Justinian made Amalafrid a general and married off his sister Rodelinda to the Lombard king Audoin.
When the Lombards applied to the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I for help against the Gepids, he sent an army under the command of Justinus and Justinianus, the sons of Germanus; Aratius and Suartuas (a former ruler of the Heruli); and Amalafrid.
All the former remained in Ulpiana, Illyria, to decide on a question of doctrine among the local Christians.
As Audoin afterwards sent envoys to Justinian to complain about the lack of Imperial help, this seems to have been only a small part of the original army.
Nevertheless, Amalafrid and the Lombard host under Audoin won a major victory over the Gepids.