The Narrative Worlds of Paul the Deacon Between Empires and Identities in Lombard Italy

Written when the Lombard kingdom was on the cusp of downfall at the hands of the Carolingian empire, Paul the Deacon's narratives - and the 'Historia Langobardorum' in particular - are vital to understanding the history of Italy and Western Europe in the Middle Ages. Yet the narrative structure of his works has largely been ignored by scholars, who have projected modern perceptions onto his works in the quest to identify his politico-ethnic viewpoint, losing sight of his personal 'voice' in the process. This study presents an interpretation of Paul's 'Historia Romana', 'Vita Sancti Gregorii Magni', 'Gesta Episcopum Mettensium' and 'Historia Langobardorum' by focusing on the author himself, the sort of dramatic events that interested him, and the narrative techniques he used to communicate his views. By a careful study of the structural parameters of these works, one can not only identify Paul's authorial strategies but also his responses to the dynamic situations of his lifetime.