BEL 



cunilc cliair was borne aloft on the flioulJers of captive Van- 

 dals ; and the fpoils of war, golj cups, and rich girdles, 

 were profufely fcattered among the populace. His moit 

 diftinguirtied recompenee, however, confifted in the faithful 

 execution of a treaty, for which he had pledged his honour 

 to the king of the Vandals, who received from the emperor 

 an ample ellate in the province of Galatia, whither he re- 

 tired with his family and friends to a life of peace, of af- 

 fluence, and perhaps of content. 



The next objeft to which the attention of Belifarius was 

 direfted was tl;at of terminating the dominions of the Ollro- 

 goths in Italy. With this view he invaded Sicily A. D. 

 535, and having laid fiege to Palermo, which was foon re- 

 duced, and which was the only place where he met with 

 any rdillnnce, he foon after entered Syracufe in triumph!' 

 In the fpring of the following year he was diverted from 

 the profecution of his defigns by a dangerous revolt of the 

 African forces, which demanded iiis prefence at Carthage. 

 By an eafy vidory he would have rellored the peace of 

 Africa; if he had not been hallily recalled to Sicily, for 

 the purpofe of appealing a fcdition which had broken out 

 in his own camp. Having etfefted this objed, and fuffi- 

 ciently garrifoiied Palermo and Svracufe, he embarked 

 his troops at Mcffina, A. D. 537, and landed them, without 

 rcfillance, on the oppoiitc (hores of Rhegium. From 

 Rhegium to Naples, his fleet and army, almoll always in 

 view of each other, advanced near 300 miles along the fea- 

 coall ; and he received the fubmifiion of the inhabitants of 

 the feveral countries of Bnittium, Lucania, and Campa- 

 nia, through which he pafl'ed. The capture of Naples, to 

 which he laid fiege both by fea and land, was for fome time 

 'delayed ; and he had reconciled himfelf to the difgrace of 

 abandoning it, that he might march, before the winter 

 feafon, againll Rome and the Gothic king. But in the 

 moment of anxious fufpenfe a ftratagem occurred of intro- 

 ducing, by means of the dry channel of an aqueduft, a file 

 of armed foldiers into the heart of the city, who gained ad- 

 mittance to their companions, by whom the walls were 

 -fcaled on all fides and the gates burll open. Belifarius, hav- 

 ing fucceeded in this enterprife, rellrained the cruelty and fa- 

 crilege of the Huns ; and, for this purpofe, he appeared alone 

 in the ftreets and churches of Naples, and exerted himfelf in 

 moderating the calamities of the inhabitants. " The gold 

 and filver," he repeatedly exclaimed, " are the juft rewards of 

 your valour. But fpare the inhabitants ; they are Chrif- 

 tians, they are fupplicants, they are now your fellow fub- 

 jeds. Rellore the children to their parents, the wives to 

 their hufbands ; and fhew them, by your generofity, of what 

 friends they have obllinately deprived themfelves." The 

 city was thus faved by the virtue and authority of the con- 

 queror. From Naples, Belifarius proceeded to Rome ; 

 which, on his approach, was evacuated by the Gothic gar- 

 rifon, and which, after fixty years' fervitude, was delivered 

 from the yoke of the Barbarians, and furrendered, without 

 •oppofition, Dec. jo, A. U. 536. The Gothic chief, who 

 was himfelf a trophy of the vidtory, was fent with the keys of 

 Rome to the throne of the emperor Juilinian. In the follow- 

 d-.ig fpring Vitiges, who had been eleded by the Goths as the 

 fucceflbr of the feeble and depoled Theodatus, coUefted 

 ■an army of 150,000 men, and attempted to recover the 

 capital. On the approach of the Barbarians, Belifarius fal- 

 lied forth to lurvcy their camp ; but being furrounded by 

 the enemy, he extricated himfelf by Angular exertions of 

 ftrength and valour. When the whole army of the Goths, 

 having paffed the Tiber, formed the fiege of the city, which 

 was continued above a year, before their final departure, 

 Belifarius, aided by his wife Antonina, his conilant com- 



Vou IV 



BEL 



panion m every expedition, made many efforts for the re. 

 lief of its dillrcffed inhabitants, and for rcpulfing the befie- 

 gers, which at length, in concurrence with a force fent by 

 the emperor, were crowned with fuccefs ; fo that Rome 

 was >-efcued from the hollile attacks of the Gothic army, 

 which raifed the fiege, and, after attempting the recovery 

 of Rimini, took llielter within the walls of Ravenna. Upon 

 the arrival of an armv from Conilantinople, under the com- 

 mand of Narfes, a diifenfion arofe between the two generals, 

 whofe refpedivc authority was not accurately defined ; but 

 Belifarius was appointed, by the emperor's fpecial coininil- 

 fion, to the fupreme command. He incurred, however, 

 confiderable odium by the hatty execution of Conftantine, 

 governor of Spoleto, who had committed an atl of robbery ; 

 and in ccmfequcnce of this mcafure, the two armies fepara- 

 ted, and Narfes was exhorted by the leaders of the diicon- 

 tented faftion to alfume an independent and fupreme com- 

 mand. Belifarius, by his prudence and perfeverance, re- 

 gained his reputation and influence, and procured the recal 

 of Narfes, and the eftablithmcnt of military fubordination. 

 In the interval of difcord, the Goths, aided by the Franks, 

 captured Milan, with circumftances of aggravated cruelty. 

 In 1539, the deftruftion of Milan was fucceeded by the in- 

 vafion of Theodcbert of Aullrafia, the mod powerful and 

 warlike of the Merovingian kings, who, bcfides the fuccour 

 which he afforded to the Goths, invaded the plains of Italy 

 with an army of 100,000 barbarians, and marked his way 

 by ruin and flaughter. The clamours of his conquering 

 army, diminiflied by famine and difeafe, at length induced 

 Theodcbert to lillen with refpedl to the mild exhortations of 

 Belifarius ; who, as foon as he was delivered from his foreign 

 and domeftic enemies, ferioufly employed his forces in the 

 final reduction of Italy. Having reduced Olimo and Fxfu- 

 lae, he proceeded to invert; Ravenna ; and whillt he was en- 

 gaged in the blockade of this city, he received from Juili- 

 nian a treaty of peace, which he had adually figned without 

 deigning to alk his counfcl and concurrence. By tliis dif- 

 graceful and precarious treaty, Italy and the Gotliic trea- 

 fure were divided, and the provinces beyond the Po were 

 left with the legal title to Vitiges. Behfarius rejefted the 

 treaty of partition, and declared his firm refolution of lead- 

 ing Vitiges in chains to the feet of Juilinian. Upon this 

 the Goths retired with doubt and difmay, and perceiving 

 their own diftrefled and perilous ftate, offered their arms, their 

 treafures, and the fortifications of Ravenna to Behfarius, if 

 he would difclaim the authority of a mafter, accept their 

 choice, and affume, as he had deferved, the kingdom of 

 Italy. The Roman general, feeming to acquiefce in their 

 propofal, ftipulated the furrender of Ravenna at an appointed 

 day; and in December 1539, he entered the city without 

 oppofition, fecured the royal treafures, and placed Vitiges 

 under a guard in the royal palace. The fubmiflion of the 

 capital was followed by that of the towns and villages ia 

 Italy ; and the independent Goths, who ftiU remained in 

 arms at Pavia and Verona, were ambitious only to become 

 the fubjefts of Belifarius. But his inflexible loyalty rejefted, 

 except as the fubilituteof Juilinian, their oaths of allegiance ; 

 nor was he off'ended by the reproach of their deputies, that 

 he rather chofe to be a flave than a king. Juilinian, lillen- 

 ing to the fuggellions of envy and jcaloufy, recalled Beli- 

 farius ; who obeyed the fummons, and departed for Conilan- 

 tinople, carrying with him the treafures of Ravenna, and 

 the perfons of Vitiges, his wife, and chief nobles. The em- 

 peror received him with feeming cordiality, but without 

 granting him the well-earned honours of a fecond triumph. 

 Belifarius, however, was the objed of univerfal admiration 

 and applaufe among the people ; aud by the number ot lol- 

 U diers 



