734 
GOTHS. 
youth was eafily perfiiaded to prefer the Gothic throne 
before the fervice of Jiiflinian; and as foon as the pa¬ 
lace of Pavia had been purified from the Riigian iiliir- 
per, he reviewed the national force of five thoufand fol- 
diers, and boldly undertook tlie relloration of the king¬ 
dom of Italy. 
The fuccelfors of Belifarius, eleven generals of equal 
rank, had neglefled to crufii the feeble remains of the 
difunited Gotlts, till they were roufed to aifion by the 
progrefs of Totila, and the reproaches of Juftinian. 
The gates of Verona were fecretly opened to Artaba- 
zus, at the head of one hundi*ed Perfians in the fervice of 
the emperor. TJie Goths fled from the city. At the 
diftance of fixty furlongs the Roman generals halted 
to (hare the fpoil. Wliile they difputed, the enemy 
difeovered the real number of the viiStors : the Perfians 
avere inftantly overpowered, and it was by leaping from 
the wall that Artabazus preferved a life which he lod 
in a tevv days by the lance of a barbarian, who had de¬ 
fied him to (ingle combat. Twenty thoufand Romans 
encountered the forces of Totila, near Faenza, and on 
the hills of Mugello, in the Florentine territory. The 
ardour of the Romans was foon diffipated. On the firfl 
attack they abandoned their enfigns, threw down their 
arms, and difperfed on all (ides. The new king of the 
Goths purfiied with rapid fteps the advantages of Ins, 
viftory. He palTed the Po, traverfed the Apennin-s, 
fiifpended the important conqueft of Ravenna, Florence, 
and Rome, and marched through the heart of Italy, to 
form the blockade of Naples. The Roman cliiefs, im¬ 
mured in their foi tified cities, and accufing each other 
of the common difgracc, did not prefume to diflnrb his 
enterprife. After the reduftion of Naples and Cutnae, 
the provinces of Lucania, Apulia, and Calabria, fub- 
mitted to the king of the Goths. Totila led his army 
to the gates of Rome, pitched his camp at Tivoli, with¬ 
in twenty miles of the capital, and exhorted the fenate 
and people to confider and compare the tyranny of the 
Greeks with the generous freedom of the Gothic reign. 
To the hulbandmen of Italy the Gothic king ifl'ued a 
welconte proclamation, enjoining them to purfue their 
indulfrious labours, and to red allured, tliat, on the pay¬ 
ment of the ordinary taxes, they Ihould be defended by 
his valour and difeipline from the injuries of war. The 
drong towns he fuccelFively attacked ; and as foon as 
they had yielded to his arms, he demolilhed the forti¬ 
fications j to fave tJie people from the calamities of a 
future (lege, to deprive the Romans of defence, and to 
decide the tedious quarrel of the two nations, by an 
equal confiirt in the field of battle. The Roman cap¬ 
tives and deferters were tempted to enlid in the fervice 
of the courteous adverfary ; the (laves were attradled 
by the faithful promife, that they Ihould never be deli¬ 
vered to tiieir mailers; and from the thoufand warriors 
of Pavia, a new people, under the fame appellation of 
Goths, was infenfibiy formed in the camp of Totila. 
The wives of the fenators, who had been taken in war, 
were redored, without a ranfom, to their hufbands; 
and the violation of female chaifity was inexorably chaf- 
tifed with death. The virtues of Totila, whether they 
proceeded fronj policy, religious principle, or the in- 
dinrt of humanity, were extremely advantageous to his 
caufe ; he often harangued his troops; and it was his 
condaut theme, that national vice and ruin are infepa-, 
rably connebled ; that victory is tiie fruit of moral as 
well as military virtue ; and that the prince, and even 
the people, are refponfible for the crimes which tliey 
negleft to punilb. 
The return of Belifarius, to fave the country which 
he had fubdued, was preffed with equal vehemence by 
his friends, and his ungrateful enemies ; and the Gothic 
war was again impoled on the injured hero. He ac¬ 
cepted the command ; and his fird public oration was 
addreded to the Goths and Romans, in the name of the 
emperor, “ who had fufpended for a while the conqued 
of Perfia, and lidened to the prayers of his I. •'.ian fub- 
jedts.” But not a man was tempted to defert the d.ind- 
ard of tlie Gothic king. After reducing the towns of 
inferior note in the midland provinces of Italy, Totila 
proceeded, not to alfault, but to encompafs and darve, 
the ancient capital. Rome was guarded by the valour, 
and afflidled by the avarice, of Bclfas, a veteran cliief of 
Gothic extradiion, who filled, with a garrifon of three 
thoufand foldiers, the fpacious circle of her venerable 
walls. F'rom the didrefs of the people lie extradled a 
profitable trade, and fecretly. rejoiced in the continuance 
of the fiege, until the whole garrifon were reduced to 
feed on dead Iiorfes, dogs, cats, and mice, and eagerly 
to fnatch the grafs and nettles which grew among the 
ruins of the city. A crowd of fpedlres, pale and ema¬ 
ciated, furrounded the palace of the governor, urging 
for fubfidence, or an order for their immediate execu¬ 
tion. BefT-is artfully foothed tlie difeontent, and re¬ 
vived the hopes, of the defponding Romans, by tlie 
vague reports of tlie fleets and armies whicli were haf- 
tening to their relief from the extremities of the Ead. 
They derived more rational comfort, however, from 
the afl'urance that Belifarius had landed at the port ; 
and, without numbering Ids forces, they firmly relied on 
the humanity, the courage, and tlie (kill, of their great 
deliverer. 
The forefight of Totila had railed obdacles worthy of 
fuch an antagonill. Ninety furlongs below tlie city, 
in the nirrowe d p art of the river, he joined the two 
banks by drong and folid timbers in the form of a 
bridge ; on wliich he erecled two lofty tower.s, manned 
by the braved of his Goths, and dored with midile wea¬ 
pons and engines of od'encc. The approach of the 
bridge and towers was covered by a drong and raaffy 
chain of iron ; and the chain, at either end, on tlie op- 
pofite fides of the Tyber, was defended by a numerous 
detachment of archers. But the enterprife of forcing 
thefe barriers, and relieving (he.capital, difplaysa (hill¬ 
ing example of the boldnefs and condufl: ot Belifarius. 
His cavalry advanced from the port along the public 
road, to awe the motions, and di(ira6t the attention, of 
the enemy. His infantry and pfovilioiis were didributed 
in two hundred large boats ; and each boat was fliielded. 
by a high rampart of thick planks, pierced witii matty 
fmall lioles for the difcliargc of miifile weapons.. In tlie- 
front, two large velTeis v.’ere linked to-getlier to fudain 
a floating cadle, wliicii commanded the towers of the- 
bridge, and contained a magazine of fire, lulpliur, a:id 
bitiunen. The whole fleet, which the general led in 
perfon, was mod laborioudy moved againd the current 
of the river, d'he cliain yielded to the weight, and the 
enemies who guarded the banks were either (lain or feat- 
tered. As foon as they touched the principal barrier,, 
tlie fire-Ihip was indaiitly grappled to the bridge ; one 
of the towers with two hundred Goths, was coiifutned 
by tlie flames; the aiFailants fliouted viflory ; and Rome 
had been faved, if the wil'dom of Belifarius had not been 
defeated by the mifeondutd of his ofiicers. He liad pre- 
vioufly fent orders to BelTas to fecond his operations by 
a fully from the town ; and he had direfted his lieute¬ 
nant, by a peremptory command, not to quit the datton 
of the port. But avarice rendered Belfas immoveable ; 
while tlie youthful ardour of the lieutenant delivered 
him into the hands of a fuperior enemy. The fatal 
rumour of ids defeat was hadily carried to Belifarius : 
he paufed, and reliRfaiitly founded a retreat, to fave his 
wife, his treafures, and rlie only harbour which he po(- 
fe.d'ed on the Tufean co id. l iie vexation of his mind 
produced an ardent and almod nortal fever; and Rome 
was left witnout proceitionfo the indignarion of Totila. 
Famine had relaxed the drength <md difeipline of the 
garrifon of Roiue. They could derive no etfeddual ler- 
vice from a dying people ; ae.d the inluiman avarice of 
the merchant at length abforbed the vigilance of the go¬ 
vernor. four Ilauriun ceutinelsj while their eompa- 
'■ nions 
