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Why did Gregory I ask Constantinople for help against the Lombards?

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St. Gregory the Great Pope Gregory I (the Great) depicted in a stained glass window at St. Michael & All Angels Church in Brinkworth, Wiltshire, England.

Pope Gregory I sought help from Constantinople against the Lombards because they posed a direct military threat to Rome, repeatedly endangering the city and its inhabitants.1

As the Byzantine Empire was theoretically responsible for the defense of Italy, Gregory looked to the emperor to protect the region. However, the Byzantine strategy was primarily focused on protecting Ravenna—the administrative center of Byzantine government in Italy—often at the expense of Rome's safety.12

Because imperial support was frequently insufficient or preoccupied with other concerns, Gregory was forced to act as an independent leader. He directed diplomacy, funded soldiers, and paid daily ransoms to the Lombards to prevent the city from being sacked. His appeals to Constantinople were part of his effort to navigate the tension between his role as a subject of the Christian empire and his urgent need to secure Rome’s survival against the Lombard threat.1