmed (and Zuchilo becomes involved in the bloodletting whether as victim or perpetrator – perhaps the latter, see below) in a source that predates Paul by over 100 years but the source itself answers none of our questions. Is that it then? Another curious story about some past history that is entirely open to interpretation?
Perhaps but then there is… another source for these events as most people know. An older source in the writings of Procopius of Caesarea. It makes, we think, sense to examine this yet earlier source. We cite the entire relevant passage below. You will note that some of the family relationships are different than shown above but overall Procopius’ writing seems more matter-of-fact and, therefore, more believable.
Procopius, History of Wars Book 7, 35
(written circa 550-560)
“Such was the situation in Byzantium. Meanwhile one of the Lombards had fled to the Gepaedes for the following reason. When Vaces was ruler of the Lombards, he had a nephew named Risiulfus, who, according to the law, would be called to the royal power whenever Vaces should die. So Vaces, seeking to make provision that the kingdom should be conferred upon his own son, brought an unjustified accusation against Risiulfus and penalized the man with banishment. He then departed from his home with a few friends and fled immediately to the Varni, leaving behind him two children. But Vaces bribed these barbarians to kill Risiulfus. As for the children of Risiulfus, one of them died of disease, while the other, Ildiges by name, fled to the Sclaveni.”
“Now not long after this Vaces fell sick and passed from the world, and the rule of the Lombards fell to Valdarus, the son of Vaces. But since he was very young, Audouin was appointed regent over him and administered the government. And since he possessed great power as a result of this, he himself seized the rule after no long time, the child having immediately passed from the world by a natural death. Now when the war arose between the Gepaedes and the Lombards, as already told, Ildiges went straight to the Gepaedes taking with him not only those of the Lombards who had followed him, but also many of the Sclaveni, and the Gepaedes were in hopes of restoring him to the kingdom. But on account of the treaty which had now been made with the Lombards, Audouin straightway requested the Gepaedes, as friends, to surrender Ildiges; they, however, refused absolutely to give up the man, but they did order him to depart from their country and save himself wherever he wished.”
“He, then, without delay, took with him his followers and some volunteers of the Gepaedes and came back to the Sclaveni. And departing from there, he went to join Totila and the Goths, having with him an army of not less than six thousand men. Upon his arrival in Venetia, he encountered some Romans commanded by Lazarus, and engaging with them he routed the force and killed many. He did not, however, unite with the Goths, but recrossed the Ister River and withdrew once more to the Sclaveni.”
Thoughts
A few obvious questions present themselves:
- Could the Suavi have been the same as Sclaveni?;
- If not, why were the Suavi attacked at this point (In Paul’s telling)?; something to take the Lombards’ minds off of their dynastic difficulties?;
- And, if not, why were the Sclaveni not attacked by the Lombards (in Procopius’ telling)? After all Gepides were at least confronted by the new King Audoin about Hildigis; but maybe the Slavs were simply too far to bother?; but then Hildigis goes to the Sclaveni three times, travels to Venetia with a Sclaveni/Gepid army and crosses the Danube in the process seemingly each time?; are the Lombards asleep at the wheel here?;
- If, however, the Suavi does mean Sclaveni, was it an error on the part of the composer of the Origo that was later copied by Paul without understanding it?; Or was it something more?
- and, we almost forgot, who is Vinsila?; “who?”, you ask, well they do not appear in most of the codices but he does come up in one of the codexes, the Codicis Gothani; was he just another name for Zuchillo?
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