as thoughe so greate armyes coulde not well be victualled together in one place and that they should finde more plentie abundaunce of victuall and forage in other places This excuse was pretended but in déede they were sent awaye to the â—â—tent that with their presence they should not interrupt him of his doings Afterwardes he him selfe sommoning before him all the officers of his camp when he had sufficientlye debated with them as concernyng the distresse that the Gothes were broughte vnto what woulde you saye ê™ he yf we shoulde by this warre atteyne at theyr handes not onely those things wherewyth the Empereur sée meth to be contented but also greater thynges Euery man for hym selfe commended that greater thyngs shoulde be atteyned if it might be When he hard them saye so withoute further disclosinge of the matter he dismissed the counsell And therevppon he sent one of his company to Rauenna aduertising the Gothes that he was coÌ„tented to do as thei had counselled hym exhorting them to make spede in the matter The Gothes as they the were alreadye oppressed with famin without any delay sent theyr commissioners fully authorised by the prince and the common consent of them all vnto Belisarius These persons when they came into the camp spake nothyng before the souldyers but talkynge with Belisarius alone tolde hym that they were come to receyue his faythfull promise and othe for thaccomplishment of the matter before debated There were two kinde of promises propounded by them wher vnto they required him to be sworne Thone was that he shoulde gouerne them with iustice and equitie maineteyne and supporte the customes and lawes of the Gothes and not be offended against any of them for ought that had bene done in tymes past with diuers other things of lyke purport The other was that he shoulde from hence forth proclaime himselfe king of Italy of the Gothes If he woulde agre to these articles be sworne to the performance of them they would set open their gates receyue hym all his armye into Rauenna Belisarius sware to all thother demaundes according as the commissioners had requested but concernynge the takynge of the kingdome vppon him he sayde he woulde take hys othe before Vitigis his noble men when he was come to Rauenna The coÌ„missioners mistrusting not but that he would haue bene king in dede delayed the takynge of his othe in that behalfe as though he shoulde haue performed the same before the noble men immediatly vppon his comming to Rauenna But Belisarius purposed nothyng lesse the cause why Belisa woulde not take vpon him to be emperour For Iustinian when he made him Lieutenaunt generall of the warres had bounde him with a great othe that he shoulde not take vppon him nor vsurpe the kingdome or Empyre as longe as he were alyue nor yet suffer himself to be accompted or called by the name of tyrant King or Emperour This his othe he was determined to kepe vnuiolated The yelding of Rauenna to Belisarius did but daly wyth the Gothes in that behalfe Vppon this composition the Gothes verye desirouslye called Belisarius into the towne And he with hys armye in royall order and wyth hys shyppes trymly decked bryngyng in them abundaunce of all kynde of victualles entered into Rauenna to the great reioycement of the Gothes and theyr armye Nowe because there were a great number of men of warre of the Gothes wythin the towne Belisarius myndynge to abate theyr power wythin a few daies after hys comming thither licensed all such to departe home as dwelled on thys syde the ryuet Po. They beynge wearyed wyth theyr longe continued warfate were verye willing to retourne home to their frendes And so the multitude that was at Rauenna being diminished the armye of Belisarius wared the stronger and were euen as Lordes of the towne As thinges fell oute in this wyse the nobilitie of the Gothes that dwelled in anye part of all Italy eyther came them selues or elles sent their commissioners vnto Belisarius to Rauenna But when Belisarius beganne to make delayes in the takynge vppon hym of the kingdome men beganne to maruell what he shoulde meane and also to cast doutes of hys doynges Belisarius is sent for out of Italy The whyche suspicion was augmented vppon the sodayne sendynge of Iustinian vnto Belisarius commaundyng hym to retourne home For the same went certain had made report to the Emperour that Belisarius went about to make himself king of Italy had already taken it vppon him For feare wherof Iustiman sent for him immediatly out of Italy The Gothes perceyuing that coulde not at the first by any meanes persuade them selues that he would returne to themperour Iustinian But when they saw preparacion made for the same and all thynges put in a readinesse toward his iourney then they knewe well ynoughe that Belisarius had wonne them in by a trayne and had qvtterly deceiued them But what remedy For he had both the towne and their noble men in his hand so that they could not so much as bewayle their misfortune one to another but that he must nedes be priuye to it When the Gothes that dwelt on the furthersyde of Po heard tydinges hereof they assembled themselues togyther at Pauye and there bewaylyng one to another the commoÌ„ misfortune of their nation and the deceitfullnesse of Belisarius at length would haue made Vraias theyr Kyng Vraias refuseth to be made kyng of the Gothes The whych thyng he would not in any wyse suffer them to doe excusing him selfe by thys reason that for as much as he was Vitigis brothers sonne he myght not seeme to haue done eyther lyke a kynsman or lyke an honest man yf he shuld take the kyngdome vpon him whiles Vitigis were alyue Through thys allowable excuse alledged for hymselfe he was the occasion that Ildouade a man of great aucthoritie and power amonge the Gothes Ildouade is made king of the Gothes and which had bene ruler of Veron a longe tyme before was created kynge Ildouade therefore beynge sent for oute of Veron vnto Pauye was there inuested in hys purple Robes of estate and proclaymed kynge of the Gothes to the entent he shoulde studys and take care for the saufgard of hys countrey men Beyng in thys sorte made kynge he sent ambassadours by by to RaueÌ„na vnto Belisarius The effect of the ambassade sent by Ildouade to Belisarius geuing them charge to put hym in remembraunce of hys promise lately made for the taking vpon him of the kingdome of Italy of the Gothes not letting to reproue him openly of breakinge his faithfull promise through whiche cautel the Gothes were deceyued Wherefore if he woulde yet accomplishe his promise in proclaiming him selfe kyng and shewe the same in his doings Ildouade offered him selfe to come to Rauenna to laye of hys robes of estate at hys féete But yf he had rather be themperours slaue then to be Emperour himself he oughte
of instice the vvilfulnesse of the Gothes in the education of theyr kyng the vntimely death of the said Athalarick the great freÌ„dship of the Quene tovvard Theodatus the ingratitude of him tovvards her agayn themperour Iustinian sendeth Belisarius against the Gothes and he conguereth all Sicill THeodorich being deceased with out issue male his doughter Amulusuentha as then a Widow with her sonne Athalaricke succeded in the kyngdome This Athalaricke was but a chyld to speake of and therefore all the whole care of the gouernment lay in the Quéenes necke Who hauyng great regard of her infant An example of the good education of a Prince immediatly dyd put hym forth to be broughte vp in learnynge and good nurture For she gaue hym learned men to be is teachers and appoynted certaine Lordes of the Gothes men auncient of great grauitie and good bringyng vp to be continually aboute hym And she heer selfe looked verye straightlye to the gouernement of the Empyre prohibiting the Gothes as well to do wronge as to take wronge and also repealyng diuers actes of her father Theodorich Iustice and clemencie in a vvoman reducyng them to a moore gentlenesse and clementie Amongest the whiche this was one that she restored to the sonnes of Boetius and Symmachus their fathers goods and inheritaunce which Theodorich had lately before confiscate affirming that they were wrongfully condempned through false accusations whereto the kyng vnaduisedly had geuen lyght credit Furthermore she compelled her cosyn germaine Iustice vvithout parcilaitie Theodatus who hauyng great possessions in Thuscane had taken many fermes and maners violently from hys neighbours lyke a tyrant to make restituition of the harmes he had done with a sharpe rebuke for hys great misbehauiour This seueritie of the Quéene made many of the Gothes to become her enemyes And therefore tertayne of the chief â—â— them conspiring together determined to bring vp her sonne contrary to her disposition maugre her power Wherevpon thei came vnto her saying it lyked not the Gothes that their kynge shoulde lyue in subiection vnder tutors and teachers or that he should be kept in awe of his elders they sayd it was meete for a Kyng of such pusaunce as he should be to set hys mynde vppon cheualrye and feates of armes and to exercise hymself among lusty yong gentlemen rather than to learne to wayte vppon a maister or to sit glummyng amonge a sort of old Doctards For by this meanes both the body the mynde of their Kyng shoulde bée effeminated But through thother he should encrease as well in strength and courage as also in conning and experience For he was not made kyng to th entent to instruct his people in learnyng but to enlarge his dominion by knighthod cheualry The Quéene albeit she were not ignorauÌ„t to what end purpose al this drift was driuen yet not withstanding because she would not seme to be vtterly against their requests she coÌ„descended vnto theÌ„ The yong prince being deliuered to the coÌ„pany of as youthfull as himself win a litle while after Licentious liberty corruption of youth fell to a more lasciuius trade of liuing folowig altogether the lust of the flesh such other kinds of filthy pleasures And against his mother he became so stoberne self willed through thenticement of ill couÌ„ sell that he disdeined to go vnto her or speake to her The Queene when she saw her self by such pollicies assaulted of her aduersary and bereft of her kyngdome EuÌ„ill counsell â—he confusion of counsellers being a woman of a stout courage could no lenger beare with their doynges but sent certaine of her officers priuely and put to death thrée of the chiefest of the Gothes whiche were the ryngleaders and counsaylers of her sonne vnto all noughtinesse And so hauyng reconciled hym vnto her she tooke vppon her the gouernement again But Athalaricke beyng fallen into diuers surffetts and diseases through the disorder of hys former lasciuious lyuyng The death of Athalaricke deceased in the .xviij. yere of hys age when he had raigned with his mother x. yeres after the death of Theodorich The Queene aftre the decease of her soÌ„ne thinking that she shuld be the better able to wade through the weightye affayres of the realme yf so be she had some partaker assistent Theodotus is made kyng tooke her cousin Theodatus of whome I made mencion before to be her pertner in the kyngdome Thys Theodatus was excellently well learned both in Latyne and in Greke and had geuen himself much to the readyng of Plato and other philosophie Neuerthelesse beyng of nature féeble and vnconstant he was distayned wyth many vices An example of excedyng ingratitude Through whych where as the quéene of her mere bountie good wyll had raysed hym from a subiect to the state of a kynge he forthwyth requited her with the greatest ingratitude and treacherie that could be For he conspired secretly with her enemyes and tooke and sent her as a banyshed persone into the Ilelande in the lake of Vulsin And ere it was long after he suffered her to be kylled by the kynsfolke and chyldren of them whome she had put to death in the tyme of the obstinat rebellion of her sonne agaynst here This so great vntrueth and treacherye of Theodatus dyd greatly disquiet many of the Gothes lamenting the vnworthy mischaunce of the Queene to see the posteritie of Theodorich so wickedly destroyed in so much that it wanted but litle but that the Gothes had made insurrection against him Whereof as soone as the Emperour Iustinian had intelligence for after Zeno The cause of the vvarres be tvvene the Emperour the Gothes Anastasius Iustine the Empyre descended vnto him thinking that the tyme now serued to set Italy at libertie he applied all his whole mynde and study how to compasse and bring the same to effect Herevnto his prosperous successe since he was Empereour prouoked him in as much as lately before by his captain Belisarius he had vanquished the Vandales and wrested Affrick out of their hands And therefore he thought it was not to be abidden that contrary to the honour of the Romain Empyre Italy shuld be held in subiection by the barbarous The effect of them perours ambassade van to Theodatus Induced with these reasons he sent Ambassadours to Theodatus requiring him to surrender vp Italy Sicill in recoÌ„pence whereof he profered him other dignities promotioÌ„s the which offer yf he refused then he denounced open war against him Vpon the refusall of these offers made by Theodatus the Emperour entending to make no further delay Belisarius is appovnted in to Italy and Mundus into Dalmatiz coÌ„maunded Belisarius to passe into Italy with his army Howebeit whiles he was making preparatioÌ„ he preteÌ„ded as though he would haue sent his nauy into Affricke not into Sicill About the same time also he coÌ„maunded another of his captaines called
wyse and more modest in our dooinges And therfore ryght reuerend father I determined to dedicate these Bookes vnto you as well to th entent you might vnderstād my entier loue and affection to wardes you as also that you myghte be as a Iudge of my worke and trauel the which I shal thinke very well bestowed if so myse and wel learned a mā as you are doe allow them and take them in good worthe Whereuppon I wyll take occasion to goe in hand with the processe of myne Historye Farrewell The fyrst Booke of Leonard Aretine concernyng the warres in Italy against the Gothes ⧠The first Chapter ¶ The dispotition of Agustulus the diuision of the landes through Italy the cause of the commyng of the Gothes thither and of their encounter with Odoacers Captaines IR the tyme that Zene was Emperour of Rome the Gothes vnder the leading of Theodorich determined to inuade Italy lately before soore afflicted with diuers rodes and inuasions of barbarous people and at that tyme oppressed with the tyranny of Odoacer of the which thinges I purpose to entreate repeatyng somewhat deper the state of those tymes to the intent it may be knowen from whence the Gothes first came and what hope moued them to inuade the Empyre After the death of the yonger Valentinian The death of Valentinian who as it is well ynough knowen was slayne at Rome of hys owne Subiectes the Empyre of the West beganne to wauer and to bée as it were without lyfe or soule Nowe there were at the same tyme in Italy great armyes of forreyners raysed latelye before by Valentinian for fears of Attila and afterwardes associated by the Romaynes agaynst the Vandales These forreyners perceyuynge the empoueryshemente and weakenesse of the Empyre and therevppon takynge courage conspired together and demaunded to haue the thyrde parte of the landes through all Italye deuyded amonge them The name of the Empyre remayned at that tyme in one Augustulus who beynge but a verye chylde was goucrned by hys father Orestes a Senatour of Rome Therefore at suche tyme as the menne of warre demaunded a partition of the landes and that Orestes beynge a wyse and sage personne wythstoode theyr request the Souldyours slewe hym and fourthe wyth folowynge theyr Captayne Odoacer camme to Rome and deposed Augustulus Augustulus is deposed and Odoacer vius peth By meanes whereof hauynge nowe the lawe in theyr owne hande they deuyded the thyrde part of the landes among them Odoacer hauynge by thys meanes gotten the Soueraygnytye in hys owne name and in the name of the armye ruled the Cytyes at hys owne luste and pleasure Zeno also Gouernour of the East Empyre lying at Constantynople beganne to dread soore the power of Theodorich The cause of the commvng of the Gothes into Italy For the Gothes that inhabited the vpper coaste of Thracia hadde alreadye begonne to vere and disquiett the Countreys borderynge vppon them And it was none other lyke but that they woulde make some insurrection against the Romain Empyre Whervppon to the entent to delyuer hymself and the countreys there aboutes from feare of the Gothes He persuaded Theodorich to passe into Italy and to delyuer the cities there oute of the hands of the wrongfull withholders of them Induced with these persuation Theordorich remouyng out of Thrace and leadyng with him the Gothes with their wyues and children and al that euer they had through Syrmium and Illyricum went toward Italy where at hys fyrst entraunce the Captaines of Odoacer camme against him with their armies The first battell betwixt them was fought not farre from the Citie of Aquileia vppon the riuer Fontius In the which conflict after a long and sharpe encoūter the Gothes gate the victorye and putte the Captaynes of Odoacer to flyght ⧠The .ij. Chapter ¶ Theodorich kyng of the Gothes besiegeth Odoacer in Rauenna the matter is ended by composition ech of them lyeth in wayte to destroye other Theodorich preuenting Odoacer kylleth hym at a banquet by meanes whereof he obteyneth the soueraignitie of Italy of the actes of Theodorich and of hys death AFter this when the Gothes had wonne the cities there aboutes Odoacer is besseged and vanquysshed the power of their enemyes in other places also at length they besieged Odoacer in the Citie of Rauenna The siege held the Gothes tack lenger then thei thought it woulde haue done at the firste and that happened by reason of the situation of the place For neyther can Rauenna bée easlye besieged vppon that syde that is towarde the sea because it standeth hard vppon the shore neither vppon that syde that is towarde the land because it hath a diche cut from the riuer Po and is enuyroned wyth certaine standyng waters and marisses By meanes whereof the Gothes laye well nye full thrée yeres at the siege thereof and could not wynne it But yet in the meane season thei won all the townes nere aboute sauynge Cesena the which also was kept with a stronge garrison of Odoacers At the last as well the Assaylaunts as the Defendauntes beinge weryed Composition betwene Odoacer and Theodorich the matter was decided by composition that Theodorich and Odoacer should be Comperes and Felowes in Empyre After that thynges were thus set at a staye Throdorich and hys Gothes entered into Raucuna neyther was there any parte of all Italy that was not content to receyue hym But thys copertuershyppe in the Empyre lasted not longe For when as the one bare grudge in hys heart prenelye agaynst the other Theodorich preuentyng Odoacer badde hym to a Banquet and there kylled hym The death of Odoacer and so with hys Gothes bare all the swaye alone in Italy Howe 〈◊〉 it to saye the trueth hys gouernement was not verye intollerable albeit he reteyned for hys people the thyrde part of the lands in suche sort as Odoacer had lately before deuyded them The raygne and actes of Theodorich For he suffered the cities to bée gouerned by their own lawes and by theyr owne citizins Appoyntyng Rauenna to bée the Sea of hys kyngdome where he also planted hym selfe Thyrtye and seuen yeres raygned Theodorich in Italye neyther sate he styll Idellye lyke a cowarde all the whyle For he bothe anticred Sicill wyth all the Ilclandes about it vnto hys kyngdome and also subdued Dalmatia Moreouer duryng the sayde tyme of hys raygne he led an huge hoste ouer the Alpes and the ryuer Rhone into Fraunce agaynste the Frenche men Thus dyd thys Kynge manye noble actes and hys name was famous and renowmed sauynge that in hys latter dayes he was noted of crucirye and outrage for puttyng to death of Symmachus and Boetius Senatours of the citie of Rome Symmachus Boetins with certain other noble men onely vppon suspition that they sought to set the citie at libertic ⧠The .iij. Chapter ¶ Amulusuentha the doughter of Theodorich with her sonne Athalaricke succede in the kingdome the seueritie of the Quene in executing
battel A battell betvvene ildouade and the imperialles This encounter was fought not farre froÌ„ * Novv called Trenizo Taruisium against Vitalis one of the Emperours Captaines In the which Ildouade getting thupper hand made such aslaughter of Vitalis army the whiles the captanie himself with a few sled away all the rest were either slain or taken prisoners by the Gothes Through this victorie being so great so notable it is a wonder to see how the gothes were entouraged how much the power of their aduersaries was abated In so much the not only beyonde the Ryuer Po and vnder the dominion of Venice but also all suche as on thys syde the Po helde of the Gothyshe part were throughly strengthened and the name of Ildouade grewe famous euen in the Emperour Iustinians Court and amonge forreine nations also It was not long after but that he pursued to that death Vraias a man of much aucthoritie and estimation among the Gothes vpon presumption the he should conspire with his enemies This cause was pretended The death of Vraias Howbeit somme were of opinion that he tooke prytch agaynst Vraias by cause that latly before there had bene alterration betwen his wife and the Quéene But surely I cannot thinke that Ildouade being a graue wyse man would be so farre ouersene as to be induced with brablinge matters of women to kill suche a man as was Vraias I beleue rather that the cause why Ildouade dyd putte him to death was that he feared his power aucthoritie For it is mamifest that the Gothes in generall are of nature very mistrustfull and scarce sufficientlye fasthfull toward their kinges Many of the Gothes dissalowed the death of Vraias and openly detested it as a heynous and wicked acte By meanes wherof it came to passe that Ildouade himself was stayne by one of his owne gard whiles he sate at his meate The death of Ildouade In his stead was Ataricus created King but he raigned not long For with in fiue monethes after his election he was slain by his owne subiectes for his euil behauiour misgouernement The death of Ataricus Thus hauing killed two of their kinges wtin two yeres space they offered the kingdome with one consent vnto Totilas Totilas created king This man before he was made kynge had borne great aucthority at * Novv called Treuizo Tarui fiuer which is a citie of the Venetians and hys father was brother to Ildouade late Kynge The .iii. Chapter ⧠A larger declaration of the election and creation of Totilas mencioned brieflye in the Chapter before The Emperours Captaines through their insaciable gredines of pray stryuing for the bootie before they had gotten it lose the Citis Veron vvhiche vvas deliuered into their handes and betray their ovvne companie AFter that Ildouade as I shewed before was slaine Totilas dreading to be in daunger bycause he waws so nere of his kinne sent priuely to Rauenna made compact with themperours captaines to turne vnto them with such as he had rule of to yeld vp the town of Taruisium into their haÌ„ds A day was limited for performans of the matter But ere euer the day came the Gothes repenting the they had reioyced in that death of Ildouade that they had made Ataxicus their king a maÌ„ nether of wisdome nor courage able to defend the Gothes against so great strength of their enemies began to encline to To tilas the nere kinsman of Ildouade to wishe that he were their king In coÌ„ clustoÌ„ they dispatched Ataricus out of the way made Totilas king in ded Iustinian hauing intelligence of these things the had happened in Italy found great fault with thunskilfulnes cowardnes of his captaines that in al the tyme the their enemies were so at dissention among themselues among so many alterations chaunges they hauing so great oportunity for the speÌ„ding of their matters had done nothing at all The captaines moued w e this dishonorable rebuke asseÌ„bled togither at Rauenna There when it came to consultation as concerning the war it was thought best first formest to send an armye against the citie Veron For they had ben secretly put in hope of thobteining of the towne The captaines were in nuÌ„ber xi of whoÌ„ the chiefe were Constantian AlexaÌ„der lately sent thither by them perour for the collection ofhis money Therfore setting forth wyth a greate armye when they approched neere to Veron they determyned to putte in tryall the hope that was lately genen theym For there was one Martine a noble man of that Countrie that had a Castle not farre from Veron who for as much as in his hart he was unperiall had allured the keper of one of the gates to let in that emperours army The matter being in this wyse closely agréed vpon when the captaines came thither with their armye they sent before one Artauades an Armenian with a number of pycked souldiers to take the gate there to awaite the coÌ„ming of the rest of the hoste No parte of promyse was lefte vnperformed in that place For in the dead of the night wheÌ„ the souldyers came to the gate the traitour set it wyde all open let them into the Cytye They enterynge in and hauynge also taken the walles aboue the same gaue notyce thereof to the rest of the armye The Gothes perceiuing their enemies wythin the towne fled out at another gate Note the couetousnes of thimperialles and vvhat came of it The captains hearinge that their men had taken the towne marched forwarde But ere euer they came there they fell at altercation for the spoyle by the way staied fiue miles from the Citie In the meane while the daye brake Now there is a castle aboue the citie of Veron which hath a very great prospect both into the towne also farre into the countrye The Gothes which were fled into this hold perceliâ—â—g few of their enemyes to be within the Citie and the armye to abyde still without makinge no approch toward the walles sodainely yssued out of the Castle aduenturyng through the citie recouered to the gate where their enemies came in shut it The souldygers that were entered by night were partly oppressed partly flying to the walles made resistens froÌ„ aboue Anone after the captaines comming thyther finding the gate shut although the souldiers wtin called to theÌ„ for help desiring them not to abandon them in that sorte yet notwithstanding they retired backe againe out of hand Some of the souldiers leaped downe the walles saued themselues among which number was Artauades the Armenian their guide The rest were eyther slaine or ells taken prisoners By this meanes through the misgouernement couetousnes of the Captaines striuing amonge theymselues for the praâ—e before they had gotten it when they shuld haue made most spede for the winning of the same the matter quailed about Veron The iiij Chapter ¶ f Totilas by his