▁influenced ▁by ▁the ▁Greek ▁civil ization : ▁this ▁can ▁be ▁seen ▁in ▁its ▁plant ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁presence ▁of ▁the ▁Ath ena ion , ▁a ▁great ▁san ctu ary , ▁also , ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁legend , ▁founded ▁by ▁U ly ss es ▁and ▁originally ▁devoted ▁to ▁the ▁cult ▁of ▁the ▁Sir ens , ▁hence ▁Sor rent o ' s ▁name . ▁ ▁Middle ▁A ges ▁and ▁modern ▁era ▁ ▁Sor rent o ▁became ▁an ▁arch bishop ric ▁around ▁ 4 2 0 ▁AD . ▁After ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁the ▁Western ▁Roman ▁Empire , ▁it ▁was ▁ruled ▁by ▁the ▁Ost rog oth s ▁and ▁then ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁Eastern ▁Empire . ▁The ▁Lomb ards , ▁who ▁conquer ed ▁much ▁of ▁southern ▁Italy ▁in ▁the ▁second ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁ 6 th ▁century , ▁bes ie ged ▁it ▁in ▁vain . ▁▁ ▁In ▁the ▁following ▁centuries ▁the ▁authority ▁of ▁the ▁distant ▁Empire ▁of ▁By z ant ium ▁f aded ; ▁initially ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁substantial ly ▁independent ▁Duch y ▁of ▁Nap les , ▁later ▁Sor rent o ▁became ▁in ▁turn ▁an ▁autonom ous ▁du chy ▁in ▁the ▁ 9 th ▁century . ▁It ▁fought ▁against ▁neighbour ing / rival ▁Am alf i , ▁the ▁Sar ac ens ▁and ▁the ▁nearby ▁Lomb ard ic ▁duch ies , ▁such ▁as ▁that ▁of ▁B ene vent o , ▁whose ▁forces ▁bes ie ged ▁it ▁in ▁ 8 3 9 , ▁although ▁Sor rent o ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁resist ▁with ▁Ne ap ol itan ▁help . ▁Sor rent