History of the Langobards

The Lombard writer, historian and chronicler Paul Jahen (720-799), better known by his Latin name Paulus Diaconus, worked in Italy at the royal court of the Langobards as a tutor and teacher. He travelled extensively and stayed at the court of Charlemagne in Aachen. After the dissolution of the Lombard kingdom, he entered the Benedictine monastery of Monte Cassino, where he wrote most of his works. His writings trace the history of the Langobards from the mythical origins of the nation to the death of King Liutprand (743), and give a number of important accounts of Byzantium or the Franks and their relations with each other. Paul's work has been widely quoted by later authors and is rightly regarded as an essential source for the history of northern Italy in the 8th century.