Gaul. As a result of this and other debacles across the empire, Constantinople and the reestablished imperial west at Ravenna were required to come to terms with the permanent presence of the Lombards in Italy. Religion and marriage Despite his conversion to Arian Christianity and the toleration for the religion not permitted by his predecessors, Authari forbade the sons of Lombards from being baptized as Catholics, since he viewed it as an "instrument of the Empire" that would sap "the warrior vitality" from them. Authari married Theodelinda, daughter of the Bavarian duke Garibald I, on 15 May 589 at Verona. A detailed account of the courtship by the eighth-century historian Paul the Deacon revealed that the marriage was also a political alliance designed to provide additional sanction to Authari's royal position. In addition, Theodelinda was also chosen due to the long-standing ties between the Lombards and the Bavarians as well as their mutual hostility toward the Franks. She also claimed descent from the ancient Lombard royal line. Legacy When Authari died in Pavia in 590, possibly by poison, he was succeeded as king by Agilulf, duke of Turin, on the advice, sought by the dukes, of Theodelinda, who married the new king. In the wake of Authari's death, Theodelinda increased her cooperation with Pope Gregory the Great in what came to mark a "high-point in Lombard history" from a religious perspective, according to historian Shami Ghosh. Throughout the 7th century, Authari's successors continued to strengthen the Lombard monarchy and bolster their ethnic identity, while at the same time expanding the Lombard control of Italy. These successors (like Agilulf) not only extended the reach of the Lombards but also instituted important changes in the religion and governmental structure of the Lombards. References Notes Citations Bibliography Further reading |- 540 births 590 deaths Year of birth uncertain 6th-century Lombard monarchs Lombard warriors People from Monza People from Brianza