# Romanus (exarch)

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**Romanus** ([Ancient Greek](/source/Ancient_Greek_language): Ρωμανός, [romanized](/source/Romanization_of_Ancient_Greek): *Rōmanós*; died 596 or 597) was [Exarch of Ravenna](/source/Exarchate_of_Ravenna) from 589 until 596 or 597.

Prior to being appointed Exarch, Romanus won a victory against the future [Sassanid](/source/Sasanian_Empire) ruler [Bahram Chobin](/source/Bahram_Chobin) in 589 at the [battle of the Araxes](/source/Battle_of_the_Araxes_(589)), provoking his revolt and usurpation of [Hormizd IV](/source/Hormizd_IV).[1]

In 589 he became Exarch in place of the discredited [Smaragdus](/source/Smaragdus).[2] In his first year Romanus recovered the cities of [Modena](/source/Modena), [Reggio](/source/Reggio_Emilia), [Parma](/source/Parma), [Piacenza](/source/Piacenza), [Altinum](/source/Altinum), and [Mantua](/source/Mantua) from the [Lombards](/source/Lombards).[3]

In 592 [Pope Gregory I](/source/Pope_Gregory_I) appealed to the Exarch for help in assisting [Naples](/source/Naples), then under Lombard attack, but Romanus thought it more prudent to remain in central Italy. The Pope was forced to make peace with the [Duchy of Spoleto](/source/Duchy_of_Spoleto) to save Naples.[4] Shortly afterwards, the Lombards occupied [Perugia](/source/Perugia), causing Romanus to send an army to retake [Umbria](/source/Umbria).[5] The Lombard King [Agilulf](/source/Agilulf), noticing this, crossed into central Italy and even threatened [Rome](/source/Rome). Frustrated with the lack of support he received from the Exarch (R.A. Markus describes him as a "large thorn in Gregory's side"),[6] the Pope tried to circumvent Romanus' authority by appealing to the [Byzantine Emperor](/source/Byzantine_Emperor) [Maurice](/source/Maurice_(emperor)) in 595, but this proved fruitless, given the fact that Maurice saw more value in maintaining a link between Ravenna and the Balkans, where he [kept the Avars and Slavs at bay](/source/Maurice's_Balkan_campaigns).

Romanus died soon after this, and was succeeded by [Callinicus](/source/Callinicus_(Exarch_of_Ravenna)), who proved to be more conciliatory to Pope Gregory.

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Treadgold, Warren T. (October 1997). [*A History of the Byzantine State and Society*](https://books.google.com/books?id=nYbnr5XVbzUC). Stanford University Press. p. 230. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-8047-2630-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-8047-2630-6).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [Paul the Deacon](/source/Paul_the_Deacon) (3.26). *History of the Lombards*, translated by William Dudley Foulke, 1907 (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania, 1974), p. 133

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** As described in the *[Liber Pontificalis](/source/Liber_Pontificalis)*. Raymond Davis (translator), *The Book of Pontiffs (Liber Pontificalis)*, first edition (Liverpool: University of Liverpool Press, 1989), p. 61.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** R.A. Markus, *Gregory the Great and His World* (Cambridge: University Press, 1997), p. 102f

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Paul the Deacon (4.8). Foulke however dates this to 594, while noting that the historian [Thomas Hodgkin](/source/Thomas_Hodgkin_(historian)) dates this to 593 (*History of the Lombards*, p. 155n .2)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Markus, *Gregory the Great*, p. 105

Preceded by Smaragdus Exarch of Ravenna 589–598 Succeeded by Callinicus

v t e Exarchs of the Exarchate of Ravenna Decius (584–585) Smaragdus (585–589) Romanus (589–596) Callinicus (596–603) Smaragdus (603–608) John I (608–616) Eleutherius (616–619) Gregory the patrician (619-625) Isaac (625–643) Theodore I Calliopas (643–645) Plato (645–649) Olympius (649–652) Theodore I Calliopas (653 – c. 666) Gregorios (c. 666) Theodore II (678–687) John II Platyn (687–702) Theophylact (702–710) John III Rizocopus (710–711) Scholasticus (713–723) Paul (723–727) Eutychius (728–752)

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