history of florence-第4节

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reigned　in　Italy；　he　brought　the　country　to　such　a　state　of　greatness

that　her　previous　sufferings　were　no　longer　recognizable。　But　at　his

death；　the　kingdom　descending　to　Atalaric；　son　of　Amalasontha；　his

daughter；　and　the　malice　of　fortune　not　being　yet　exhausted；　the　old

evils　soon　returned；　for　Atalaric　died　soon　after　his　grandfather；　and

the　kingdom　coming　into　the　possession　of　his　mother；　she　was　betrayed

by　Theodatus；　whom　she　had　called　to　assist　her　in　the　government。　He

put　her　to　death　and　made　himself　king；　and　having　thus　become　odious

to　the　Ostrogoths；　the　emperor　Justinian　entertained　the　hope　of

driving　him　out　of　Italy。　Justinian　appointed　Belisarius　to　the

command　of　this　expedition；　as　he　had　already　conquered　Africa；

expelled　the　Vandals；　and　reduced　the　country　to　the　imperial　rule。



Belisarius　took　possession　of　Sicily；　and　from　thence　passing　into

Italy；　occupied　Naples　and　Rome。　The　Goths；　seeing　this；　slew

Theodatus　their　king；　whom　they　considered　the　cause　of　their

misfortune；　and　elected　Vitiges　in　his　stead；　who；　after　some

skirmishes；　was　besieged　and　taken　by　Belisarius　at　Ravenna；　but

before　he　had　time　to　secure　the　advantages　of　his　victory；　Belisarius

was　recalled　by　Justinian；　and　Joannes　and　Vitalis　were　appointed　in

his　place。　Their　principles　and　practices　were　so　different　from　those

of　Belisarius；　that　the　Goths　took　courage　and　created　Ildovadus；

governor　of　Verona；　their　king。　After　Ildovadus；　who　was　slain；　came

Totila；　who　routed　the　imperial　forces；　took　Tuscany　and　Naples；　and

recovered　nearly　the　whole　of　what　Belisarius　had　taken　from　them。　On

this　account　Justinian　determined　to　send　him　into　Italy　again；　but；

coming　with　only　a　small　force；　he　lost　the　reputation　which　his

former　victories　had　won　for　him；　in　less　time　than　he　had　taken　to

acquire　it。　Totila　being　at　Ostia　with　his　forces；　took　Rome　before

his　eyes；　but　being　unable　to　hold　or　to　leave　the　city；　he　destroyed

the　greater　part　of　it；　drove　out　the　citizens；　and　took　the　senators

away　from　him。　Thinking　little　of　Belisarius；　he　led　his　people　into

Calabria；　to　attack　the　forces　which　had　been　sent　from　Greece。



Belisarius；　seeing　the　city　abandoned；　turned　his　mind　to　the

performance　of　an　honourable　work。　Viewing　the　ruins　of　Rome；　he

determined　to　rebuild　her　walls　and　recall　her　inhabitants　with　as

little　delay　as　possible。　But　fortune　was　opposed　to　this　laudable

enterprise；　for　Justinian；　being　at　this　time　assailed　by　the

Parthians；　recalled　him；　and　his　duty　to　his　sovereign　compelled　him

to　abandon　Italy　to　Totila；　who　again　took　Rome；　but　did　not　treat　her

with　such　severity　as　upon　the　former　occasion；　for　at　the　entreaty　of

St。　Benedict；　who　in　those　days　had　great　reputation　for　sanctity；　he

endeavored　to　restore　her。　In　the　meantime；　Justinian　having　arranged

matters　with　the　Parthians；　again　thought　of　sending　a　force　to　the

relief　of　Italy；　but　the　Sclavi；　another　northern　people；　having

crossed　the　Danube　and　attacked　Illyria　and　Thrace；　prevented　him；　so

that　Totila　held　almost　the　whole　country。　Having　conquered　the

Slavonians；　Justinian　sent　Narses；　a　eunuch；　a　man　of　great　military

talent；　who；　having　arrived　in　Italy；　routed　and　slew　Totila。　The

Goths　who　escaped　sought　refuge　in　Pavia；　where　they　created　Teias

their　king。　On　the　other　hand；　Narses　after　the　victory　took　Rome；　and

coming　to　an　engagement　with　Teias　near　Nocera；　slew　him　and　routed

his　army。　By　this　victory；　the　power　of　the　Goths　in　Italy　was　quite

annihilated；　after　having　existed　for　seventy　years；　from　the　coming

of　Theodoric　to　the　death　of　Teias。



No　sooner　was　Italy　delivered　from　the　Goths　than　Justinian　died；　and

was　succeeded　by　Justin；　his　son；　who；　at　the　instigation　of　Sophia；

his　wife；　recalled　Narses；　and　sent　Longinus　in　his　stead。　Like　those

who　preceded　him；　he　made　his　abode　at　Ravenna；　and　besides　this；　gave

a　new　form　to　the　government　of　Italy；　for　he　did　not　appoint

governors　of　provinces；　as　the　Goths　had　done；　but　in　every　city　and

town　of　importance　placed　a　ruler　whom　he　called　a　duke。　Neither　in

this　arrangement　did　he　respect　Rome　more　than　the　other　cities；　for

having　set　aside　the　consuls　and　senate；　names　which　up　to　this　time

had　been　preserved；　he　placed　her　under　a　duke；　who　was　sent　every

year　from　Ravenna；　and　called　her　the　duchy　of　Rome；　while　to　him　who

remained　in　Ravenna；　and　governed　the　whole　of　Italy　for　the　emperor；

was　given　the　name　of　Exarch。　This　division　of　the　country　greatly

facilitated　the　ruin　of　Italy；　and　gave　the　Lombards　an　early　occasion

of　occupying　it。　Narses　was　greatly　enraged　with　the　emperor；　for

having　recalled　him　from　the　government　of　the　province；　which　he　had

won　with　his　own　valor　and　blood；　while　Sophia；　not　content　with　the

injury　done　by　withdrawing　him；　treated　him　in　the　most　offensive

manner；　saying　she　wished　him　to　come　back　that　he　might　spin　with　the

other　eunuchs。　Full　of　indignation；　Narses　persuaded　Alboin；　king　of

the　Lombards；　who　then　reigned　in　Pannonia；　to　invade　and　take

possession　of　Italy。



The　Lombards；　as　was　said　before；　occupied　those　places　upon　the

Danube　which　had　been　vacated　by　the　Eruli　and　Turingi；　when　Odoacer

their　king　led　them　into　Italy；　where；　having　been　established　for

some　time；　their　dominions　were　held　by　Alboin；　a　man　ferocious　and

bold；　under　whom　they　crossed　the　Danube；　and　coming　to　an　engagement

with　Cunimund；　king　of　the　Zepidi；　who　held　Pannonia；　conquered　and

slew　him。　Alboin　finding　Rosamond；　daughter　of　Cunimund；　among　the

captives；　took　her　to　wife；　and　made　himself　sovereign　of　Pannonia；

and；　moved　by　his　savage　nature；　caused　the　skull　of　Cunimund　to　be

formed　into　a　cup；　from　which；　in　memory　of　the　victory；　he　drank。

Being　invited　into　Italy　by　Narses；　with　whom　he　had　been　in

friendship　during　the　war　with　the　Goths；　he　left　Pannonia　to　the

Huns；　who　after　the　death　of　Attila　had　returned　to　their　country。

Finding；　on　his　arrival；　the　province　divided　into　so　many　parts；　he

presently　occupied　Pavia；　Milan；　Verona；　Vicenza；　the　whole　of

Tuscany；　and　the　greater　part　of　Flamminia；　which　is　now　called

Romagna。　These　great　and　rapid　acquisitions　made　him　think　the

conquest　of　Italy　already　secured；　he　therefore　gave　a　great　feast　at

Verona；　and　having　become　elevated　with　wine；　ordered　the　skull　of

Cunimund　to　be　filled；　and　caused　it　to　be　presented　to　the　queen

Rosamond；　who　sat　opposite；　saying　loud　enough　for　her　to　hear；　that

upon　occasion　of　such　great　joy　she　should　drink　with　her　father。

These　words　were　like　a　dagger　to　the　lady's　bosom　and　she　resolved　to

have　revenge。　Knowing　that　Helmichis；　a　noble　Lombard；　was　in　love

with　one　of　her　maids；　she　arranged　with　the　young　woman；　that

Helmichis；　without　being　acquainted　with　the　fact；　should　sleep　with

her　instead　of　his　mistress。　Having　effected　her　design；　Rosamond

discovered　herself　to　Helmichis；　and　gave　him　the　choice　either　of

killing　Alboin；　and　taking　herself　and　the　kingdom　as　his　reward；　or

of　being　put　to　death　as　the　ravisher　of　the　queen。　Helmichis

consented　to　destroy　Alboin；　but　after　the　murder；　finding　they　could

not　occupy　the　kingdom；　and　fearful　that　the　Lombards　would　put　them

to　death　for　the　love　they　bore　to　Alboin；　they　seized　the　royal

treasure；　and　fled　with　it　to　Longinus；　at　Ravenna；　who　received　them

favorably。



During　these　troubles　the　emperor　Justinus　died；　and　was　succeeded　by

Tiberius；　who；　occupied　in　the　wars　with　the　Parthians；　could　not

attend　to　the　affairs　of　Italy；　and　this　seeming　to　Longinus　to

present　an　opportunity；　by　means　of　Rosamond　and　her　wealth；　of

becoming　king　of　the　Lombards　and　of　the　whole　of　Italy；　he

communicated　his　design　to　her；　persuaded　her　to　destroy　Helmichis；

and　so　take　him　for　her　husband。　To　this　end；　having　prepared　poisoned

wine；　she　with　her　own　hand　presented　it　to　Helmichis；　who　complained

of　thirst　as　he　came　from　the　bath。　Having　drunk　half　of　it；　he

suspected　the　truth；　from　the　unusual　sensation　it　occasioned　and

compelled　her　to　drink　the　remainder；　so　that　in　a　few　hours　both　came

to　their　end；　and　Longinus　was　deprived　of　the　hope　of　becoming　king。



In　the　meantime　the　Lombards；　having　drawn　themselves　together　in

Pavia；　which　was　become　the　principal　seat　of　their　empire；　made

Clefis　their　king。　He　rebuilt　Imola；　destroyed　by　Narses；　and　occupied

Remini　and　almost　every　place　up　to　Rome；　but　he　died　in　the　course　of

his　victories。　Clefis　was　cruel　to　such　a　degree；　not　only　toward

strangers；　but　to　his　own　Lombards；　that　these　people；　sickened　of

royal　power；　did　not　create　another　king；　but　appointed　among

themselves　thirty　dukes　to　govern　the　rest。　This　prevented　the

Lombards　from　occupying　the　whole　of　Italy；　or　of　extending　their

dominion　further　than　Benevento；　for；　of　the　cities　of　Rome；　Ravenna；

Cremona；　Mantua；　Padua；　Monselice；　Parma；　Bologna；　Faenz