From Scythia and Germany
adventurous youth flocked to his standard. Many clans and various
religions were represented in his ranks, but these diversities were
overshadowed by a common devotion to the hero-leader.
In 568 the Lombards marched from Pannonia into Italy, conquered the
northern part, still called Lombardy, and founded the kingdom of
that name, which was afterward greatly extended, and existed until
overthrown by Charlemagne in 774.
Before the invading hosts of Alboin, wealthy inhabitants of the
larger cities of the province of Venetia fled to the islands of
Venice, where earlier fugitives had sought shelter from King Attila
and his Huns. A thriving maritime community had been established,
which about this time had developed into a semi-independent
protectorate of the Byzantine or Eastern Empire, attached to the
exarchate of Ravenna.
Afterward Venice underwent many political changes, among which one
of the most interesting to students of history is that of the
institution of the dogeship, as hereafter related.
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