Wechtari 1 | Prosopography of the Byzantine Empire |
| Sex | M |
| Floruit | M VII |
| Dates | 664 (taq) / 664 (tpq) |
| Ethnicity | Lombard |
| Locations | Forum Iulii (N. Italy) (officeplace);
Forum Iulii (N. Italy) (residence);
Forum Iulii (N. Italy);
Ticinum (N. Italy);
Natisio, river (N. Italy);
Vincentia (birthplace) |
| Titles | Dux, Forum Iulii (N. Italy) (office) |
| Textual Sources | Paulus Diaconus, Historia Gentis Langobardorum, ed. L. Bethmann and G. Waitz, MGH, Scr. Rer. Lang., pp. 12-187; also in MGH, Scr. Rer. Ger. 48, pp. 49-242 (history) |
A Lombard from Vincentia (i.e. Vicenza), Wechtari 1 was appointed dux of Forum Iulii after the deaths of Lupus 1 and Arnefrit 1 (probably in 663 or 664); described as a kind man and a gentle ruler ("vir benignus et populum suaviter regens"); he was bald and used the fact to terrify and rout a force of five thousand Slavs who, taking advantage of his absence at Ticinum, planned to attack Forum Iulii; he returned unexpectedly and went against the Slavs with, allegedly, only twenty-five men; at first they laughed but panicked when Wechtari disclosed his baldness and so his identity; he and his men slaughtered them, supposedly killing most of their number; the fight took place at a bridge over the river Natisio (Ponte de' Schiavi), not far from Forum Iulii: Paul. Diac., Hist. Lang. V 23. He was succeeded as dux of Forum Iulii by Landari 1: Paul. Diac., Hist. Lang. V 24.
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