A Biographical Dictionary of the Celebrated Women of Every Age and Country/Benevento, (Ageltrude, or Rochtrude)
On the day even on which he received the purple, Guy, by a diploma, confirmed to Ageltrude the possession of her hereditary domains, and whatever his fondness had added to them. The next year he associated his son Lambert, though very young, in the empire. He died in 894; but though he left a powerful enemy in Berenger, the duke of Friuli, with whom he himself had been at war, yet this event, by the talents of Ageltrude, was of no disservice to her son. She tried to engage the pope's interest on the side of Lambert; but was not deceived by his false pretences of regard, and guided by her counsels, Lambert put himself at the head of his troops, and recovered what Arnold, the king of Germany, invited by Berenger, had conquered from him. This prince, at the instances of the pope, passed into Italy, in the spring of 896, and marched to Rome. But when he arrived near it, he found the empress, resolute to maintain the rights of her son, had foreseen his intention, and stationed herself with a large body of troops in that city. The temporising pope, whose duplicity she was well assured of, had been put in prison by a faction, which she joined; and Arnold, foreseeing the difficulties of a siege, was almost tempted to retire, but a fortunate change in his circumstances put him in possession of the city, when he released the pope from prison, who, in return, crowned him emperor; and took vengeance on his enemies: but Ageltrude had escaped, and was gone to join her son at Spoleto, whither Arnold followed, and laid siege also to that place; but a paralytic stroke seizing him at the time, he thought no more of any thing but how to make his escape from Italy, where his cruelties had made him hated. Ageltrude and Lambert made the best use of his absence. In a few days, they recovered a great part of their possessions, and their authority was fully re-established at Rome.
The principality of Benevento had been successively governed by the brothers of Ageltrude; but, in 891, the Greeks made themselves masters of it. Guy XIV. a descendant of this family, and governor-general of Spoleto, relieved them from this yoke, but imposed upon them one as heavy of his own. The people murmured, and the empress took this opportunity to re-establish one of her brothers, whom they had chased from the throne more than twelve years before.
The emperor Lambert died of a fall from his horse in 998; and his death left Berenger sole king of Italy. Circumstances obliged Ageltrude to treat with this prince; but it was like a wise able princess. She engaged him to secure to her two rich monasteries, and all her other possessions. She became duchess of Spoleto by the death of Lambert; and Berenger, who could not deny his esteem to a woman who had nobly performed the duties of a mother, by his own hand, at the bottom of their treaty, promised to be her friend, in the best sense of the word—himself to respect, and make others respect her domains; which, by the liberality of her husband and son, and her hereditary rights, were very considerable.