Rothari

Rothari became king of the Lombards after the death of King Arioald. He was a member of the Arodus dynasty and his reign marked a period of consolidation and legal reform for the Lombard Kingdom in Italy.

Rothari led military campaigns against Byzantine forces in the Po Valley, capturing several cities including Oderzo and Altino. These victories consolidated Lombard control over northern Italy and reduced Byzantine influence to the coastal areas of Ravenna and Venice.

Rothari conquered the Byzantine-held region of Liguria, including the city of Genoa. This expansion extended Lombard control over the northwestern coast of Italy and further weakened Byzantine power in the peninsula.

Rothari issued the Edict of Rothari, a written code of Lombard law. It was the first codification of Germanic customary law in Italy, written in Latin and covering criminal, civil, and family matters. The Edict helped unify the Lombard tribes and established a legal framework for the kingdom.

Some later sources claim Rothari converted to Catholicism, but this is disputed. He was originally an Arian Christian, and his Edict shows no clear shift in religious policy. The conversion of the Lombards to Catholicism occurred more fully under later kings.