European Kingdoms

Byzantine Exarchate of Ravenna
AD 552 - 754

The imperial court of the Western Roman Empire had been moved from Milan to the more easily defendable location of Ravenna, located in the middle of an area of swamp and marsh, in 402 by the Emperor Honorius. When the West fell to Odoacer's Gothic Kingdom and then to the Ostrogothic kingdom, the Eastern Roman Empire at Byzantium was in no fit state to immediately recover it.

However, the strong reign of Emperor Justinian I in 518-527 saw a successful campaign under General Belisaurius to recapture much of Italy for the empire. The Exarchate at Ravenna became the centre of Byzantine rule in Italy under Belisaurius, including the marsh region which later became Venice. But its function was somewhat compromised by incursions by the Lombards from the north into central Italy.

535 - 540

Belisaurius

Byzantine Military Governor. Formerly governed North Africa.

544 - 548

Belisaurius

552/3 - 567/8

Narses / Narsete

Byzantine eunuch General who liberated Rome. First Exarch.

568

The Lombards incur into Northern Italy.

568 - 573

Longinus

575 - 576

Badaurius

576 - 585

Decius

585 - 589

Smaragdus

589 - 598

Romanus

598 - 603

Callinicus

603 - 611

Smaragdus

Restored.

611 - 616

John I Lemigius

616 - 619

Eleutherius

Died 620.

620 - 637

Isaac

638 - 648

Plato

648 - 649

Theodore I Calliopas

649 - 652

Olympus

652 - 666

Theodore I Calliopas

Restored.

666 - 678

Gregory

678 - 687

Theodore II

687 - 702

John II Platinus

697

The Byzantine tribunes are substituted in Venice with an elective, life-long office.

702 - 710

Theophylactus

710 - 711

John III Rizocopo

711 - 713

Entichius

713 - 727

Scholasticus

726

The Lombards take control of the Exarchate. Byzantine Imperial authority is no longer recognised.

727 - 728

Paul

Under Lombard control.

728

The Byzantines recover the Exarchate, although control over Venice is weaker now.

728 - 752

Eutychius

Under Byzantine control.

752

The Exarchate is recaptured by the Lombards, permanently ending Byzantine influence in Italy.

754

The Carolingian Frank Pepin III transfers the Exarchate to Papal control, where it becomes the Papal States.

755

The Exarchate is briefly re-captured by the Lombards.

756

The Carolingians retake the Papal States. The region is part of the Carolingian empire but is autonomously controlled by the archbishops of Ravenna until 1218.