The history of the warres of the Emperour Justinian in eight books : of the Persian, II, Vandall, II, Gothicke, IV / written in Greek by Procopivs of Caesarea ; and Englished by Henry Holcroft, Knight.

CHAP. XIII.

A GOTH then, one Pitzas, yeilded to Belisarius halfe Samnium, lying upon the Sea, and the Goths there inhabiting to the River, which divides the coun∣trey. The Goths on the other side the River, neither would follow Pitzas, nor submit to the Emperour. Belisarius gave him some Souldiers to help to guard the Townes there. The Calabrians and Apulians having no Goths, had vo∣luntarily before submitted to Belisarius, both in the Mid land, and upon the Sea∣coast; Of which was Beneventum, anciently by the Romans called Maleventum; now Beneventum, to avoid the reproach of the name: for Ventus in Latine signi∣fies the Wind: because in Dalmatia over against it uses to blow a rough wind, du∣ring which no Traveller is seen upon the wayes; they all shut themselves in their houses. The force of the wind is such, that it snatches up a Horse-man and his Horse together, carries them in the ayre, and throws them down and kills them. And Be∣neventum standing high, and over against Dalmatia, shares in the inconvenience of this wind. Diomedes built the Citie, being banisht from Argos after the destru∣ction of Troy. It hath a monument of him, the teeth of the Calydonian Bore, the prize of Meleager his Uncle in that famous hunting, which are still there, and worth the seeing, the circumference like a half-moon, being of three spanns. Here they say Diomedes met with Aeneas, and according to Minerva's Oracle, gave him the Image stollen by him and Ʋlisses out of her Temple, when they came as spies into Troy, before the Citie could be taken. Afterward being sick, they say, he consulted the Oracle, which answered, that he should never have ease, unlesse he gave that Image to some Trojan. Where it is the Romans now know not, but shew the figure of it graven in stone, standing to my time in the Temple of Fortune, be∣fore the brazen Statue of Minerva in the open ayre, on the East-side of that Tem∣ple. It resembles Minerva fighting, and charging her Lance; yet in a long robe, and with a face not like her Grecian Statues, but as the ancient Aegyptians made them. They of Constantinople say, that Constantine buried the Statue in the Market-place bearing his name. But Belisarius thus conquered Italy on this side the Joni∣an Gulph, to Rome and Samnium. On the other side Constantianus (as hath been said) got all, to Liburnia.

To speake something how Italy is inhabited; the Adriatique Sea dischar∣ges a stream farr into the firm Land, and makes the Jonian Gulph; Not as in other places, where the Sea running to the Land-ward, in the end makes an Isthmus, or neck of Land. As the Chrisaean Gulph ending in the Haven of Lechaeum by Corinth, makes there the Isthmus, being some five miles broad: And the Gulph Melas from the Hellespont makes another of the same breadth in Chersonesus. Whereas from

Ravenna, where ends the Jonian Gulph, to the Tyrrhene Sea, is eight days journey over land, by reason the current of that Sea is carried out farre to the South-ward. The first Towne on this side the Jonian Gulph is Otranto in Apulia. To the North of that Town is part of Calabria, and Samaium: Next to which is Picenia, reaching to Ravenna. On the other side of that Town is the rest of Calabria, then Bruttia, and Lucania. Next to which is Campania, to the City of Taracina. To them ad∣joynes the Territory of Rome. These Nations hold both the shores of the Mediter∣ranean, and all the Mid-lands that way. Here is that which was formerly call∣ed Magna Graecia. In Bruttia are seated the Epizephyrian Locrians, Crotonians, and Thurians. On the other side of the Jonian Gulph, first are the Graecians of E∣pirus, to Epidamnus, which stands upon the Sea. Bordering thereunto is the Pro∣vince of Precalis: Beyond which it is called Dalmatia, accompted of the western Empire, and all beyond it, as Liburnia, Istria, and Venetia, reaching to Ravenna. Above these up into the Land are the Siscians, and the Suevians (not those subject to the Francks) and the Carnians, and Norioi beyond them. To the right hand of whom are the Dacians and Pannonians, holding Singidon, Sirmium, and other places, & extending to the river Ister. The Nations on that side the Jonian gulph, the Goths at the beginning of this war ruled. Beyond Ravenna, to the left hand, and by North of the Poe, are the Ligurians, and beyond them North-ward the Albanians, in an ex∣cellent Countrey, called Languvilla. To the West of these Nations are the Gauls, and then the Spaniards. To the South of the Poe is Aemilia, and Tuscany, which reaches to the Territory of Rome.

But Belisarius took all the said territory of Rome to the Tiber, and fortified it round about; which being in good estate, he directed Constantianus with a band of his owne Targetiers, and with Zanter, Chorsomanus, and Aeschmanus, Hunnes, and some of his Life-guard, and other Forces to march into Tuscany, and take in the Towns there. And he gave order to Bessas to take Narnia, a strong place in Tus∣cany. Bessas was of the race of the Goths formerly inhabiting Thrace, but followed not Theodorick into Italy. He was valiant, a skilfull Souldier, and an excellent Cap∣tain, and very dextrous in his own person. He got Narnia by the Inhabitants good will; and Constantianus as easily took Spoletum and Perusia, and some other Towns in Tuscany; the Tuscans willingly receiving him. He placed a Garrison in Spoletum, and himselfe with his Forces lodged in Perusia, the cheife Citie in Tusca∣ny. Vitigis sent an Army against him under Ʋnilas, and Pitzas, whom Constanti∣nus encountred in the Suburbs of Perusia. At first, the Barbarians having advan∣tage in numbers, the battaile was equall; but at last the Romans by their valour routed them, and killed them almost all; Their Commanders they sent prisoners to Belisarius. Vitigis upon this would stay no more at Ravenna, where he attended Marcias and his Troops. First he sent an Army under Asinarius and Ʋligisalus, to recover Dalmatia to the Goths; directing them to get Barbarians out of Suavia to joyne with them, and so to march directly to Salonae: Which to besiege by Sea also he sent along many Pinnaces. Then himself prepared to go against Belisarius, and Rome, with no lesse then 150000. Horse and Foot, the most of them armed, horses and Men. Asinarius raised an Army of Suevians; and Ʋligisalus led the Goths a∣lone into Liburnia, where he fought with the Romans at a place called Scardon, was beaten, and retired to the City of Burnus, where he staid for Asinarius. Constan∣tianus hearing of Asinarius his preparations, and fearing Salonae, drew together the Souldiers garrison'd thereabout, made a Ditch about the City walls, and provided against a siege. Asinarius with a great levy of Barbarians came to Burnus, and joyning with Ʋligisalus march'd to Salonae. They compast the Walls with their Trenches, and manning their Pinnaces with souldiers, blockt Salonae to the Sea-ward, and so besieged it by Sea and Land: But the Romans set sodainly upon their Pinnaces, scattered them, and sunck many with the men aboard, and took many, the men being gone. Yet the Goths raised not their siege, but were rather more eager upon the Romans within.