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. XX.

BUT howsoever this fell out; Narses rejoycing at the successe, took the True course, to attribute all unto God: And he took order in the pre∣sent occasions; and first, to be rid of his unrulely Lombards, who were infinitely disorderly, and burned houses, and ravished Women that fled in∣to Churches. He bestowed store of money on them for their Service, and sent them home; commanding Valerianus, and Damianus, his Sisters Son, with their Troops to conduct them out of the Roman Confines, that they might do no mischiefe in their way home-ward. And so soon as these were out of the Roman Territories, Valerianus besieged Verona; and the Garrison in it came to some Capitulation with him for rendring the Town: But the Francks Garrison'd in the Townes of Vene∣tia hindred it, seeking with all their endeavour to get the whole Country to them∣selves; whereupon Valerianus retired without effecting any thing.

The Goths who fled from the overthrow, went over the River Poe, and put themselves into the City of Picenum, and other Townes about it, and made Teias their King. He with the Treasures left by Totilas in Picenum, sought to draw the Francks to his aide, and governed the Goths as he could in that Estate, assembling them together. Narses advertised thereof, commanded Valerianus to keep his Troops about the River Poe, to make the Goths rallying difficult: Himselfe with the rest of the Army marcht towards Rome. In Tuscany he took in Narnia, and put a Garrison into Spoletum, with direction to reedifie the Walls demolished by the Goths. He sent Troops also to attempt Perusia, commanded by two Fugitive Romans, Meligedius, and Ʋlithus; who being one of the Life-guard to Cyprianus,

was wonne by the allurements of Totilas to murther him, Commander of the Ro∣man Garrison there. Melegedius accepted the offers of Narses, and consulted with his own Followers to yeild the Town; which Ʋlithus with his Friends openly op∣posing, was slain in the Fight, and the Town was rendred to the Romans. Thus by Gods just Vengeance was Ʋlithus slain in the very place, where he had murthered his Commander Cyprianus.

The Goths Garrison'd in Rome, hearing of the approach of Narses, put in rea∣dinesse to encounter him, as they could. At his first taking Rome, Totilas had burnt most of the Buildings of the City; and then considering how the Goths had not men enough left to Guard the whole Circuit of it, he took in with a lesser Wall a small part thereof, about Adrians Tomb, joyn'd it to the City Walls, and so made it as a Castle; wherein the Goths laid their things of Value, and guarded it careful∣ly, neglecting the rest of the Walls. Yet then desirous to try the Enemy, they left a few to guard that Castle, and put themselves upon the Battlements. The Circuite of Rome so vast neither could the Romans encompasse, nor the Goths guard; so that the assaults, and defences were accidentally in severall places, as the occasions were. Narses charged one part with multitudes of Archers; in another John, Sisters Son to Vitalianus, fell on with his Troops. Another part Philimuth and his Herulians infested, and they were far distant from one another: the Goths bravely resisting their Charges; and being assembled all where the Romans fell on, the rest of the Walls were empty. Dagisthaeus, with Narses consent, took some Troopes with the Ensignes of Narses, and John, and scaling Ladders, and set upon a part quite destitute of Guards, and at his ease he mounted by his Ladders, none resisting; and then set upon the Gates: the Goths seeing this, left their Guards and ran all a∣way; some to their new Castle, others to Portus. Writing this, it comes into my thoughts, how Fortune plaies with poor men; changing her looks with the times and places, and varying suddenly not only her own humour, but even the value and worth of the men. Bessas formerly lost Rome unworthily, and afterward recove∣red Petra in Lazica very bravely. And on the contrary, Dagisthaeus poorly ran a∣way from Petra, and now soon after recovers Rome it selfe to the Emperour. These things have been done from the beginning, and will be, while there is Fortune a∣mong men. Narses then marcht against the new Castle; But the Goths yeilded it and themselves,* 1.1 upon assurances for their Persons; Justinian being now in the 26th. yeare of his Reigne. Thus was Rome taken five times in his Reigne, and Narses sent the Keyes of it to the Emperour. To the Roman Senate and People, this Victory proved an extream ruine; So to men that must have a mischiefe, even their seem∣ing good Fortunes turn to their destruction; that having had a faire course, they both lose it, and undo themselves. For the Goths, now despairing of the Domi∣nion of Italy, in their flight killed all the Romans they found; And the Barbarians of the Roman Army also, at their entring the City, used them all as Enemies. Many Senators also confined by Totilas in Campania, and now repairing to Rome (when they heard it to be in the Emperours possession) the Goths quartered in the Townes of those parts, killed, and left not one Patritian alive. Maximus was then slain, whom I have mentioned formerly. Totilas also, going against Narses, called for all the Sons of the principall Romans, and choosing out 300. of the goodliest of them, pretending to breed them, but indeed holding them for Hostages: And he sent them beyond the River Poe; whom Teias now finding there, killed them all.

Moreover, Ragnaris a Goth, who commanded in Tarentum, and had compounded with Bacurius, (as I have said) to yield the City to the Emperour, and given six Goths for Hostages: Now hearing of the Election of Teias, and that the Francks were desired to aide him, and he immediately to march against the Romans, he re∣fused to perform the composition; and to get his Hostages again, he sent one to Bacurius for a convoy of Souldiers to Otranto, from whence (he said) he would go to Constantinople. Bacurius, not suspecting his plot, sent him 50. men, whom Ragnaris imprisoned, and sent word to Bacurius, that if he meant to have his Soul∣ders, he must restore to him his Gothish Hostages. Bacurius led out his Forces a∣gainst him, leaving some few to guard Otranto. Upon this Ragnaris killed the 50. Souldiers, and sallied out against the Romans, and in fight was defeated, lost many men, and ran away into Acherontia, Tarentum being blockt up by the Romans. The

Romans soon after took Portus by composition, and Nepa in Tuscany, and Petra Pertusa. Teias finding his Goths too weak for the Romans, sent to Theudebald King of the Francks, importuning him with the offer of great sums of Money to joyne with him. But the Francks took the resolution best for themselves, not to bestow their lives upon Goths nor Romans, but to adventure them onely in the Conquest of Italy for themselves.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Anno 26. Just. Rome now had been taken five times in his Raigne.