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

JUSTINUS. JUSTINUS. 679
wcight of an enormous bag of gold: in a few hours taking. But it was too late, the Longobards
the whole, of Justinian's debts was discharged. descended into Italy, and Narses died of grief.'Th'be people found no limits to their praise and [NARSES.]
delight, and their admiration of their new master In 568 Alboin descended the Julian Alps, with
was at its height, when Sophia, imitating the noble his stern Longobards and numerous contingents of
example set by her lord, opened her treasury and Bavarians, Suevians, and other Germans: 20,000
paid the debts of a host of poor people. At the Saxons, the kinsmen and old confederates of the
same time the orthodox Justin issued an edict of Longobards, joined the expedition with their wives
universal toleration; all persons exiled for their and children. Longinus, the successor of Narses,
religion, except Eutychius, were recalled and re- was an incompetent general, who had neglected to
stored to their families or friends; and the church fortify the passes through the Alps, and thus the
enjoyed a state of peace for fifty years, unprece- barbarians rushed down into Italy like an Alpine
dented in the annals of the ecclesiastical history of torrent. Forum Julii, built by Caesar, was the
the East. The golden age seemed to have arrived first town they conquered, and, having been made
in Constantinople and the provinces. by Alboin the seat of a feudal duchy, which exToo soon, however, did the real character of tended over the adjacent districts, was the cause
Justin show itself, and sadly disappointed the san- of that province being now called Friuli, or in
guine hopes of the Greeks. An embassy of the German Friaul, which is a corruption of Forum
khan of the Avars having solicited an audience, Julii: Grasulf was its first duke. Aquileia soon
Justin dismissed them haughtily and provoked the followed the fate of Forum Julii, and its fugiresentment of their chief; and he exhibited an tive inhabitants took refuge on the Venetian
equally overbearing conduct in his negotiations with islands. In 569 Alboin took Mantua, conquered
the Persians, whence an early rupture might easily Liguria as far as the Cottian Alps, and on the 5th
be prognosticated. In 566 the indignation of the of September of the same year, victoriously entered
Greeks was provoked by the murder of Justin the Milan (Mediolanum), where he was crowned king
younger, the emperor's cousin. This distinguished of Italy. H'enceforth the country surrounding
prince excited the jealousy of both Justin and Milan was called Longobardia, or Lombardy, the
Sophia, and, from the Danube, where he com- name which it still bears. In the following year
manded against the Avars, he was suddenly sent Alboin made himself master of a large portion of
as governor to Egypt, but had scarcely put his Central Italy, and founded a second feudal duchy
foot on the shore of Alexandria, when he fell under at Spoleto, where Faroald reigned under his suthe dagger of a hired assassin. His numerous premacy. The establishment of a third duchy at
friends were exasperated; it was said that they Benevento was, the fruit of the campaign of 570:
had conspired against the emperor, and the alleged Alboin found a strong colony of Longobards in that
conspiracy was stifled in'blood. The treasures place, who had settled there nineteen years preJustin had spent in satisfying the creditors of viously, having received the town with its territory
Justinian, he recovered by a system of oppression from Narses, in reward for their services in the
and rapacity which surpassed even that of his Greek armies; their chief, Zotto, was made duke.
predecessor, and the places under government were In 57] Calabria fell into the hands of the Longosold without shame or disguise. Italy, exhausted bards, and now the name of Calabria was given by
and ravaged by the Gothic war and its consequences the Greek government to the narrow peninsula of
famine and disease, was in a deplorable state. Bruttium and part of Lucania, countries which
Alboin, king of the Longobards, coveted that fair are still called Calabria. Rome and Ravenna,
conquest of Justinian, but his hopes were checked however, as well as different other portions of Italy
through fear of Narses, who still held the com- in the north and in the south, withstood the conmand at Ravenna. Yet Narses was approaching queror, and remained under the sway of the en.the extreme limits of human life, and Alboin re- peror.
solved to wait, and to increase his power by While the most splendid conquest of Justinian
breaking that of his troublesome neighbours the was thus wrested from the Greeks, Justin found
Gepidae, who reigned in Hungary. He entered consolation in pleasures and luxury, leaving the
into an alliance with the Avars, and in 566 the government in the hands of his wife, his ministers,
Gepidne disappeared from among the independent and his eunuchs. At the very time that Italy was
barbarians in Europe. Every. one could now fore- taken from him, he was involved in a dangerous
see an invasion of Italy, and Justin ought conse- war with the Persians, which broke out under the
quently to have concentrated his power in the plains following circumstances. The Turks having by
of the Po, and put both his treasures and soldiers at this time made great conquests in the countries to
the free disposition of Narses. Narses, however, was the north of Persia, gave umbrage to the Persian
hated by Sophia, and he had given just causes of king Chosroes, especially since they concluded an
complaint to the Italians, by his arbitrary govern- alliance with Justin, and Chosroes began hostilities
ment and his extreme rapacity. Justin, listening by invading and subjugating the kingdom of the
to the foolish advice of his wife, sent him an order Homeritae, in Southern Arabia. Encouraged by
to return to Constantinople, and bring with him the approach and success of the Turks, the Iberians
his own riches and those of the public treasury; and Persarmenians threw off the Persian yoke,
and Narses, having remonstrated, pointing out the and submitted to Justin, on condition of his deimminent danger from the Longobards, Sophia fending them against Chosroes. The emperor prosent him a most insulting letter, which so roused mised to do so, and at the same time refused to
the filry of the old general that he invited Alboin to pay the annual tribute of 30,000 pieces of gold,
turn his arms against Italy, promising that he would which had been fixed by former treaties. Thus
not take the command of the Romans. Soon after- war broke out in 572. Justin sent Marcian against
wards, however, lie deeply regretted his faithless- the Persians, an able general, who found no army
ness', and tried to dissuade Alboin from the under- on his arrival at the frontiers, blt created one in a
xx 4