Cleph
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2009) |
| Cleph | |
|---|---|
| King of the Lombards | |
| Reign | 572–574 |
| Predecessor | Alboin |
| Successor | Authari (after 10 years of regency) |
| Died | 574 |
| Issue | Authari two daughters |
Cleph[1] (also spelled Clef, Clepho, or Kleph) was king of the Lombards from 572 to 574.
Biography
[edit]He succeeded Alboin, though he was not related to him by blood. Cleph was regarded as a violent and fearsome figure by the Romans and Byzantines, who were still attempting to maintain their hold on the Italian Peninsula. During his brief reign, he completed the Lombard conquest of Tuscany and brought their dominion to the gates of Ravenna, thereby extending Lombard control over nearly all of Northern Italy.
Cleph was assassinated after eighteen months in power by a young guard—a slave whom he had mistreated. His death marked the beginning of a ten-year interregnum, known as the Rule of the Dukes, during which authority was held by the territorial dukes. His son, Authari, ascended the throne in 585.[2]
He was buried in the Church of Santi Gervasio e Protasio in Pavia.[3]
Notes
[edit]- ^ Possibly cognate with Old Norse Leifr, meaning "heir" or "descendant".
- ^ "German Tribes org Lombard Kings". GermanTribes.org. Archived from the original on 2010-07-18. Retrieved 2010-07-18.
- ^ Majocchi, Piero (2010). "Le sepolture regie nell'alto medioevo (secoli VI-X)". Reti Medievali Rivista. 9: 12–14. ISSN 1593-2214. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
 | This biography of a member of a European royal house is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This biography of an Italian noble is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |