Gisulf II (died between 749 and 753) was the third last duke of Benevento before the fall of the Lombard kingdom. He ruled from 743, when King Liutprand came down and removed Godescalc, to his death up to ten years later^[1]. Events June - Aistulf succeeds his brother Ratchis as king of the Lombards End of the reign of Emperor Shomu of Japan Empress Koken ascends to the throne of Japan Abu al-Abbas as-Saffah becomes caliph Births Deaths Saint John of Damascus (or Damascene), theologian Ratchis, king of the Lombards... Events Synod of Constantinople called by Emperor Constantine V. Samarkand conquered by Arabs. ... This is as list of the Dukes and Princes of Benevento (see Duchy of Benevento), it is one of Wikipedias Lists of Incumbents. ... The Lombards (Latin Langobardi, whence the alternative name Longobards found in older English texts), were a Germanic people originally from Northern Europe that entered the late Roman Empire. ... Events Umayyad caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik (724-743) succeeded by al-Walid II ibn Abd al-Malik (743-744). ... Liutprand was the king of the Lombards from 712 to 744 and is chiefly remembered for his Donation of Sutri, in 728, and his long reign which brought him into conflicts, mostly successful, with most of Italy at some time or other. ...

Gisulf was the son of Romuald II of Benevento and Gumperga, daughter of Aurona, sister of Liutprand. As a relative of the king, he was supported by the royal power, but being a minor on his father's death, one Audelais managed to usurp the duchy. Liutprand removed Audelais and, placing another nephew Gregory on the throne, brought Gisulf back to be raised in the royal palace at Pavia. Gregory (died 739 or 740) was a nephew of King Liutprand of the Lombards, who appointed him Duke of Benevento in 733[1] or thereabouts after removing both the usurper Audelais and the minor Gisulf II. He governed the people of the Samnites, as Paul the Deacon calls the Beneventans... Church San Michele in Pavia The Old Bridge (Ponte Vecchio) on the Ticino river is a symbol of Pavia Pavìa (the ancient Ticinum) (population 71,000) is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy, northern Italy, 35 km south of Milan on the lower Ticino river near its...

In 744, Gisulf made a donation of land to the Abbey of Montecassino which would become the basis for the Terra Sancti Benedicti. Events February - Hildeprand succeeds Liutprand as king of the Lombards. ... The restored Abbey Monte Cassino is a rocky hill about eighty miles (130 km) south of Rome, Italy, a mile to the west of the town of Cassino (the Roman Casinum having been on the hill) and 520 m (1700 ft) altitude. ...

The Beneventans (or Samnites) remained faithful to Gisulf and his father's dynasty, however, and when, after Gregory's death, Godescalc usurped the ducal throne, the people rose up and murdered him, allowing Liutprand to place the now-adult Gisulf in power. According to Hartmann[1], Gisulf followed the policies of Liutprand faithfully.

Notes

1. ^ The Lexikon gives a date of 741 and places the death of Gregory there, making him succeed, not Godescalc, but Gregory. The length of ten years comes from Hodgkin.

Events June 18 - Constantine V succeeds Leo III as emperor of the Byzantine Empire. ... Gregory (died 739 or 740) was a nephew of King Liutprand of the Lombards, who appointed him Duke of Benevento in 733[1] or thereabouts after removing both the usurper Audelais and the minor Gisulf II. He governed the people of the Samnites, as Paul the Deacon calls the Beneventans...

Sources

• Lexikon des Mittelalters: Gisulf II. Herzog von Benevent (741-749).
• Paul the Deacon. Historia Langobardorum. Available at Northvegr.