PART II
RYTHMUS DE CAPTIVITATE LHUDUICI IMPERATORIS [..., p. 108-]
RYTHMUS ON EMPEROR LOUIS’S CAPTIVITY
Hear, in every part of the earth, with horror and sadness,
what impiety was done in the city of Benevento:
they seized the holy, pious augustus, Louis. [1]
The Beneventans gathered in one council
and Adelferius [2] talked to them. They told their prince: [3]
«If we release him alive, we will certainly die.
He did a great impiety [4] in this province,
he took our kingdom away from us, has no consideration of us, [5]
and did many evil things to us; [6] it is just that he dies.» [7]
They pulled the pious holy man down from his palace. [8]
Adelferius took him to the pretorium,
yet Louis was as happy as if he went to martyrdom.
Sadus [9] and Saductus [10] came forward, mocking the empire,
and the pious holy man began to say:
«You came to me with swords and clubs as if I were a thief. [11]
There was a time when I helped you in everything [12]
and now all of you have risen up against me.
I do not know the reason for which you want to kill me.
1. Louis II, son of emperor Lothar, became king of Italy in 814, co emperor in 850, and was emperor from 855 to 875.
2. The Ryihmus is the only narrative source mentioning Adelferius.
3. In this period, Adelchis (853-878) was the prince of Benevento.
4. The author wrote celus instead of scelus because, according to the rules of this kind of poem, a word beginning with c was needed.
5. A similar detail is reported in the Chronicon Salernitanum, ch. 109, which, however, recounts that it was the emperor’s wife who harassed the Beneventans and held them in low esteem.
6. For the reasons leading to Louis II’s imprisonment, see the introduction and the note in Andreas of Bergamo, Historia, ch. 20.
7. The gathering of the Beneventans and the discussion are recorded only in this source. For an analysis of the various versions of this episode, see Granier, La captivité de l’empereur Louis II à Bénévent.
8. According to Andreas of Bergamo, Historia, ch. 20, and Chronicon Salernitanum, ch. 109, Louis II resided in a palace. The Annales de Saint Bertin, year 871, on the other hand, recount that the emperor took refuge in a tower where he faced the Beneventans’ attacks for three days.
9. He is the Emir of Bari, Sawdān, who was captured after the conquest of Bari by Louis II. Other Latin sources call him Saudan, Seodan, Saugdan, etc.
10. Capuan family of this period had this name. Erchempert recounts that the Saducti lied to Capua following a conflict with the gastald of Capua, Landulf. Erchempert, Ystoriola Longobardorum Beneventum degentium, ch. 15. A Saductus is mentioned among the signatories of the principality of Benevento s division. Chronicon Salernitanum, ch. 84b.
11. Luke 22:52. For the meaning of this passage, see the introduction.
12. The fact that the southern Lombards asked Louis II for his help is also related by Cronicae Sancti Benedicti Casinensis, I, 6, II, 14, and Erchempert, Ystoriola Longobardorum Beneventum degentium, chs. 19-20.
109
I came to kill a cruel people.
I came because I love the Church of the holy God,
I came to avenge the blood that had been poured out on the earth.»
Behaving according to his name, that cunning tempter [13]
put the imperial crown on his head and told the people:
«Here I am the emperor and I can rule you.»
He was happy with what he had done,
hut he fell to the ground, struck by the demon.
A great crowd hastened to see the wondrous event. [14]
The great Lord Jesus Christ expressed his judgment.
Many pagans left Calabria
and went against Salerno to take possession of the city. [15]
Oaths were sworn on the holy relics of God
that the emperor would defend the kingdom and would
seek another one. [16]
13. Sawdān. The sentence is not very clear, but it seems that the author did a play on words with Sadus/ Sawdān and Satan.
14. The Rylhmus is the only source that mentions these episodes. The fact that the emir of Bari enjoyed a certain amount of freedom during his captivity in Benevento and acted to create conflicts between the Benevenlans and Louis II is, however, recorded by the Chronicon Salernitanum, ch. 109, and Constantine Porphyrogenitus, De administrando imperio, p. 130. Cf. Russo Mailler, La politica meridionale, p. 16.
15. According lo Krchemperl, God had the Muslims come from Africa in order lo avenge the offense to Louis II. They raided Campania and besieged Salerno. Erchempert, Ystoriola Longobardorum Beneventum degentium, chs. 34-35. The same story is recounted in the Chronicon Salernitanum, ch. 111, which adds that the Saracens came from Africa, but landed in Calabria, thus supporting the version reported in the Rythmus.
16. The author is probably referring to the fact that, alter liberating Louis II and forcing him lo swear he would never go back to their land with an army without their permission, the Beneventans asked for his help against the Muslims who were devastating Campania.
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