receaue another discomfi ture Moreouer ere it was long after an other nauie of Grekes commyng vnloked for to the rescowe of the Crotoniens longe tyme besieged by the Gothes raysed the siege discomfited their enemyes with great bloudshed saughter The Gothes being dispersed fled some to Tarent and some withdrewe themselues into the next mountayne called Scyllaum the which ouerthrowe together with that former slaughter dyd muche more discourage the hartes of the Gothes In especially forasmuch as there went a great brute through out all Italy of Narses cōmyng of his preparatiō for the wars what great furniture he brought with him that ther began already to spring vp certain rebellions against Totilas Forone Reguaris a noble mā among the Gothes Captaine of Tarent Renoltyng to the part of the imperialles and Morras captayne of Acheruse reuolted to the Emperour with theyr townes and souldiers wherof they had charge The povver of Narses Furthermore tydinges was brought of another insurrection agaynste the Gothes in Sardinia Whyle thynges were in thys estate in Italy Narfes assemblynge hys power in the wynter season addressed hymselfe to hys Iourney he had suche an armye of men as scarce all the Captayne 's beynge putte all togyther broughte wyth them into Italye durynge the whole tyme of thys warre For the Emperour gaue hym so largs allowaunce of monnye and he hymselfe was so bountefull and lyberall in bestowing distributing of the same the he leuied a greate power not onely in Thrace Grace Albuine king of Lombardes but also out of diuers other places For he had entertained a boue fiue M. Lombardes notable mē of war by the consent of Albuine theyr Kinge and MMM of the Erulians Cumades a Persian Furthermore there came unto hym a great number of the Hunnes Also there was one Cumades a Perstan that had bene trayned vppe in the Romaine warres who with a valiant band of Persians resorted vnto hym Moreouer there came to hym a warlyke yong gentleman called Assuades wyth fyue hundred feyghtynge men of the Sepides and Iohn surnamed Phagas wyth an hoste of the Gréekes and Thracians Besydes this Iohn Vitalian and the sonnes of Germaine serued hym wyth theyr armyes Narses therefore hauyng thys so great an hoste as soone as the sprynge tyme approched passed oute of Illiricum throughe Dalmatia and Liburnia and so coastynge aboute the elbowe of the Sea came by lande into Italye not stayinge anye where vntyll he was amonge the Venetians There were twoo wayes by the whyche he myghte handsomelye passe from the Venetians The one by the Adriaticke Sea the other throughe the mayne Lande bothe whyche séemed to haue manye lettes For by the Seas syde the Ryuer Athesis maketh greate Lakes whyche fall into the Sea in manye Chanelles and the riuer Po beynge deuyded into manye streames dothe in dyuers places interrupte the Iourney wyth manye quamyers and mooryshe ground as so that an Armye can not well be led that waye wythoute greate trouble Teias afterward king of the gothes Agayne in the waye by the mayne Lande one of the Gothes called Teias placed at Veron wyth an Armye by Totilas had intercepted hys passage ouer the Ryuers of Athesis and Po. These twoo streames runnynge downe from the Alpes whych deuyde Italy from Fraunce and Germanye dooe fall into the Adriatycke sea And therefore they that wyll passe from Venice muste needes passe ouer them eyther by the Seas syde where as be Lakes and meres fallynge by dyuers Chancelles into the Sea and where the mowthes of Po doe ouerthwart them betwene Rauenna Clodius diches or ells they must passe the same riuers in the mayne land where they be great vndeuided and where they may easly be stopped of their passage if there be any body to withstand them Wherfore seing the Teias was at Veron the which is a citie standing vpon the Riuer Athesis had a power sufficient to let him of his passage Narses left the way through the maine land chose to go by the coast of the Adriaticke sea both bicause it was wtout impeachment of enemyes besides that was nearer way then thother Narses comming to Rauenna And so marchig by Clodius diches the felds of Adria and passing ouer the Riuers whersoeuer they crossed his way some where with brydges somewhere with botes at length he came with al his armie vnto Rauenna There Captaine Valerian and Captaine Iustine wyth their bandes ioyned themselues with Narses There were in Italye a great number of old souldiers who by reasō the Emperour was behind hand with their wages for a longe tyme togyther were offended in theyr hartes and woulde not go forthe to the warres Narses payed theym all theyr wages whereby he healed theyr griefes and gaue theym courage agayne Hauynge spent nyne daies in dooinge these thynges and in refreshing hys armye at Rauenna he remoued from thens marched toward Rome A conflict at Arimine The same time was one Vsdrilas captayne of Arimine as notable a warriour as was among al the gothes Who assone as the Voward of Narses hoste was come into the felds of Arimine went about to stoppe them of their passage The Ryuer that runneth by Arimine was rysen wyth rayne vppon the whyche was a brydge so harde vnder neath the Towne that it was an easye matter to stoppe the passage Vsdrilas therefore yssuynge out of Arimine before that anye number of hys enemyes had passed the Ryuer sette hymselfe at defence on the furthersyde and encountered wyth hys enemyes euen harde vnder the walls of the towne In the whych conflycte a certayne man of Armes of the Erulians feyghtyng wyth Vsdrilas hande to hand flewe hym and hys souldiers discouraged wyth the deathe of theyr Captayne retyred fearefully into the Towne The head of Vsdrilas was broughte vnto Narses at the whyche Narses reioycynge and takynge it for a tooken of good lucke that the chyefe of hys enemyes was slayne by hys men at the fyrste conflycte kepte on hys waye full of good hope and comfort For albeit he had a good furtheraunce to the takynge of Arimine at the same instant yet notwtstanding he wold not tary about it to the entent so great an army shuld not beletted about the sege of one towne therefore he passed by Arimine continued on his iourny Totilas hauing intelligns of those things the were done amonge the Venitians vnderstanding of the passage of Narses and of his comming to Rauēna although almost al his whole power were at that time with Teias The death of Totilas yet notwithstanding he determined to encounter with Narses the which he did in the battell was stayn for his labour As many of the Gothes as escaped frō the field fled ouer the riuer Po assēbled togither at Pauie there abouts In the whiche place as they consulted of making a newe gouernour of theyr people Teias is created kinge of the gothes Teias
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
place In fyne thassaulte came to this ende that the Gothes were coÌ„strained to retyre out at the same gappe where they came in with greate slaughter and losse of their people The repulse of the gothes at the fyrste assaulte As sone as they were gotten oute theyr enemies pursewynge hard vppon the chaced theym away and set all theyr engines on fyre The lyke chaunce happened vnto theym at the Gate Salaria For the souldyers breakynge oute vppon theym burnt vppe all theyr Turrets and other engynes Thus was Rome in one daye bothe earnestlye assaulted in manye places at ones and valeantlye defended There were stayn at these assaultes aboute three thou sand Gothes but yet the syege endured styll The Romaines albeit then had Belisarius in great admiracion for his prowesse The Romains murmur against Belisarius yet they murmured against him in that against so great a puisians of the Gothes he had with so small a handful in coparison styered vp se great warres cast the Citie of Rome into such extreme perill and imminent daunger Belisarius vvriteth to the Emperour The which thinge Belisarius perceyuing for it was â—st done in huther muther althoughe he had duiers other times before aduertised the Emperour Iustinian therof Yet notiwhtstanding being as then greatly moued with the matter he wrote more earnestly vnto him declaring the besetgement of the Citie of Rome with the huge multitude of his enemies and the litle handfull of his owne men For he saide he had bene faine to diminishe his armye that he brought forth with him by leauing garrisonsof souldiers at Panormus and Syxacuse in Sicill and by manninge of Naples Cume other places in Italye as nede required for their defence and saufgard 〈◊〉 so that he had no mo then v. thousand remaining about him and yet he was beseged with an host of CC.M. The Romains vnacquainted with such perills wold not endure the hasard of the siege As for his owne part he had once vowed to spend his life in she Emperour Iustinians seruice th ende whereof he passed not greatly whether it came sone or late Howbeit he said there was respecte to be had how much the same should redound to the honur or dishonour of the Empire of Rome ⧠The .xi. Chapter ¶ Themperour sendeth nevv succours in to Italy Afinarius and Vligisalus Captaines of the Gothes besege Salons in Dalmatia Vitigis vvinneth Portua and causeth all the Romaines to be put to death vvhom he helde at Rauenna as hostages Belisarius putteth all vnable folke for the vvars oute of the citie for consuming of victalls and banisheth the pope vpon suspicion of treason THe Emperour Iustinian was vs rye sore moued at the receipte of these letters The Emperour sendeth nevv succours into Italye and therevpon commaunded that certayne souldyers which had bene put in a readynesse before should immediatly sayle into Italy entending with all spede to leuie a greater power Valerian and MartiaÌ„ were appoynted Captaynes of those souldyers whyche he had alreadye prepared and whyche had wyntered all the dead tyme of that yere in Aetoly and Acarname The newes hereof beyngs broughte to Rome put the Romains in good comforte lokynge for theyr arriuall as sone as the tyme of the yere wold serue While these thyngs were a dooynge at Rome The Gothes besege SaloÌ„s in Dalmatia Asinarius and Vligisalus Captaynes of the Gothes whom Vitigis had sent wyth an host of men into Dalmatia appoyntynge to theym moreouer for theyr more strengthe a nauye of shyppes besyeged Salons bothe by sea and lande For Constantian perceyuynge hym selfe to weake to matche so huge a power as hys enemies had fortifyed the Citie throughly before hand and abode the syege Durynge the which sometyme yssewinge oute of the towne he dyd greate harme to the Gothes both by sea and by lande In thys meane time Rome beganne to be more hardly distressed by the seyge For Vitigis after the time that he had taken so dishonorable repulse at the foresayde assaulte beynge therewith somewhat quickned ceased not to seke serche all meanes possible to be deuysed whereby he myghte anoye hys beseeged enemyes There was a hauen by the Sea syde standinge on the ryght hand of the Kyuer Tyber and adioyning to the same a Cytye enuyroned wyth a stronge wall In the whyche place were wonte to be sette a lande all suche thynges as were broughte by water Vitigis vvynneth Portua and from thence agayne eyther by lande or by water were conneyed to Rome Vitigis therfore sending thither sodain ly a great number of his souldiers assailed the said citie of Portua vnwares and wonne it ere the townsmen could put themselues in a readines to make resystens aganst so greate a power of the Gothes By taking of this towne strayt wayes ensued great distresse at Rome when their vent of fetching in of corne and victiaulls was ones stopped For the Gothes leauing a garison of souldiers there The cruell commaundement of Vitigis against the Romayne hostage dyd kepe both the towne and the mouth of Tiber suffering nothing to be conueyed in It was not longe after but that Vitigis sent commaundement to Rauenna that al the Citizens of Rome which as is declared he led from thens and kept for hostages should be put to death Many of them were of the nobility and many of the commonaltie surely worthy personages all the which tasted of one cup sauyng a few who hauinge incling of the matter before escaped by flighte Amonge the which number were Ceruentinus Reparatus the brother of Vigilins that was afterward pope For they hauing warning therof fled into Fraunce and saued their lyues the rest were all put to death In the tyme that the Romaines moorned and lamented for the siaughter of theyr eitizens at Rauenna there came another sorrow in the necke of it For Belisarius fearinge least graine shoulde faile and ware searce made proclamacion that the citizens should send away their wiues and children wyth al thother multitude that was vnmete and vnable for the warres compelling hys men of warre also to doe the lyke whych had eyther Lemans or lackeys with in the towne There were as yet two wayes left them to passe out at One leading to Ostia by the left syde of the ryuer Tiber and another through the fields cleane coÌ„trary from those places that were beseged by thenemy For the Gothes as we haue sayd dyd not enuiron the whole Citie with their syege but onely from the gate of Aurelius to the gate that goeth to Preneste Beyond those boundes they durst not behold to be ouer busye or to stray ouer farre For yf they adueÌ„tured ouer farre from theyr Campe they lightly ranne in daunger of commynge short home they could not stirre any great way onlesse they went in greate companyes By meanes whereof it came to passe that men myght at all tymes goe and come saufely by the waye of Appius and the way of Ostia The Romaines
calamities When Belisarius heard them make their mone in this sorte he gaue them scarce so gentle aunswere as the case required A rough answere He saide they were missaduised and ledde by rasshenes accordyng to the nature of common people whyche are wonte to be ledde by rage rather then ruled by reasoÌ„ They knewe well ynough that he was wont to be alwayes ruled by Counsell and to doe hys matters by discretion and not by wylfullnes He looked for an armye of men from the Emperour the whyche beynge ones come yf they were then so willynge to feyghte as they made themselues to be he might be able to warrant them victory wythoute fayle The sayd armie did bring wyth theym an infinite deale of corne and therefore he wylled theym to departe and to lette theym alone wyth the order of the warres The Romaines with these words eyther recomforted or rather put in feare he beganne to imagin and deuise with himselfe the vvise practise and pollicie of Belisarius by what meanes he myghte bring scarcenesse of corne amonge the Gothes For the performance wherof he practised this pollicie He sent Constantin and Traiane with a thousand horsmen vnto Taracine and Martine and Seuthis with fyue hundred vnto Tibur and he placed another bande at Alba. Vnto all these he gaue commauÌ„dement that to the vttermoste of their power they shuld stoppe all victuallers from the Gothishe Campe and helpe to saufroÌ„duct them that were willing to goe to Rome And to th entent that the Campe which laye at the Conduyt should not anoy them he caused a bulwarke to be fortified at the church of s Paule and appointed a troope of horse men toward in the same place to th entent to defend the wayes as farre as they could from thinuasions of the Gothes ReuereÌ„s baâ— to religion The church of S. Paule is wtout the gate toward Ostia quite cleane another way from the church of S. Peter both of theym standyng wythout the towne and eche of them hauinge a porch from the gate of the Citie to the Church These two temples of the Apostles The Gothes in all the tyme of their siege did neuer violate The priestes contynuinge in them dyd their deuine seruice fréely wythoute interruption or trouble as they had bene accustomed to doe in foretymes Constantine and Traiane therfore goyng to Taracine when they had broughte Antonia the wyfe of Belisarius at Naples and there lefte her Antonia the vvife of Belisarius retourned backe agayne and spoyled all the townes in those quarters whyche ministred relyefe and succour to the Gothes and wythin shorte space they broughte to passe that nothing at al was conueyed to the Gothes out of those places Martine and Senthis also goyng to Tibur when they had repaired the walles of that towne which were decayed dyd dayly molest and disquiet the Gothes out of that place By some meanes or other wold not fuffer anye graine to be caried to theyr campe The same thing did thei in like wife that were sent to Alba. By meanes whereof wtin very short space Scarcetie and pestilence in the Gothishe Campe. it came to passe that the Gothes which were that be fyegers were put to as much distresse as they that were besyeged And besides the scarcetye of corne the pestilence also had sprede it selfe into the campe of the Gothes ¶ The .xiiii. Chapter ¶ A new suppliment of souldiers commeth from themperour for the saufe conuey wherof vnto Rome Belisarius pollitiquely prouideth to the great slaughter of the Gothes who thervpon enter in communication of peace so that a truce is taken whiles Ambassadours may go and come from themperour to whom the determinatioÌ„ of all their coÌ„trouersies is referred WHile these things were in doing A nevve supplement of souldiers IustiniaÌ„ sent another hoste of meÌ„ into Italy They were of Thracian horsmen eight hundred of whom Iohn the sonne of his brother Vitalian had the leadinge and a thousand and three hundred mustered in other places vnder the conducte of Alexander Maxcent and Zeno. Moreouer three thousand footemen which came by water ledde by Paule and Conon Also there were at Naples fyue hundred footemen prepared by Procopius of Cesarea All these bandes assemblyng themselues together determyned to goe to Rome they brought with them great plenty and store of victuals The horsmen marched by the sea coast and the footemen were conueyed by water In the same flete was broughte great abundaunce of corne and much corne was also caryed by land in wagons Belisarius hauiÌ„g knowledge of theyr commynge A suttle pollicye for feare leaste the Gothes should meete wyth them and interrupt them inuented this pollicie He commaunded the gate of Flaminius whyche he had dammed vp from the begynnyng of the syege to be opened in the nyght tyme and the bagage taken away wherewythall it was stopped The whych beyng done he sent certayne of hys souldyers thyther the nexte mornynge by the breake of the daye ready harnessed and well appointed byddyng them putte themselues in araye and so kept them close wythoute noyse Then he sent Traiane and Diogenes wyth a thousand horsemen oute at the Pincian gate commaundynge theym to runne to the campe of theyr enemies with as much noyse as they coulde and when their enemyes were yssued out vpon them to retyre backe agayne and not to staye before they came to the Gate where they went forthe These thinbeynge in all poynctes thus accomplished whyles they were feyghtynge at the Pincian Gate Belisarius sodainly issuyng out at the gate of Flaminius with the reste of hys armye made strayght to the campe of the Gothes where he founde all thynges vnprouided and in maner emptye on that syde as they that mistrusted no harme at all from the gate of Flaminius because that it had bene longe closed vp a great slaughter of the Gothes So that it wanted lytle but that he had wonne their Campe. Then tourning hym selfe towarde the Pincian gate there gettyng his enemyes in the middes betwene his two hoosts he by assayling them on the backes and those that were fledde by retournyng fiersly vppon them before strake them with an incredible slaughter And vppon thys Battell there fell suche a terrible feare amonge them that they doubled theyr watche in their Campe and tooke care for nothynge so much as howe to defende themselues from the pollicies of Belisarius The enemye beynge by this meanes troubled and putte in feare the Emperours armye without anye let came vnto Ostia Communication of peace The Gothes therefore beynge weryed and vexed with many displeasures and besydes that vnderstandynge howe a freshe crewe of Souldyers were come to the ayde of Belisarius began to consuâ—te of breaking vp theyr siege For by that tyme a great part of theyr campe was dimished eyther by the plage or elles by the sworde and many had bene fayne to forsake the Campe eyther for theyr woundes or elles for that they were sicke
although hys piece were stronge and defensible yet notwithstandyng he toke truce for a fewe daies within the which because no rescue came yeldyng the towne and the holde at the day appointed he himself with hys souldiers reuolted to Totilas But Sisifride behaued hymselfe more valiantlye The valiant faithful demean nor of Sisifride for albeit hys piece were nothyng so strong as the others yet coulde he neuer abyde to here any worde of composition but lyke a stoute warrior issued oute valiantly diuerese tymes vppon the Gothes and foughte sundrye skyrmishes wyth them to hys great prayse and commendation Howbeit at the length fighting manfully he was slayne by his enemyes The Citizens of Assisis beeing destitute of the helpe of that worthy Captayne within fewe dayes after yelded themselues their towne vnto Totilas Frō thence Totilas led his armye against Perusium The trayterous murthering of Ciprian the māfulnesse of his fouldiers Captayne therof was Ciprian of whom mention is made before among the Captaynes of Iustinian Totilas pereceauyng the he could not wynne him neyther by faire meanes nor by foule corrupted one of his esquires called Vliarus for a piece of mony by whose falsehod and treacherie he kyiled him Neuerthelesse after the death of Ciprian the souldiers punished the treason vpon Vliarus head and manfully defended the Citie still ¶ The .x. Chapter ¶ Totilas besegeth Rome and Belisarius prepareth to rescovve the same The misfortune of thimperialls at Portua Pelagius a Decon of Rome goeth to Totilas to entreate for his Citizens cannot be heard TOtilas therefore minding not to linger about it any lenger brake vp his siege there made toward Rome When he came thyther Totilas besegeth Rome he planted hys siege aboute the same in places conuenient but yet he troubled not the husbandmen For all the tyme of thys warres he neuer suffered anye of the Tylmen and husbandmen to be hurte or hyndred by hys men of war There was in garrison at Rome Bessas one of the Emperours Captaynes Conon whiche not long Sithens had bene Captayne of Naples Also Belisarius had sent thyther Artasyras a Persian and Barbation a Thracian with a conuenient number of souldyers to looke to the saufe kepinge of the Citie with the other Captaynes The Gothes beinge thus settled aboute Rome Artasyras Barbation yssued oute wyth theyr retinew and foughte wyth them At the fyrste they putte theym to flyghte but thorowe followynge the chace to farre they were at length intrapped by their enemyes and wyth the losse of the more parte of theyr men hardlye and narrowlye escaped themselues into the Cycye From that tyme forward hope daylye decayinge fyrste came derth and afterwarde famyne amonge theym For nothynge coulde be conneyed into theym by lande by reason the Gothes had besette theym rounde aboute nor yet by water forasmuche as the nauye that Totilas had of late buylded at Naples and then sente abroade so scoured the Seas that no shyppe of burden coulde passe for theym Besydes thys the verye same tyme arose wythin the Cytye of Rome greate presumptions of treason For the whyche Cethegus chyefe President of the Senate of Rome beynge bannisshed the Cytye fledded to Centmucelles While these thynges were a dooynge at Rome another armye of the Gothes by the commaundemente of Totilas besyeged Pleasans The same is a greate Cytye by the Ryuer Po and all onelye of the Cytyes of that Countrye contynued in faythefull obedyence to the Empyre When Belisarius behelde these thynges Belisarius deuiseth to succour Rome he was verye sorrowefull and full of care for the peryll of the Cytye of Rome in as muche as he was not able to remedy it from Rauenna where he was because that wyth that small and flender companye whiche he had aboute hym it was not for him to depart from thence consydring hys enemyes held all the Countries betwene hym and Rome so that he could not goe thither by land wherevppon he deuised to succour them another waye For the performance whereof leauynge Iustine with a band of souldyers at Rauenna he hymselfe wente to * Novv called Durazo Dirrachium in Dalmatia entendynge there to awayte the commynge of a new armie from the Emperour In the meane tyme Rome was strayghtly besyeged in suche sorte that all thynges were worse and worse and lyke to fall to vtter decaye and ruine Valentine and Phocas beynge sent before by Belisarius held the Towne of Portua and from thence dyd greatlye moleste and endomage the enemye wyth continuall rodes almoste daye by days After they had donne thus a certayne space wyth good successe and by meanes thereof greatlye reliued them that were besyeged The euill fortune of the imperialles at length fallinge into an ambushe and beynge enuironed of their enemyes they were slayne and but a verye fewe of theyr souldyers escaped the whyche had muche a doe to recouer the towne of Portua Thys slaughter of the Captaynes and the souldyers drewe wyth it a greater discommoditie One mischief in anothers necke for it was the losse of a greate deale of corne by suche a meanes Vigilius the Byshoppe of Rome lyuinge at that tyme in Sicill hearynge that the people of Rome were fore afflicted wyth famyne had shypped a greate deale of Corne and sent it towarde Rome The Gothes hauynge knowledge thereof when the shyppes approched conueyed themselues before into the hauen and hiding them behynde the Towres and buyldynges laye readye for theym in Ambushe The souldyers that were with in the towne for as muche as lately be fore they had loste theyr Captaynes and their companyons for the moste parte were slayne they beynge so fewe lefte durste not aduenture out againste their enemyes but as well as they coulde from the walles and bulwarkes wyth shakinge theyr garmentes wyth wagginge their handes and wyth crying oute a loude to them made tokens to the shyppemen that there was treason in the hauen warnynge theym to beware and not to arriue there But the shyppemen as they that had not heard anye thynge of the vnfortunate battell and the losse of the Captaynes tooke those sygnes and tokens that were made as fignes and tookens of gladnesse and encouragement to come with more spede Whervppon making the more haste wyth a freshe gale of winde thei entered into the hauen Where they were all taken by the Gothes breakynge oute of the ambushe to the greate discomforte and dispayre of the people of Rome whiche hunge wholly vppon the onelye hope of that borne In so muche that nowe the Towne was oppressed wyth intolerable famayne And the Gothes therevppon preased the more boldly vpon them An example of employng spirituall goodes There was at the same tyme in Rome a certayne Deacon called Pelagius who in this distresse of famine had shewed very manye notable workes of mercye vppon the people of Rome by laying out hys monye relieuing the want and endinesse of euerye man For the whiche almose dedes whereas
beseged Paul his hand of horsmen hauyng fasted al that day the nyght folowing wtout meate or drynke the next day beganne to consult what was best to be doone There were the gaue rounsel to endure the siege with horsfleshe But this deuise semed horrible for the lothsomnes of the vnacoustomed feding Hope to escape by flyght there was none the Gothes befetting theÌ„ on all sides round about ready at receipt to cut theÌ„ of So there remained no shift but to yeld that semed both perillous and dishonorable The wordes of Paule to his souldiers And therfore Paule taking vpon hym to speake said in this wife My fellows companions in armes which way so euer we turne vs ye sée we are driuen to an vtter exigent For there is no waye to escape by flyght the euemies enuironing vs round about with their armye and taking so good hede to vs. And to yeld our selues to them besides the disshonor cowardnes of the facte we are like to be horribly tormemed rentiÌ„ pieces For the cruelty of these bar barous people is not wont to be coÌ„tented with any simple hind of death As to a bids the fiege to fede vpon horse flesh let theÌ„ doe it that â—â—ke to be rescowed I cannot sée what reason ought to per snade vs vnto so great sufferance which are vtterly destitâ—â— of any sUch hope onlesse that like a sore of fain tharâ—eâ— boies for feare of death we had rather pine ourselues with sorow than haue our fleshe cut with a sword And I assure you eyther to yeld to theneâ—â—te or to statue for hunger I count it the propertie of them that haue neither hart nor broud in theÌ„ But vnto vs which are 〈◊〉 of our handes acquainted with feighting an honorable death is rather to be embraced then a shamefull lyfe And therefore let vs in such wyse dye that we may hath our felues in the blood of our enemies not die vnreuenged Let not our enemye laugh at our destruction but wepe Neyther let vs hold vp our throtes to be cut by them but lette vs with our weapons cut theirs For what can the respit of a few yeres profit vs sytheus that if we should escape aliue nowe yet are we sure we shall die ere it be longe after Glorye may lengthen mens liâ—â—es but nature cannot Aduanuee yourselues forth with me therefore to an honorable death the whyche oure enemyes aswell as our countrymen maye wonder at and extoll wyth eternall prayses to the sky The horsemen encoraged wyth these wordes vowed them selues to deathe And there vppon embracyng and kysfyng one another they prepared themselues to the battell full héent and determyned to spend theyr lyues manfully Their purpose was to runne vppon the Gothes that warded next vnto them and to bestowe theyr lyues in the slaughter of theyr enemyes Fortune faue reth the couragious When Totilas sawe them thus bent to trye the vttermost for feare least the desperate endouour of them should doe the Gothes more displeasure then otherwyse so small a number were able to doe he fent an herault to them offeryng theym choyce whether they would departe wyth theyr lyues leanyng theyr Horse and armour behynd them or elles retaynyng all styll serue hym in hys warres in lyke estate with other of hys Souioyers When the horsemen heard that they were verye glad and at the firste chose to leaue all that euer they had to goe to Constantinople But afterward considering the long iourney and the daungers that might happen by the waye they returned their myndes chose to abyde all with Totilas sauyng their Captayne Paule Mundus an Isaurien These tâ—◠〈◊〉 as much as they had wife and childreÌ„ at home Totilas sheweth himself earnest in reparing and peopling of Rome desired to depart And Totilas helping them liberally wyth viand other necessaries sent them again to Constantinople Furthermore be commaunded the no man should be so hardy as to offer any wrong to ani of thother souldiers in garrison that had taken sanctuarie in that church Toward the Citie of Rome he neither extended any crueltie nor went aboute to make it desolate as he had done before But made a serch for the Citizens therof in the townes of Campanie in other places reduced them home again Furthermore he made in Rome tourneies and iustes such other primelye passimes as are wont to be done in fortunate quiet Cities with great cost and solemnitie to the entent the Citizens should conceiue good hope haue a desire to the Citie The houses also which had bene ouerthrowen or consumed with fire in the former desolation of the towne he went about to needifie and repayre Finally he shewed nowe as great a defyre of replemshinge Rome as he had doone before of wasting and leauyng it defolate Thys so great mutabilitie and alteration of hys mynde fomme beleued to haue rysen vppon a vow that he had made to the Apostles Peter Paule whose teÌ„ples he myght seme to haue destroied wheÌ„ he destroied the citie Othersome imputed it altogither to the profyte and commoditie of the warres And dyuers doe reporte that when Totilas latelye before desyred the Frenche Kynges daughter in mariage aunswere was made hym that he was not Kynge of Italye when he had subuarted the Cytye of Rome The whych Taunt men saye altered hys mynde to the repayrynge of the Cytye But what so euer was the cause of it he endenored to repayre and buylde agayne the Gytye of Rome After thys he prepared to make a vyage into Sicill For the furniture whereof he builded him a great flete of Galleyes made a greate number of hoyes and hulkes while he was making preparation for that same he determined to besiege both by water and by lande Centmucelles whiche one Citye was not yet comme vnder hys subiection Captayne of that piece was Diogenes who as to before mencioned escaped lately from Rome He had gathered to hym a good stronge companie of men of warre Therefore at suche tyme as the Gothyshe armie came thither and had encamped theÌ„selues nere vnto the walls of the towne Totilas sommoneth cent mucelles Totilas sendyng an afficer of Armes to hym sommoned hym eyther to come feyght it out with his power against the gothes or els to yeld vp the town vnto hiÌ„ For it was not for him to loke for any help at Iustimans hand considering he neuer releued Rome al the while it was besieged onles perchance he thought themperour did set more by Centmucells then by Rome Diogenes replied therunto saying that as for to fyghte with hym he was not mynded at that time and as for to yeld vp the towne sauing his honour and fidelitie he coulde not before he had sente to knowe the Emperours pleasure and to desyre helpe Whereuppon forasmuche as he seemed to speake that which was honest and reasonable they fel to composition that onlesse the Emperour after
warnyng geuen dyd resrowe the towne by himself or by his deputie Diogenes should surrender it at a certayne daye And Totilas shoulde not in the meane season by any meanes moleste or dysquiet hym For the assurance of these Articles Hostages were deliuered and vppon thys agreement Totilas brake vp his siege The .v. Chapter ¶ Totilas makyng warre in Sicill besiegeth Siracuse a new Lieuetennaunt is sent from the Emperour into Italy WHen all thynges were nowe in a readinesse that were to be prepared Totilas maketh warre in Sicill Totilas turned hymselfe to the warres in Sicill commaundyng that his shyppes shuld be ready at hand in the narrowe seas of Sicill He hymself went by land vnto Rhegium purposyng to haue wonne the towne by force Captaynes of the towne were Teremund and Imere placed there by Belisarius not longe before Who diuerse sundry tymes repulsed the Gothes to their great losse attemptyng to wynne that towne by assault By meanes wherof Lotilas despayring to get it by violence determined with long continuance of hys siege to subdue them by famyshment And therefore leauyng a number of the Gothes about it he conueyed all the reast of hys armye by water to wynne Tarent the whiche he easily obteyned From thence wafting ouer into Sicil after that he had eyther by force of Armes or ells by composition gotten into his hand certayne of that lesser townes The syege of Siracuse at length he besieged Siracuse both by sea by land By that tyme the Gothes which as ye heard before wer sent among the Picentes against Iohn Valerian hauyng associated greate ayde vnto them and gotten the vpper hand in diuerse conslyctes toke the Citye Arimine And in another encounter not farre from Rauâ—nna they slews Vere Captayne of the Elurians wyth all hys hoste Moreouer Teremund Imere whiche were besieged in the towne of Rhegium for want of victualls were fayne to yelde themselues the towne to the Gothes All these thynges being declared to the Emperour at one instant namely the sakyng of Rhegium Tarent and Arimine and the passyng of Totilas into Sicill made hym vtterly astonyed to heare of so many misfortunes at once And ther vpoÌ„ he denounced one GermaÌ„ his cousin Germine by that fathers side captaine of that warres in Italy agaynst the Gothes commaunding great preparation to be made for that same A new Lieuetennant sente into Italy froÌ„ them perour WheÌ„ that fame hereof was blowen into Italy it greatly abasshed that enemye recoÌ„forted hys frends For thys GermaÌ„ was a man of a hualt courage and of no lesse wysedome and pollicye wonderfull lyberall and verye welbeloued both wyth the people and wyth the souldyers Besydes thys he had after the death of Vitigis taken to wyfe Mathasuta the nece of Kyng Theoderych the whiche thyng wonne hym the hartes of the Gothes and therefore as the fame of hym was great so was he greatly loked longed for in Italy The .vi. Chapter ¶ Diogenes dalayeth with Totilas in deliueryng vp of Centmucelles accordyng to coÌ„position The newe Lieuetennant of Italy dyeth in kys waye whose sonnes are commaunded to prosecute theyr fathers charge WHon German was nowe in Illiricke The Selauines the nation of the Sclauines hauing passed that riuer of Danow inuaded the prouinces of the Empyre of Rome A kynde of people cruell and outragius beyonde all measure whoe turnyng themselues toward Macedonie and Thrace put Iustinian in suche a feare that he commaunded German to stay his iourney into Italy Through this taryans the Gothes had leysure to do what they lyste in Italy and Sicill The answere of Diogenes to Toulas for Centmucelles In the meane season came the daye appointed that Diogenes should haue deliuered Centmucelles wherupon Totilas sendyng vnto hym required hym to performe hys promyse Diogenes alledged that Germane was newly created Captayne of the warres in Italye By reason whereof he sayd the state of thynges was wholly altered so that it laye not in his power to yelde that towne seing that Lorde proper owner of it was on hys iourney would with in two or three daies be in Italy Totilas was be sieging Siracuse in Sicill and the Gothishe men of warre skowring through the whole countrie made hauocke of althynges In Italy Rauenna Auchon Hydrunt and Centmucelles wyth certayue other townes remained styll imperiall The Gothes helde all the reast One only hope stayed them namely the commyng of German the whyche also fayled them For wheras he was sore longed for in Italye he was taken with a disease and to the great sorrowe of all the were belonging to hym dyed in Illiricke The death of Germane German had two sonnes whom he led with hym into Italy Them dyd the Emperour coÌ„maunde to procede with their fathers enterprise ioyuly together with theyr kynsemen Iohn Vitalian the Captain so well knowen in Italy For Iohn had maryed the daughter of German Iohn therfore the sonnes of GermaÌ„ taking the charge of the army vpoÌ„ them came vnto Salons And forasmuche as wynter was at hand they determyned to abyde that season there in the begynning of the nexte spring to passe ouer to Rauenna About the same tyme well nye Liberius being sente from themperour wyth a nauye entered into Siracuse mawgre the Gothes that kepte their station in the hauen to prohibyte their arriuall Howbeit for doubt of scarcety of victualls whyche so greate a number was soone lyke to cause in a Citye besieged he purposed to goe his way agayne and therfore wyth in a fewe dayes after hys commyng he tooke shippyng agayne and departyng from Syracuse arryed at Panorme The vi Chapter ¶ Narses is sente agayne Lieuerennant into Italye vvyth a greate povver and greate treasure Totilas sendeth a nauye into Grece to infeste those countryes and besyegeth Aucon in Italye The Captaynes of Totilas are ouercome on the sea by the Imperialls and Aucon is rescovve The Gothes receaue another ouerthrovv vpoÌ„ the land after the vvhich certain Gothishe Captaynes become imperiall Narses marcheth vvith an inestimable povver to Rauenna and from thence tovvarde Rome in the vvhiche iurney he vanquysheth a Captayne of the Gothes and killeth hym at Arimine He encountereth vvith Totilas vvho in the same conflicte is slayne and Teias created kyng of Gothes in hys steade IN the meane whyle the Emperour alteryng hys purpose Narses is made themperours Lieuetennant in Italy made hys Eunuch Narses Lieuetennant general of the warres in Italy makyng hym large promyses of men and mony Also he wrote to Iohn that he shoulde not passe into Italy but tary stil at Salons there abyde the commyng of Narses Narses therfore taking the charge couragiously vpon him endeuored to leuie a great power from all places To the performance whereof greatly aualyed hys fauour authoritye For he was one of the Emperours preuis Counsel and ruled hym in manner as he lyste he had greate frendship and Aliance with the
wythoute proofe by the same Emperour for whom he had so often put hys lyfe in perill to whom he had acquired so muche honour whose fauour he had estemed more then to raygne himselfe as an Emperour depriued of both his eyes and constrayned to begge hys bread miserably from doore to doore an vnworthye rewarde for so manye good dedes and so muche good seruice done to the Empyre And Narses the subduer of the Gothes and reducer of Italy to the Empyre when he had gouerned it quietlye manye yeres togyther to bys greate honour and admyration at the laste lyke a shrewd cow whyche when she hath geuen a good quantitie of mylke ouerthroweth the payle wyth her heele and spyllethe the same prouoked onely by the presumptuous wordes of a vayne and enuious woman weued suche a web according to his owne wordes as neyther she nor the Emperour were able to weare oute no nor he hymselfe to vnweaue agayne after he had ones putte it into the loome thoughe he dyd the beste he could to haue stayed it so hard and difficult a matter is it to stoppe a mischief of the course when it ones hath gotten the reynes in the necke and hathe set foote forward to runne the race For the Lombardes beynge by hym in the extasie of his fumyshe rage called oute of Pannonie which by that tyms was become the common receptacle of the enemyes of the Empyre not onelye wythin shorte tyme after hys decease broughte Italye in subiection to them but also syns that daye hytherto whyche thyng neyther the Gothes Hsines Vandales Erules nor anye other of the barbarous nations with their manyfolde and terrible assaultes were able to compasse and brynge to effecte haue helde a portion thereof as a perpetuall possession and inheritance to themselues whych retaineth their name vnto this daye But forasmuch as these thinges were done somewhat after the subduing of the Gothes and doe lytle or nothinge pertaine to the presente purpose of thys Historie I will not stand any lenger vppon them but remit the to the readynge of myne Author The preface of Leonard Aretine vnto hys bookes of the warres in Italye againste the Gothes ALthoughe it had bene a far greater pleasure toine to haue wrytten of the prosperous florishing estate of Italy then of the slaughters and destruction of it yet notwythstanding forasmuch as the time requireth otherwyse we also wil chaunge wyth the tyme follow the mutabilitie of fortune reportinge in these bookes the inuastons of the Gothes the warres through the which almost all Italy was brought to vtter 〈…〉 Sâ—â—ly a sorrowfull matter but yet for the knowledge of thinges done in those dayes necessarie to be entreated of For I cannot thinke but that when Xenophon of Athens that excelleÌ„t Clerke dyd wryte of the beseging and famishing of Athens and of the throwing downe of the walles of it he was sorie in his harte that he had occasyon so to doe And yet he wrate it bycause he thought it expedieÌ„t that the rememberance of such things shuld not perishe Neyther doth our Liuy deserue les praise when he reherceth the taking and burning of Rome by the Frenchmen then when he setteth out the famous triumph of Paulus Emylius ouer the Mareâ—â—â—es or the name conquestes of Scipâ—s Affricanus For it is the dutie of an historie to put in writing all adueÌ„tures as well unfortunate as fortunate And therfore a man maye wyshe the best but he must write be it good or bad as occasieÌ„ offereth I assure you as I was inditinge these matters albeit many things did greue me for thentier loue that I beare to my natiue countrye yet not wythstandyng thys reason I had to comfortine that although Italy suffered at that time most extreme miseries yet at the length she not onely gate thupper hand expulsed those forreine nations but also hath remayned from that day to this most welthy puissant both by sea and land and that from that tyme forth her Cities haue florished in ryches aucthorie most abundantly and doe florishe still at this hower thonour and dominion of theÌ„ now stretching it self far of on al sides so that the thinges that haue happened vnto her seme not so much to be lamented as to be reioyced at like vnto Hercules whose greate exploits made him more famous then euer he should haue bene yf he had not attempted those daungerous enterprises I wil not speake of the great Ciuilitie good Nurture Courtesye trad of all Liberall arts learning of the which Italy sheweth it self to be a natural mother a very nourice for I will let the comendations of her alon vntil another tyme. As concerning the warres that we now must entreate of there remained no mention of theÌ„ among the Latin writers onely there went a report froÌ„ man to maÌ„ that very sleÌ„der obscure that Belisarius Narses captains of the emperour Iustinian draue that Gothes out of Italy but where or in what sort or by what meanes there was no inkling at al left in writing We came by the knowledge of theÌ„ out of that grek Chroncles Wherfore as I had don by many other thinges before so also I endenored to bring agayn to light these things beiÌ„g wellny blurred blotted out of memory And that so much the rather bycause that other stories for the most part do concern thaffaires doings of straÌ„gers but this coÌ„cer neth wholy our own matters Wherein it maye be worthe a mans labour to search peruse the state of Italye in those daies what Cities and what kind of people were in it what townes and cities were beseged which were wonne and brought in subiectio in what places battells were fought For to know all these thynges it is a great prayse and not to know theÌ„ it is a foule shame For it is a tokeÌ„ that a man loueth his country not to be ignoraunt in thoriginall and procedings therof or whatsoeuer ells hath fortuned vnto it in tymes past Furthermore that knowledge of Histories doth greatly delight the mynd bycause all we men doe of nature couit to know things and also it bringeth great profit for as much as it contameth the examples of like affaires to what end they came gyueth experiens in many thyngs through the which old men are accompted wiser then yongmeÌ„ bicause they haue sene ino thynges in their liues time and by experiens not only of their own but also of other mens perilles are made more ware and therfore are able to giue better iudgmeÌ„t and are wont to be led by better counsel For wheÌ„ they rede of the riches and Empires of the greatest kyngs and the puissantest nations and percayue how sone they com to decay they vnderstand by by what a folly it is to boast be prowd for those things whych no man is able to assure himself that they shall coÌ„tinue with him vntill night Thus doth an Historye make vs bothe more
Mundus to inuade Dalmatia with another power to the entent that the Gothes beyng assayled on all sides at once might the easlyer be oppressed MuÌ„dus entering into Dalmatia won Salons set al the countrey on an vprore Belisarius hauing rigged hys shippes embarked hys Souldyours Belisarins viage into Sicill and of his doing there sayled toward Sicill He had of footemen a sufficient number all tall men and pyked Souldiours and his Horsemen were conueyed wyth him by water also Captaines of his footemen were Constantine Bessas and Herodian captaines of his horsemen were Valentine Innocent and Magnus and lieutenaunt generall and soueraigne of them all was Belisarius Who folowyng the commaundment of the emperour hys maister whereas he pretended to sayle towarde Cartharge ariued by the way in Sicill A politique Captine and there goyng a land as it had bene to refreshe hym selfe and hys souldyours when he espied tyme and occasion for hys purpose sodenlye he assayled the citie Catina and wonne it Then shewyng hym self with hys army abrode and disclosing hys prepensed purpose within few dayes after he receyued * Now called Saragoza Syracuse by composition After this it is a wonder to sée how victory ranne on hys syde and how the Cities of theyr owne accord yelded and called him to them The cause herof was the hatred that the Siciliands bare to the Gothes and the authoritie of the Empyre or Rome together with the presence of Belisarius Whome for as much as he had delyuered Affricke from the Vandalians they hoped should do the lyke by the Gothes thorough Sicil Italy Moreouer the Gothes had made no preparation in Sicil because they looked not for any warre there By meanes whereof it came to passe that as many of the Gothes as were in Sicill beyng amazed at the sodain inuasion of Belisarius and the hasty reuoltyng of the cities thought more of runnyng awaye then of makyng resistence Only the citie of * Now called Palerno The siege of Panormus the vvynnyng thereof Panormus by reason there was a strong garrison of the Gothes in it abode the fiege and endured it to the vttermost The which citie beyng very defensible and well fortified toward the land and therevppon settyng lyght by any thing that thenemie could worke agaynst it at the last by a nauye sent into the hauen was wonne by the sea For the hauen extended hard to the walles of the towne And Belisariushad marked howe that in diuers places the toppes of the mastes reached a great hight aboue the walles of the citie Wherefore he set Archers and slyngers in the topcastles of the shyppes who with arrowes and darts dyd so beate their enemies vnderneath them on all sydes that the walles were left naked without defendaunts so that theyr companey went without daunger to the foote of the wall The good successe of Belisarius and brake it downe Thorough which distresse theyr enemyes beynge discomforted yelded vp the towne This was the last Citie of all Sicill that came in subiection When Belisarius had recoueredPanormus he retourned to Syracuse and there makyng sumptuous and royall pageants threwe Golde and Syluer amonge the poople For it was the laste daye of hys Consulshyppe the whyche was geuen hym in honour of the victorye that he gate of the Vandalians And Fortune was so fauourable vnto hy that besydes all hys former victories euen the verye laste daye of hys Consulshyppe she closed vp wyth the recouerye of all Sicill Thus went the world in Sicill ⧠The .iiij. Chapter ¶ Of the doynges of Mundus in Dalmatia agaynst the Gothes of the death of the sayde Mundus and hys sonne Maurice and hovve one Grippa a noble man of the Gothes recouereth all that Mundus had conquered before IN Dalmatia both partes raysed greate powers and made towardes the Citie of Saions The doinges of Mundus in Dalmatia Nowe when they were comme neare vnto the town and that the wâ—â—rd was whote on bothe varries it longth there was a battell sought not prepurposed but by chaunce vpon these daine without knowledge before of any of both partes The rause theÌ„reof was this The captaine Mundus had a sonne called Maurice a goodly yong gentleman and a tall man of his handes Whe hauyng the leadyng of a troope of Horsemen rode to view the Campe of the Gothes Now by chaunce the Gothish horsemen met with him and assoone as the one parte had espied the othere there was no tarience but straight to the skirmishe So thei encountred for a tyme very stersly and many of the stoutest of the Gothes were slaine and at the last Maurice also was kylled Both the Campes heavyng of the skirmishe made soede to rescow their companies Sodaine battell betvvene the Gothes the Imperialls Whyles that Mundus was on his way tidings was brought him of the losse of his sonne Then the man beyng of nature fierce warlyke ran in a rage lyke a mad man vppon his enemies By that 〈◊〉 was at the hosts of the Gothes come thither and the encounter was with the whole power of eyther part the battell was very bloody and cruell At length the Gothes being discomfited with meat slaughter and losse of their people were put to flight But Mundus whiles he vnsaciably followed the slughter of the Gothes Se th ende of ourragious furye and for angre and sorowe of the losse of his sonne pursued the chace to farre was recountered of his dispersed enemies and slaintand so the fatheer through the outragious reuengement of his sonne in th end did séeke his own confusion After this battell both armies departed a sundre For the Gothes being vanquished durst not abide in those quarters and the Emperours souldiours being dismayed with the losse of theyr Captain left Salons and retyred backe agayne I thinke it not good to suppress with silens a thing that many authours haue made mencioÌ„ of They say there were certaine old verses of Sibill in the which it was prophesied A prophesie of Sybill that when Affricke should be recouered by the Romains then shuld Mundus which word as it is here a mans name so also it signifieth the worlde and hys yssue shoulde neryshe This prophesie of Sybill made many men affrayed doutyng least heauen and earthe with all mankynd shoulde vtterly haue decayed But after the time that Affrick in the former warres was recouered by the pussauÌ„ce of Belisarius then it appeared howe that Sibill prophesied of the destruction of this Captaine and his sonne So depely are all prophesies wrapped in doutfull circumstaunces After the death of this Captaine and the departure of his army the Gothes beganne to growe the monger in those parts For Grippa one of the noble men of the Gothes The Gothes recouer all that Mundus had coÌ„quered imediatly thervppon raising a new power recouered Salons all that euer MÌ„udus had gotteÌ„ before iÌ„ those places In so much that the Gothes were farre of greater power
runne awaye The brute hereof beinge reported to theym that came with the rest of tharmye behynd togither wyth the fearfull flyght of suche as were at the battell made them also most shamefully to runne away Neyther was there any measure of their flyght but scatteryng themselues here some they brake their aray and forsoke their standard By meanes whereof the Captaynes themselues were faynt to take theym to flyght also wythoute compulsion of any enemie After this time they came no more togither againe but euery mā kept by himself one in one towne and another in another as they had recouered vnto oute of the chace Yet for all that the Gothes retourned not to the syege of Florens partly for feare of the greate power of theyr enemye the whiche although it were dispersed yet was it styll within the compasse of Hetruria and partlye because the winter drewe nere Thys was the ende of the seuen yeres synce Belisarius beganne the warres fyrste The nexte yere following Totilas recouereth tovvns in Lumbardy as sone as the tyme of the yere serued to encampe in the fielde Totilas leuied an armye and came into Lumbardye and there besieged Cesen and Petra the whyche towne is now a dayes comonly called by a corrupte name Bretines as for all the reste of the townes of that countrye for the most parte eyther he had wonne them by force or ells taken them by composition whē he had thus compassed hys matters in that countrye he passed from thence wyth hys armie into Hetruria There finding al thynges whoter for hym then he looked for he determyned fullye not to spende hys tyme in waste about them And therefore passing ouer the ryuer Tyber which bowndeth Hetruria he tooke hys iourney throughe the Vmbres the Sabities and the Marses into ampany Totilas raseth the vvalles of Beneuent in the whych place he wonne the Cytye of Beneuent and rased downe the walles of it to the grounde For he was loth that so stronge and defensible a Citie shuld belefte for hys enemyes yf they shoulde happen to comme into these borders to make they Bulwarke and fortresse of The syege of Naples The whyche done he besyeged Naples hauynge fyrste entreated theym gentlye wyth many wordes that they woulde rather accepte hys frendshyppe then procure hys displeasure But hys words were to no purpose For there was in garrison Conon one of Iustinians Captaines wyth a band of not so fewe as a thousand souldiers who would suffer nothing to be done in counsell wythout his cousent The which thing whē Totilas vnderstoode he planted hys siege not farre from the Citie Howbeit he assaulted it not but sate styll in quiet In the meane while he sent part of hys armye abroade and recouered Cume with certayne other townes in those borders by the whiche he gate a greate masse of money Besides thys there happened certaine noble womē of Rome to be taken in those places An example of clementie and magnanimitie All the which Totilas caused to be berys courteouslye entreated wythoute restraint of their libertie and sent thē home agayne to their husbandes and parentes wyth an honorable company to saufconduit thē And forasmuche as in those borders was not any Captayne or anye power to withstande the doynges of Totilas he sent este one parte of hys armye and este another so longe vntyll he had broughte vnder hys obeysans Appulia Lucauie and Calabre wyth all theyr townes By meanes whereof if came to passe that there hwas not any more monye paied oute of those countryes to Iustinians Captaines and souldiers See vvhat vvant of good gouernement doth in vvar nor any man that would obey the Captaines or fet one foote oute of doores to goe wyth theym For the souldyers iurkynge wythin the walled townes robbed and pylled as well theyr frendes as theyr foes and throughe theyr extortion euyll rule made hauocke of al thynges And the Captaynes for the same cause kepyng themselues wythin the walles dyd no more but onelye defende the townes from the enemye For they parted the Cytyes amonge theym so that Iohn had the charge of Rome Bessas the charge of Spolet Cypryan the charge of Perusia Iustine the rule of Florens and Constantian the kepynge of Raucinia In the meane tyme Naples began to be euerye daye in worse case then other by meanes of the siege For Totilas hauing sent for hys flete had keepte theym so short that nothing coulde be conueyed in neither by water nor by land Whereby it was to be perceyued that vnles some bodye rescowed it that Cytye was lyke at length to come in subiection to the enemie The .vi. Chapter ¶ A nevve Lieuetenant is sent tovvarde Italy vvhose covvardoesse in protracting of the time doth not a litle endomage the imperialls Demetrius deuiseth produently for the rescovving of Maples vvhich for vvant of courage in executinge the same tourneth to his ovvne destruction IVstinian hearinge of thys A nevv lieuetenant sent into italy and beynge disquieted for the miserable estate of Italye and the dishonour of the Empyre Sent one Marimius receyuer of hys reuenues into Italye to amende and repayre thyriges amisse geuynge hym a nauye of shyppes and an armye of Thracians and Armenians Captayne of the Thracians was Herodian and Captayne of the Armenians was Phases Besydes these he had also in hys shyppes no smalle number of the Hunnes The covvardnes of Marimius Marimius departynge from Constantinople came into Epyre. There in deliberatynge vppon the affayres of Italye hangynge in doubte betwene hope and feare throughe his flouthfullnesse and cowardyse he lost the tyme. For thys Maximine was a good gentyllman of a mylde nature meete for matters of peace but altogyther vnskyllfull of warrelyke exploytes and therefore fearfull fyndynge delayes and castynge doubtes in euery triste Now thaffaires of Italy at the time required quicke spede both in consultinge and in workinge Iustinian saw so smal hope of any good doinge in Marimine he sent one Demetrius because that lately before he had serued vnder Belisarius in the warres in Italy wyth another nauie into Sicil. This Dometrius when he was arryued in Sicill hearyng of the syege of Naples and of the dyftresse that they were putte vnto that were within determyned to succour theym The prudent pollicie of demetrius yf he had follovved it and that wythoute further delaye Now for as muche as he thought hymselfe not able to dooe it by playne force by cause that neyther hys shippes nor hys army were sufficient thervnto he dettysed thys pollicye He gate togyther all the shyppes that he coulde comme by in Sicill and made of theym a greate flete as to the show the whyche he fraughted wyth corne and so made sayle towarde Naples Thys thynge dyd bothe greatlye comforte the bespeged and also putte the Gothes in greate feare For they had hearde saye he was commynge wyth a greate number of shyppes and they thoughte verylye he hadde broughte a greate
with many faire promises made vnto theÌ„ he departed from Brunduse after v. remouings came to CanusiuÌ„ the which town he also brought in subiectioÌ„ Not far from CanusiuÌ„ is the vilage of Cannas Cannas where the notable battell was fought betwene Hanniball and the Romaines In this place one Tullian the sonne of Venant a man of greate name authoritie amonge the Lucans came to Iohn delcaring to him that the Lucanes Brutians had taken parte with his enemyes not of theyr owne accord but compelled by the displeasures doone to theym by the Imperialles Wherefore yf the Emperour woulde entreate them frendly gently the people wold willingly returne vnder his obedience Iohn loading him wyth commendations thankes promised hym greate rewards afterwarde vsed his helpe to his great coÌ„moditie furtheraunce AT such time as Totilas hard of Iohns approch he sent a crewe of hys horsmen to Capua commaunding theÌ„ to keepe themselues close wythin the walles and to make no showe at all to theyr enemyes vntyll they were past and then to followe the tayle of theyr host What was to be done afterward he willed them to cast the care bpoÌ„ hym This thing so greatly troubled Iohn that for feare he should be entrapped by his enemies he left of his iourney toward Belisarius turned himselfe towarde the Brutians and Lucanes There was among the Brutians a certaine Gothe called Richemond sette there by Totilas with an armie to kepe the country in obedience to kepe the enterance betwene Scilla Charibdis Him did Iohn sodainly assaile and at the first brunt put hym to flight and after great slaughter receiued the rest the were lefte togither with their Captayne by composition Herevpon al the Brutians Lucanes reuolted from the Gothes to themperour Whiles Iohn occupied himself in this sort Belisarius loked daily for him was wonderfull sory for his long tariens greatly blaminge Iohns cowardise that he had not soughte againste the horsemen that were at Capua inespecially seing that he hymselfe had so notable a band of Horsemen of the Hunnes Whereby he 〈…〉 haue come through maugre his enemies heades and â—â—eded not to haue turned backe agayne so shamefully These and suche other thynges dyd Belisarius fynde faulte with But it booted hym not to complayne for Iohn had taken vp hys standyng in Appulia and there determined to abyde mynding nothing lesse then to goe to Rome Belisarius therfore fearyng least the besieged shoulde thynke themselues abandoned and through despaire shold chaunce to miscarry determined to succour them by the Tiber for hys power was not so great that he was abie to encounter with his enemyes vppon the land and therefore he trusted rather to hys pollicie and to the riuer for the succoryng of the towne Vppon this thought he bestyrde hym gate two hundred of those kind of shippes which the Grekes call Dromades Belisarius prouision for the rescovvyng of Rome these shippes haue walles of timber on euery fyde with loopes in places connemente to let oute arrowes and other weapons at the enemyes 〈◊〉 the brydge and other thynges that were set to stoppe hym vppon the riuer he made thys deuysethe set two shyppes vpoÌ„ the streame fastened surely together wyth barres crowes of yron vpon the same he buylded a tower of tymber somewhat hygher then the towers that wer buylded at the endes of the brydge by hys enemyes WheÌ„ these thyngs were in a redinesse he caused the Dromades to be fraughted with corne other sustenance to be conueyed to Rome mannyng them with the stoutest and valiantest souldiers that he had CoÌ„maundyng all the residue to goe on fente by the riuers syde to drawe the shyppes with the tower With his nauie furnished decked in thys wyse he set forwarde agaynst hys enemyes Herhymselfe enteryng into one of the Dromades sayled formest and the reste followed hym in order hys footemen also went by hym vpon the ryuer bancke Furthermore he sente to Rome vnto Bessas that he shoulde yssue out at the very same tyme hepe the enemyes as much occupyed as he could But Bessas dyd neyther that nor yet any thyng ells that was to any purpose during al that siege Belisarius nauie being decked in suche sorte as I haue tolde you went vp the streame Neyther dyd the Gothes mete them in any place but kepte themselues quietly wythin theyr bulwarkes When the shyppes came nere the brydge there they founde a trope of their enemyes and one bastile set at the tone end of the chayne the whiche Belisarius souldiers wonne at the firste assault so takyng awaye the chayne proceded to the brydge There began a curste fraye the Gothes endeuoryng to defende the brydge and the souldiers of Belisarius to wynne it For the Gothes yssuyng froÌ„ both that towers at eche end of the brydge fought very valiantly Agayne the souldiers driuyng the shyppes harder to the brydge dyd beate the Gothes and would not susser them to stand vpon it In the meane while Belisarius caused the shyppes wherin the tower of tymber was to be brought as nere the tower of his enemyes as could be And when they came hard to it he commaunded the vesselles of brimstone whiche he had hanged in the toppe of hys tower for the same purpose before to be set on fyre and to be caste downe vppon the towre of hys enemyes the which being done the fyre lighting vppon the tower of hys enemyes burned it vp and al the Gothes that were within it There were not lesse then two hundred that perished in that fyre among whom was the Captayne of the holde hymselfe such a man of hys handes as was not among all the Gothes agayn Hereuppon the souldiers assayling the reast of the Gothes more boldely and fiersly compelled them to geue backe wherby they wonne the brydge the which forthwith they purposed to haue heauen downe and with their whole flete to haue sayied to Rome For there remayned not now any let in their wayes but that they myghte haue gone to the Citye and haue conueyed in the corne and all other necessaryes to the greate renoune and commendation of Belisarius whoe had deuised suche a nauie Man purposeth and God dysposeth But fortune as it should seme had determined other wyse For sodaynely there happened a wonderful mischauÌ„ce not by meanes of the enemye but by hys owne men which peruerted al hys deuises The Gothes helde the Citye Ostia which standeth on the lefte hand of Tyher by the sea syde ouer agaynst the whiche standeth the City Portua on the ryght hande of the riuer When Belisarius set forth with hys nauie he had lefte hys wyfe and al his household furniture in the sayd towne of Portua and had appoynted as ruler thereof one Isaac a valiant gentleman and a trusty with a conuenient Crew of souldiers commaundyng and hartely belieching him that he would not for any chaunce or occasion depart out of the towne but kepe hymselfe within
rashe the whyche notwythstandynge in the ende proued a couragious and laudable enterpryse He determyned to take vppon the sodayne and to fortifye the Cytye of Rome lyinge at that tyme waste and desolate The repaiâ—â—g of Rome by Belisarius Whervppon kepyng thys purpose secrete to hymself he lefte a fewe Souldyers at Portua for defence of the towne wyth al the power he could make besyde no man eyther of hys owne or of hys enemies mistrustinge whereaboutes he went tooke the Cytye of Rome and wyth a wonderfull celeritie wente in hand wyth repayringe and fortifyinge it agayne And bycause the walles in diuers places were beaten downe to the hard grounde he fylled vppe parte of theym wyth roughe worke and cut déepe dyches before the walles and caste vppe a Rampyre the whyche he fensed wyth Trunkes of trées fastened in the ground by the rootes wound one wyth in another wyth the sharps endes vpwarde And for the more strengthe of the wall newelye repayred he buylded towers and bulwarks of timber The whych things through the earnest labour and willyngnes of hys souldyers he furnyshed it in thrée and twentye dayes And shyppes came contynuallye from Portua loden with corne and other victualles The Citizens of Rome whereof there stayed a greate number in the townes nere aboutes hearynge that their Citye was repayred were wonderfull desyrous to retourne into theyr natiue Countrye and that inespeciallye bycause there was plentye of corne there wyth scarcetie whereof they were pinched in other places As soneas Totilas had worde of thys forthwyth all other matters sette a parte he made haste towarde Rome Belisarius was notable to hange vppe the gates of the Citye before hys enemyes were come For he had not so good store of Carpenters to repaire them in so short tyme. The Gothes the fyrste daye of theyr commynge encamped themselues not farre from the Citye agaynste the gate Salaria The nexte mornyng by the rysing of the sunne wyth great noyse and hurly burlye they marched to the assaulte The Gothes assault Rome and are repulsed Belisarius placed all hys tallest and hardyest men at the gate the rest he set vpon the walles in the bulwarkes commaundynge them to beate theyr enemyes downe The encounter was behement and whote on bothe partes For the Gothes came thyther of sette purpose to haue wonne the Towne at the fyrste pushe But when they sawe better defence made then they looked for they were in such a furye and suche a rage that they ranne desperatly vppon theyr enemies lyke madde men and stryuinge vnaduisedlye to gette vppe were beaten downe and kylled wythoute merrye It was wonder to see howe earnestlye and desperatlye it was foughte on bothe sydes that daye For the assault beganne in the mornynge and ended not vntyll nyghte After that it waxed darcke the Gothes retyred into theyr Tentes But the souldyers of Belisarius partelye kepte theyr standynge vppon the walles and bulwarkes as they had beene placed by hym and partelye warded at the Gates And to the entent the enemye should not sodaynely comme vppon theym in the night and take theym vnwares he caused a greate sorte of Busshes and Brambles to be layde before the Gates The nexte daye the Gothes approched to the Cytye in lyke sorte as they had doone before and Belisarius and hys men made lyke resistens But when the assaulte waxed to longe the souldyers that kepte theyr standynge at the Gate yssued oute boldelye and encounteryng wyth the Gothes hand to hand at length putte theym to flyghte on that fyde and wyth manye woundes draue theym farre from the Gate And so was that assaulte ended Afterwarde when they hadde bestowed manye dayes in healinge theyr woundes and repayrynge theyr armour the Gothes aduaunced agayne to the affanlte of the Cytye Belisarius hauyng before well harted and encouraged hys souldiers A notable repulse geuen to the Gothes by Belisarius leauing neuerthelesse a coÌ„uenient number vppon the walles and in the Towers led theÌ„ out at the gate There was a what and an eager battell fought hard at the gate in the which when as Totilas his standerdbearer was strickeÌ„ starke dead from hys horse with a speare and the standerd ouerthroweÌ„ there was much preasyng aboute it froÌ„ both sydes The Gothes striuyng to saue their standerd leaste they shoulde be dyshonored and the souldiers of Belisarius endeuoring to obtayne the honour of wynnyng the same At laste the skyrmishe grewe to thys issue that the Gothes recouered their standard the souldiers of Belisarius had the bodye of the standard-bearer sauyng his lyft hand which the Gothes dyd cut of for spyght that their enemyes shoulde not haue it bycause there was a ring of golde vpon it This done Totilas perceauyng that his attempt was in vayne blewe to that retreit and the nexte daye after wente hys waye vnto Tybur For as I tolde you before he helde that Citye and hauing maruelously fortified the castle thereof vsed it as a Camp agaynste the Romaynes The Romaynes to the entent they woulde not bee molested by their sodayne inuations from that syde brake all the brydges on the ryuer Anio Thys ryuer Anio spryngeth amonge the Heruices and ronnyng downe from the hylles cutteth the playne betwene Tybur and Rome It hath verye stepe bakes and the chanell is so deepe of water that it cannot be passed And therefore there were brydges made vppon it from all the pryncipall wayes as from the gates Salaria Nomentana and Tiburtyne These brydges beyng at that tyme cut of there coulde no rodes be made agaynst the Citie of Rome on that syde the .ii. Chapter ¶ After the departure of the Gothes from Rome Totilas in the nexte spring goeth to the syege of Peruse duryng vvhose beyng there Iohn Vitalian attempteth many thinges in CaÌ„pane to the great preiudice of the Gothâ—â— vvherevvith Totilas being displeased goeth vvith suche speede agaynst hym that he ouercame hym before he heard of hys commyng The Emperour sendeth another bande of men into Italye at vvholse commyng Belisarius sayling tovvarde Tarent is driuen by tempeste to land at Croton vvhere for vvante of forage compelled to sende hys horsemen into the Countrye through the negligence of the Captaynes looseth them By meanes vvhereof he is fayneto sayle avvaye into Sicill during the vvhich his absence Totilas besiegeth Ruscie AFTER the departure of the Gothes Belisarius caused the gates and the yron worke of them to be framed quietly and when he had done as thoughe he had conquered the Citye agayne by force he sente the keyes of it into Grece to the Emperoure Iustinian And thus ended the twelueth yeare of thys warre The nexte yeare following assone as the spryng came Totilas set out of Tibur marched towarde Peruse The same Towne was euen then alreadye besieged by another companye of the Gothes And when corne beganne to waxe scarce other victualles to sayle Totilas went thyther to the entent to kepe the towne strayghter to take awaye al hope of
Kinges and the great Princes of the Barbarous nations Narses is stayed by the Hunnes When hys furniture was in a full readinesse and that he had commaunded hys men of warre to mete hym all in Illiricke as he was outward on hys iourney was come to Philippople in Thrace he was of necessitye constrayned to staie and abyde a tyme in the same place For the Hunnes enteryng with a great armye into Macedonie Thrace made spoyle of all thyngs had closed hys way that he could not passe At the length when one parte of the Hunnes was gone to Thessalonicke the other to Constantinople Narses went from thence and kept on his iourney By this ting Totilas hearyng of the great preparature of his enemies was returned into Italy Leauing for Lieuetennantes of the warres in Sicil foure of his captaines he hymself made prouisiō in Italy for all thynges that semed nedeful requisite Totilas sēdeth a nauye into Grece And to the entent to vaunt hys power to the Grekes as whoe shoulde say he was as well ablete inuade them as they had bene to haue inuaded hī he sent a great flete into Gexce cōmaundyng them to make as muche hauocke spoyle of all thynges as they could accordyng to the same commaundement thys nauye spoyled fyrst Corsyra the Iles adioynyng therunto afterward aduenturyng vppon the mayne land wasted and spoyled with fyre sworde all the coast of Cypous Acarnauia and Aetolia And so keping still the seas did cut of many Greke shippes by the waye as they were sayling toward Italy and Illirium insomuch the no shippe coulde styrre abrode for them The bosyegīg of Aucon Whyle these thynges were a doyng in Grece Totilas sendyng a freshe crewe of souldiers into the Countrye of the Picentes cōmaunded that Aucon shoulde be besieged both by sea land He made three Captaynes of thys enterprise Scipuar Vdilas Gothidil to whom he gaue a flete of seuen and fortye Galleyes Whē Aucon was thus besyeged there were so whote assaultes geuen both by sea and by land that it stoode in greate perrill Wherefore Valerian who had the rule of Rauenna forasmuche as he thought hymselfe to weake to rescowe them that were besyeged he wrote to Iohn Vitaliā lying at Salons requessting hym to ioyne wyth hym and so to rescowe them together Iohn Albeit the Emperoure had geuen hym commaundemente that he shoulde not passe into Italye before the commyng of Narses yet notwythstandyng forasmuche as he thought it agaynste hys honoure to lye styll and looke on while hys companions were in suche ieoperdye he chose oute the beste men in all hys hoste and embarkyng them in eyghtene shyppes set out of Salons and sayled towarde Rauenna As he was in hys waye Valerian met him wyth twelve galleyes well decked and furnished to fight When the Captaines had commoned betwene themselues and by the aduise of such as were about them had determined as semed beste they sayled with their whole nauye toget her agaynst their enemyes And whē they came nere vnto Aucon they drewe to the shore at a place which the inhabiters do call Duasse Battell on the sea betvvene the Gothes the imperialls The whiche thyng assone as the Gothyshe Captaynes peerceaued they also addressyng themselues to the encounter furnished their nauie with the beste souldiers the they coulde chose when they had put themselues in a readinesse launched forth set themselues in good order agaynst their enemyes The Gothyshe shyppes wer in number seuen fortie the Grekes were thirtye Captaynes whereof were Iohn and Valerian and Captaines of the Gothishe nauie were Vdilas Gothidill for Scipuar abode with the reast of the armye to keepe the Camp Therefore after that the Cap\taynes of eyther parte had encouraged their men and with warlyke orations inflamed theyr myndes wyth hope of victorie with eager stomackes they ioyned battell At the very fyrst beginning the encounter was fierce meting with stemme to stemme eche endeuoryng to ouermatche other and the matter was handled with greate courage on both partes For there was not any one in all that great companie whiche had not hys handes full Insomuch that the matter was tryed wyth dartes Iauelyngs pykes and swordes as if it had bene a battell vpon the land Howbeit in continuance the Gothyshe nauie beganne to go by the worse Conning expenence preuayleth against force For albeit they were good men of their handes stowte warryours yt forasmuche as they wanted experience in sea matters they troubled themselues For in some places they clustered so together that one had not come to styrre by another and other some agayne to eschewe that fault disseuered themselues so far frō the helpe of their companye that their enemyes had them alwayes at aduantage Wheras on the contrary part the Grekes wer greatly furthered through their connyng the good order of their Sea men there was no araye broken A man could not haue sene among them any throngyng nor scatteryng but the they were euer nere at hand to helpe their companye to be helped of them And therefore as reason was at length they gatte the vpper hand The Gothes are vanquished and Aucon rescovved Some of the Gothyshe shyppes were sunke that their men of warre marriners al. Many being wonne by fyne force were with incredible slaughter taken The whiche whē the Gothes beheld by and by they toke them to flight There were no mo but ten of their shippes that escaped to land vnperished The reast were either taken or ells drowned there was made a great slaughter of the men in the battell and in the chace They that escaped to land dyd forthwith set their shippes on fyre to the entent their enemyes shoulde not obtayne them returned into their Camp Where they were stricken with such a feare that they determined to breake vp their siege Whereupon in all haste they forsooke their Campe and fled vnto Auximum Iohn and Valerian enteryng into the hauen of Aucō with their victorious nauye to the great comfort and incredible reioycement of the Townesmen made hast to ryfflyng of the enemyes Camp The which they findyng forsaken caused all the victualls artillery that they founde there to be conueyed into the citye Fortune turneth agaynst he Gothes They thēselues within fewe daies after departed Valerian vnto Rauenna and Iohn vnto Salons Thys battell dyd sore discourage the hartes of the Gothes was as it were a preparatiue of a greater ruine the was toward them For Totilas being not a little disquietted with this losse pulled backe a greate part of his army out of Sicill By meanes whereof Artaunaes the Emperours Captayne subrogated in the rome of Liberius hauyng receaued hys nauye of hym beganne to growe the stronger in Sicill Insomuche that he not onely deliuered his confederates from the besiegemente but also besieged the Gothes in diuerse places in their own townes The Gothes
monny in the fortresse of Cume had made his brother Captaine of the same fortresse When Narses had vnderstanding therof he sent part of hys armye to besyege Cume and he hymselfe abydynge still at Rome endeuored to repayre the Cytye and to replenyshe it wyth people And to the entente that the Gothes that were beyonde the Ryuer Po shoulde not rescowe Cume or anye other of the places that were besyeged he commaunded Iohn Vitalian and Philimunt wyth theyr bandes to abyde in Hetruria to sette 〈…〉 agaynste the enemys at the fyrste approche and curte them of ere they 〈◊〉 â—â—ye further For Teias when he perceyued that Cume was besyeged determyned fullye to goe and rescowe it Wheroppon sertynge oute of Pauye by longe and ouerthwarre iourneyes he ledde hys hoste by the shore of the vpper sea and so throughe the countryes of the Picentes and Marses into Campanye The whiche when Narses vnderstood he called Iohn wyth hys band oute of Hetruria After whose commynge he marched forwarde into Campanye wyth hys whole power fullye purposing to encounter wyth Teias The mountaine Vesuuius There is a hill in Campanye called Vesuuius oute of the tooppe whereof oftentymes ryseth vppe smoke and flames of fyre But in the foote of the same mountain are springs of swete water the whiche doe make a brooke called Dracon that runneth not farre from the Citye Nuceria thys brooke is not very brode but it is so deepe that neyther horseman nor foteman can passe it Narses Teias encamp together parted with a riuer Aboute thys ryuer bothe armyes encamped Narses on the hyther syde and Teias on the furtherside the riuer ronning in the myddes betwent theÌ„ both There was but one brydge ouer it that had the Gothes taken By meanes wherof it laye in their hande to chose whyther they would fyght or not fyght The armyes abode in thys forte by the space of two monethes so that Narses his meÌ„ which were desyrous to come to hande strokes could not by any meanes come to their enemyes only they came to the riuers syde from both Campes shotte arrowes and threw dartes one at another Also there were fought many coÌ„bates and many chalenges were performed on both sydes duryng the sayd tyme the Gothyshe souldiers passing ouer the brydge dyd fight with the souldiers of Narses hand to hand The sea was well nere at hand the Gothes had their shippes vpoÌ„ the water which alwayes brought corne and victualls set it a land nere vnto them The Gothes lose their shippes by treasoÌ„ froÌ„ whence it was stil conueyed to the Camp But after the time that their nauie through treason was loste and that they coulde haue no more victualls and attillerye brought to theÌ„ by the sea the Gothes were constrayned of necessitye to dyslodge froÌ„ that place Whereupon forsaking the bridge the grounde by the riuers syde they departed to the nexte hylt which the inhabitantes of the couÌ„trye do cal the mylkie hyll Narses pursuyng them forasmuch as he could not assayle them by reason of the stepenesse of the hyll settled hymselfe about the foote of it The Gothes beyng to the same place also as much oppressed with scarcetye as they were before determined to put the matter in tryall by the sworde A cruel battel betwene the Gothes the imperialls And thereupon puttyng themselues in aray vpon the toppe of the hil they descended from about sodaynely assayled their enemyes thynkyng nothyng lesse then of any such matter in somuch that they had not any leysure to order their battells or to encourage their souldiers but were fayne to sette theÌ„selues against the enemie according as euery mannes fortune had appoynted hym And for bicause the Gothes had left their horses fought on foote Narses dyd set hys fotemen also to encounter with them The battell was cruell bloudy in all places For on the one syde the Gothes fought obstinately as men in despayre on the other sydo the souldiers of Narses were ashamed to geue place being so many in number as they were in especially consyderyng that but euen the other daye they had compelled them to forsake their firste campe and had well me besteged them now in the hyll which they had fled to for their refuge Both parties being incensed with these persuasiens foughte very valiantly The notable prowesse courage of Teias king of the Gothes I will not passe ouer with silence the noble Demeanor of Teias Kyng of the Gothes in hys battell For he being endued as it were with an heroical prowesse wolde nedes put himselfe into the forefront of the battel among the formest fyghters He was easye to be knowen from the reast by hys goodly armour hys ryche apparrell In the lyft hand he helde a target in hys ryght hand he brandished a Iauelyng Many that encountered agaynst hym he strake starke dead yet dartes came flying at him froÌ„ all sides Howbeit he being of an incredible courage and strength dyd marnayles in armes At the length when hys shylde stake full of dartes so that he could not handsomely wield it standyng with his face towarde hys enemyes calling to his harnessebearer by name he coÌ„mauÌ„ded hym with a loude voyce to bryng hym another target When it was brought vnto hym he let slyppe hys old one to haue taken the new in his hand in the which chaunge it was his chouÌ„ce to receaue his deathes wouÌ„de by a dart that was sent at hym By the whyche albeit he lost much bloud yet notwithstandyng lyke a most puyssant champion he neuer gaue foote backe nor neuer tourned hys face but standyng stoutly towarde hys enemyes fought it oute as longe as he was able to stande on hys legges vntyll at length sebled wyth trauell and losse of bloude he fell downe flatte vppon hys face It was almost syre of the clocke when Teias dyed The death of Teias And yet the Gothes were nothyng at all dyscouraged wyth the death of theyr Kyng but helde oute the battell vntyll it was nyghte neuer geuyng one foote backe Fynallye when it was so darke that they coulde not see the battell ceased beyng begonne at the sonne rysyng That nyghte both the armyes watched in theyr harnesse and assoone as the daye pered they fell to fyghtyng a freshe contynuing so styll vnto the sonne goyng downe to the great slaughter of both partes At length the Gothes sente vnto Narses offeryng to departe oute of Italye so he would suffer them wythout impeachemente to carrye suche thynges as they had awaye wyth them But yf he woulde not graunt them thys request they sayd they would neuer leaue fightyng as long as the breathe was in their bodyes When Narses had heard their demaundes by the aduise of hys counsell he condyscended vnto theÌ„ to the entent he would not to the great preiudyce and losse of hys men seeke the aduantage of hys desperate enemye In the meane tyme aboute a thousande horsemen fled oute of the Camp of the Gothes and by greate iourneyes came vnto Pauie and other townes beyonde the ryuer Po. The residue fell to a fynall agreement with Narses promisyng to departe oute of Italye carrying nothyng more then euery man hys owne and neuer after to make warre vpon the Romayne Empyre prouyded alwayes that they themselues shoulde retayne still their freedome and libertye wythout any bondage or subiection to the Empyre The whiche being done according to couenant Narses receaued Cume al other townes that held with the Gothes and so ended the eyghten the yeare of this warre FINIS