XLI. fhips into the deepest recefs of the harbour; their CHAP. boats were laboriously hoifted with ropes and pullies to the topmaft head, and he filled them with archers, who, from that fuperior station, commanded the ramparts of the city. After this eafy, though fuccefsful campaign, the conqueror entered Syracufe in triumph, at the head of his victorious bands, diftributing gold medals to the people, on the day which fo gloriously terminated the year of the confulfhip. He paffed the winter feafon in the palace of ancient kings, amidst the ruins of a Grecian colony, which once extended to a circumference of two and twenty miles 5: but in the spring, about the festival of Eafter, the profecution of his defigns was interrupted by a dangerous revolt of the African forces. Carthage was faved by the presence of Belifarius, who fuddenly landed with a thousand guards. Two thoufand foldiers of doubtful faith returned to the standard of their old commander: and he marched, without hesitation, above fifty miles, to feek an enemy, whom he affected to pity and defpife. Eight thoufand rebels trembled at his approach; they were routed at the first onfet, by the dexterity of their mafter: and this ignoble victory would have restored the peace of Africa, if the conqueror had not been haftily recalled to Sicily, to appeafe a fedition which was kindled 58 The ancient magnitude and fplendour of the five quarters of Syracufe, are delienated by Cicero (in Verrem, actio ii. 1. iv. c. 52, 53.), Strabo (1. vi. p. 415), and d'Orville Sicula (tom. ii. p. 174 202.). The new city, reftored by Auguftus, shrunk towards the inland. XLI. 59 CHAP. during his abfence in his own camp ", Disorder and difobedience were the common malady of the times the genius to command, and the virtue to obey, refided only in the mind of Belifarius. Reign and weakness of Theodatus, the Gothic king of Although Theodatus defcended from a race of heroes, he was ignorant of the art, and averse to the dangers, of war. Although he had studied the writings of Plato and Tully, philofophy was in, A. D. 534, capable of purifying his mind from the bafelt October-paffions, avarice and fear. He had purchased a Auguft. fceptre by ingratitude and murther; at the first Italy, A. D. 536, menace of an enemy, he degraded his own majesty, and that of a nation, which already difdained their unworthy fovereign. Aftonished by the recent example of Gelimer, he saw himself dragged in chains through the streets of Conftantinople: the terrors which Belifarius infpired, were heightened by the eloquence of Peter, the Byzantine ambaf fador; and that bold and fubtle advocate perfuaded him to fign a treaty, too ignominious to become the foundation of a lafting peace. It was ftipu lated, that in the acclamations of the Roman people, the name of the emperor fhould be always proclaimed before that of the Gothic king; and that as often as the ftatue of Theodatus was erected in brafs or marble, the divine image of Juftinian fhould be placed on its right hand. Inftead of conferring, the king of Italy was reduced to folicit, 59 Procopius (Vandal. 1. ii. c. 14, 15.) fo clearly relates the return of Belifarius into Sicily (p. 146. edit. Hoefchelii), that I am aftonished at the ftrange mifapprehenfion and reproaches of a learned critic (Oeuvres de la Mothe le Vayer tom. viii. p. 162, 163.). the XLI. the honours of the fenate; and the confent of the CHAP. emperor was made indifpenfible before he could execute, against a priest or senator, the fentence either of death or confifcation. The feeble monarch refigned the poffeffion of Sicily; offered, as the annual mark of his dependence, a crown of gold, of the weight of three hundred pounds; and promised to supply, at the requifition of his sovereign, three thousand Gothic auxiliaries for the fervice of the empire. Satisfied with thefe extraordinary conceffions, the fuccessful agent of Justinian haftened his journey to Conftantinople; but no fooner had he reached the Alban villa, than he was recalled by the anxiety of Theodatus; and the dialogue which paffed between the king and the ambassador deserves to be reprefented in its original fimplicity. "Are you of opinion that the em peror will ratify this treaty? Perhaps. If he "refuses, what confequence will enfue? War. "Will such a war be just or reasonable? Most affuredly; every one should act according to his "character. What is your meaning? You are "a philofopher-Juftinian is emperor of the Ro mans: it would ill become the difciple of Plato "to fhed the blood of thoufands in his private quar"rel: the fucceffor of Auguftus fhould vindicate his .66 rights, and recover by arms the ancient provinces 60 The ancient Alba was ruined in the first age of Rome. On the fame spot, or at least in the neighbourhood, fucceffively arose, I. The villa of Pompey, &c. 2. A camp of the Prætorian cohorts. 3. The modern epifcopal city of Albanum or Albano (Procop. Goth. 1. ii. c. 4. Cluver. Ital. Antiq. tom. ii. p. 914.). XLI. CHAP. vince, but it was fufficient to alarm and fubdue the weakness of Theodatus; and he foon descended to his laft offer, that for the poor equivalent of a pension of forty-eight thousand pounds sterling, he would refign the kingdom of the Goths and Italians, and spend the remainder of his days in the innocent pleasures of philofophy and agriculture. Both treaties were entrusted to the hands of the ambaffador, on the frail fecurity of an oath not to produce the second till the first had been positively rejected. The event may be easily forefeen: Juftinian required and accepted the abdication of the Gothic king. His indefatigable agent returned from Conftantinople to Ravenna, with ample inftructions; and a fair epiftle, which praised the wisdom and generofity of the royal philofopher, granted his penfion, with the affurance of fuch honours, as a fubject and a catholic might enjoy; and wifely referred the final execution of the treaty, to the presence and authority of Belifarius. But in the interval of fufpenfe, two Roman generals, who had entered the province of Dalmatia, were defeated and flain by the Gothic troops. From blind and abject defpair, Theodatus capriciously rofe to groundless and fatal prefumption", and dared to receive, with menace and contempt, the ambaffador of Juftinian, who claimed his promise, folicited the allegiance of his fubjects, and boldly afferted the inviolable privilege of his own character. 61 A Sibylline oracle was ready to pronounce-Africâ captâ mundus cum nato peribit; a sentence of portentous ambiguity (Gothic. 1. i. c. 7.), which has been published in unknown characters by Opsopæus, an editor of the oracles. The Pere Maltret.has promised a commentary; but all his promises have been vain and fruitless. The 62 XLI. The march of Belifarius difpelled this vifionary CHAP. pride; and as the first campaign was employed in the reduction of Sicily, the invasion of Italy is applied by Procopius to the fecond year of the GOTHIC WAR 63. After Belifarius had left fufficient garrifons in Palermo and Syracufe, he embarked his troops at Meffina, and landed them, without refiftance, on the oppofite fhores of Rhegium. A Gothic prince, who had married the daughter of Theodatus, was stationed with an army to guard the entrance of Italy; but he imitated, without fcruple, the example of a fovereign, faithlefs to his public and private duties. The perfidious Ebermor deferted with his followers to the Roman camp, and was difmiffed to enjoy the fervile honours of the Byzantine court 64. From Rhegium to Naples, the fleet and army of Belifarius, almost always in view of each other, advanced near three hundred miles along the fea-coast, The people of Bruttium, Lucania, and Campania, who abhorred the name 62 In his chronology, imitated in fome degree from Thucydides, Procopius begins each spring the years of Juftinian and of the Gothic war; and his firft æra coincides with the ft of April 535, and not 536, according to the Annals of Baronius (Pagi Crit. tom. ii. P. 555. who is followed by Muratori and the editors of Sigonius). Yet in fome paffages we are at a lofs to reconcile the dates of Procopius with himself, and with the Chronicle of Marcellinus. 63 The feries of the firft Gothic war is represented by Procop'us (1. i. c. 5-29. 1. ii. c. 1-30. l. iii. c.i.) till the captivity of Vitiges. With the aid of Sigonius (Opp. tom. i. de Imp. Occident. 1. xvii, xviii.) and Muratori (Annali d'Italia, tom.v.), I have gleaned fome few additional facts. 64 Jornandes, de Rebus Geticis, c. 60. p. 702. edit. Grot. and tom. i. p. 221. Muratori, de Succeff. Regn. p. 241. Belifarius invades reduces and |