History of Florence and Italy | Page 7

heads of the other
nations, took arms against his sons Henry and Uric, slew the one and
compelled the other, with his Huns, to repass the Danube and return to
their country; while the Ostrogoths and the Zepidi established
themselves in Pannonia, and the Eruli and the Turingi upon the farther
bank of the Danube.
Attila having left Italy, Valentinian, emperor of the west, thought of
restoring the country; and, that he might be more ready to defend it
against the barbarians, abandoned Rome, and removed the seat of
government to Ravenna. The misfortunes which befell the western
empire caused the emperor, who resided at Constantinople, on many
occasions to give up the possession of it to others, as a charge full of
danger and expense; and sometimes, without his permission, the
Romans, seeing themselves so abandoned, created an emperor for their
defense, or suffered some one to usurp the dominion. This occurred at
the period of which we now speak, when Maximus, a Roman, after the
death of Valentinian, seized the government, and compelled Eudocia,
widow of the late emperor, to take him for her husband; but she, being
of imperial blood, scorned the connection of a private citizen; and
being anxious to avenge herself for the insult, secretly persuaded
Genseric, king of the Vandals and master of Africa to come to Italy,
representing to him the advantage he would derive from the
undertaking, and the facility with which it might be accomplished.
Tempted by the hope of booty, he came immediately, and finding
Rome abandoned, plundered the city during fourteen days. He also
ravaged many other places in Italy, and then, loaded with wealth,
withdrew to Africa. The Romans, having returned to their city, and
Maximus being dead, elected Avitus, a Roman, as his successor. After
this, several important events occurred both in Italy and in the countries
beyond; and after the deaths of many emperors the empire of
Constantinople devolved upon Zeno, and that of Rome upon Orestes
and Augustulus his son, who obtained the sovereignty by fraud. While
they were designing to hold by force what they had obtained by
treachery, the Eruli and the Turingi, who, after the death of Attila, as
before remarked, had established themselves upon the farther bank of

the Danube, united in a league and invaded Italy under Odoacer their
general. Into the districts which they left unoccupied, the Longobardi or
Lombards, also a northern people, entered, led by Godogo their king.
Odoacer conquered and slew Orestes near Pavia, but Augustulus
escaped. After this victory, that Rome might, with her change of power,
also change her title, Odoacer, instead of using the imperial name,
caused himself to be declared king of Rome. He was the first of those
leaders who at this period overran the world and thought of settling in
Italy; for the others, either from fear that they should not be able to
hold the country, knowing that it might easily be relieved by the eastern
emperors, or from some unknown cause, after plundering her, sought
other countries wherein to establish themselves.


CHAPTER II
State of the Roman empire under Zeno--Theodoric king of the
Ostrogoths--Character of Theodoric--Changes in the Roman empire--
New languages--New names--Theodoric dies--Belisarius in Italy--
Totila takes Rome--Narses destroys the Goths--New form of
Government in Italy--Narses invites the Lombards into Italy--The
Lombards change the form of government.
At this time the ancient Roman empire was governed by the following
princes: Zeno, reigning in Constantinople, commanded the whole of the
eastern empire; the Ostrogoths ruled Mesia and Pannonia; the Visigoths,
Suavi, and Alans, held Gascony and Spain; the Vandals, Africa; the
Franks and Burgundians, France; and the Eruli and Turingi, Italy. The
kingdom of the Ostrogoths had descended to Theodoric, nephew of
Velamir, who, being on terms of friendship with Zeno the eastern
emperor, wrote to him that his Ostrogoths thought it an injustice that
they, being superior in valor to the people thereabout, should be
inferior to them in dominion, and that it was impossible for him to
restrain them within the limits of Pannonia. So, seeing himself under
the necessity of allowing them to take arms and go in search of new

abodes, he wished first to acquaint Zeno with it, in order that he might
provide for them, by granting some country in which they might
establish themselves, by his good favor with greater propriety and
convenience. Zeno, partly from fear and partly from a desire to drive
Odoacer out of Italy, gave Theodoric permission to lead his people
against him, and take possession of the country. Leaving his friends the
Zepidi in Pannonia, Theodoric marched into Italy, slew Odoacer and
his son, and, moved by the same reasons which had induced
Valentinian to do so, established his court at Ravenna, and like
Odoacer took