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Why did Gregory I seek peace with the Lombards instead of relying only on military action?

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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.

Gregory I sought peace with the Lombards primarily because he realized he could neither defeat them militarily nor sustain the exhausting cycle of warfare and ransom payments.1

As pope, Gregory faced a precarious situation where he was forced to act as both the "treasurer" of Rome and the "paymaster" of the Lombards, whose aggression was held back only by daily payments from the church. Recognizing that continued conflict was unsustainable, he prioritized diplomacy to prevent the sacking of Rome.1

His efforts were eventually successful through a rapprochement facilitated by his relationship with Theodelinda, the Catholic wife of the Lombard king Agilulf. This connection allowed Catholics to become welcome at the Lombard court, leading to greatly improved relations after 600. Ultimately, Gregory found that friendship and patronage achieved stability where military strategy and imperial policies had failed.1