A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

1140 NARSES. NARSES.
However, Ancona was the only port left to the Gothic army was utterly defeated, Teias and a
Romans in Italy between Ravenna and Otranto; countless number were slain, and the rest capituthe Gothic fleet covered the sea; and it was conse- lated, but were allowed to withdraw from
quently dangerous to trust the safety of 100,000 Italy: this condition was never well observed.
men, and the issue of the whole undertaking to the Narses now marched to the north, reducing one
chances of the weather or a naval battle. However, fortress after the other, and gaining the confidence
the Gothic fleet was beaten and destroyed off of the inhabitants through his firm yet generous
Sinigaglia. Narses nevertheless resolved to march and faithful conduct. He thought he had subdued
round the Adriatic. This road presented no less Italy when he was undeceived by the appearance
formidable difficulties: the whole low country tra- of a host of 75,000 Alemanni and Franks, who
versed by the Po, the Adige, &c., and their count- came down the Alps under the command of the two
less branches, was an impassable swamp; the gallant dukes of the Alemanni, Leutharis and
bridges over the Po and the Adige had been broken Buccellinus. The Roman vanguard, commanded
down by the enemy; and the only remaining pas- by Fulcaris, a brave but rash Herulian, was cut to
sage over the latter river, at Verona, was guarded pieces in the amphitheatre of Parma, and, in spite
by the gallant Teias with a strong body of veteran of the efforts of Narses, the barbarians rushed down
Goths. Narses consequently chose a middle course. into Southern Italy. Leutharis ravaged Apulia
HIe coasted the Dalmatian shore of the Adriatic as and Calabria, and Buccellinus plundered Campania,
far as the northern corner of that sea, whence his Lucania, and Bruttium; but they were more forarmy continued by land, while the fleet took a midable as marauders than as soldiers; they could
parallel course along the shore, and wherever a overrun the country, but they oppressed it too
river or a canal checked the progress by land, the much to be able to maintain themselves in it, and
ships conveyed timber and other materials to the they consequently thought of returning to the Alps.
spot for the speedy construction of bridges. Thus Their ranks were thinned through losses and dishe reached Ravenna, Teias being all the while quite eases, to which Leutharis fell a victim with his
unable to molest him. He remained nine days in whole band, and while Buccellinus was staying
that city. Thence he marched upon Rimini, and near Capua, Narses came on with his veterans
the Gothic garrison having dared to insult him, he and slew him and his followers in a fierce battle at
drove them back within their walls, and slew their Casilinum, on the Vulturnus. Agathias says, that
commander Usdrilas. Without losing time in be- out of 30,000 men only 5000 escaped in this batsieging Rimini he proceeded on the Flaminian way tle. The power of the Goths was now irretrievably
to Rome, where king Totilas awaited him with his ruined, and Italy was once more a province of the
main army. They met in the plain of Lentaglio, Roman empire, which Justinian finally pacified
between Tagina (Taginae, Tadinae) and the tombs and organised by his famous "Pragmatica." Narses
of the Gauls: the left of the Romans was under was appointed governor of Italy, and took up his
the immediate command of Narses and Joannes, residence at Ravenna.
the nephew of Vitalienus, and the right was com- During many subsequent years the name of
manded by Valerianus, John Phagas, and Dagis- Narses is not once mentioned; but we cannot
theus. The Romans carried the day: 6000 Goths but presume that in regulating the domestic
fell on the field, and king Totilas was slain in his affairs of Italy he acted in a way that did credit
flight: his armour was sent to Constantinople to his genius, although we know that his con(July 552). Teias was now chosen king of the duct was far from being free from avarice. In
Goths. Narses reaped the fruits of his victory by 563 he had an opportunity of proving that he was
receiving the keys of the strongest fortresses of the still the old general. Vidinus, comes, caused a
Goths in that portion of Italy. Rome was forced fierce revolt in Verona and Brescia, and was supto surrender by Dagistheus, a distinguished general, ported by some Franks and a band of Alemanni
whose name and that of his colleague Bessus are under Amingus, who made sad havoc in Upper
strangely connected with the chances of warfare; Italy, till Narses fell upon them and crushed themt
for it was Bessus who commanded in Rome when at once, whereupon Verona and Brescia subit was reduced by the Goths in 546, a misfortune mitted. Sindual, a chief of the Herules, who had
which he afterwards retrieved by reducing Petra, served Narses faithfully during many years, imithe bulwark of the empire towards the Caucasus, tated the example of Vidinus and shared his fate;
over which Dagistheus was appointed commander; but while Narses spared the life of the comes he
and Dagistheus having been compelled to surrender ordered Sindual to be hanged, so incensed was he
Petra again to the Persians, took in his turn his at his want of loyalty. These victories caused
revenge by reducing Rome. In the course of the great joy in Constantinople; but the death of JusGothic war Rome had been five times taken and tinian, which took place in the same year, and the
retaken: in 536 by Belisarius, in 546 by Totilas, accession of Justin, were heavy checks upon the
in 547 again by Belisarius, in 549 again by Toti- influence of Narses at the imperial court, and finally
las, and in 552 by Narses. Narses despatched contributed to his ruin.
Valerian to the Po for the purpose of preventing The death of Justinian and the extreme age of
the fugitive Goths from rallying round the head- Narses caused two movements of great importance.
quarters of Teias at Pavia and Verona; but Teias The administration of the great exarch of Italy
eluded his vigilance, and, aided by a body of was vigorous but oppressive; and although the
Franks whose alliance he had bought, suddenly Gothic war had impoverished that unhappy counbroke forth from behind his lines, and appeared in try to an enormous degree, he extracted the last
Southern Italy to avenge the death of Totilas. coin from its inhabitants. Had he continued to
But, instead of avenging it, he shared his fate on send a proportionate share of it into the imperial
the banks of the Sarnus (Draco), a little river treasury, he might have continued his extortions
which flows into the bay of Naples (March, 553). without feeling the consequences; but it appearsthat
In a bloody battle, which lasted two days, the he was less liberal to Justin than to Justinian, and