History of the Wars, Books V and VI | Page 8

of throwing the Goths and Theodatus into confusion;
accordingly he wrote a letter to Amalasuntha, stating that he was eager
to give her every possible support, and at the same time he directed
Peter by no means to conceal this message, but to make it known to
Theodatus himself and to all the Goths. And when the envoys from
Italy arrived in Byzantium, they all, with a single exception, reported
the whole matter to the emperor, and especially Liberius; for he was a
man unusually upright and honourable, and one who knew well how to
shew regard for the truth; but Opilio alone declared with the greatest

persistence that Theodatus had committed no offence against
Amalasuntha. Now when Peter arrived in Italy, it so happened that
Amalasuntha had been removed from among men. For the relatives of
the Goths who had been slain by her came before Theodatus declaring
that neither his life nor theirs was secure unless Amalasuntha should be
put out of their way as quickly as possible. And as soon as he gave in to
them, they went to the island and killed Amalasuntha,--an act which
grieved exceedingly all the Italians and the Goths as well. For the
woman had the strictest regard for every kind of virtue, as has been
stated by me a little earlier.[17] Now Peter protested openly[18] to
Theodatus and the other Goths that because this base deed had been
committed by them, there would be war without truce between the
emperor and themselves. But Theodatus, such was his stupid folly,
while still holding the slayers of Amalasuntha in honour and favour
kept trying to persuade Peter and the emperor that this unholy deed had
been committed by the Goths by no means with his approval, but
decidedly against his will.
FOOTNOTES:
[14] Modern Bolsena.
[15] Marta; "now entirely uninhabited, but with a few steps cut in the
rock which are said to have led to the prison of
Amalasuntha."--HODGKIN.
[16] Modern Avlona in Albania.
[17] Chap. ii. 3.
[18] See Gibbon's note (chap. xli.), amplified in Bury's edition, Vol. IV.
p. 304, for additional light on the part played by Justinian and Peter in
this affair.

V
Meanwhile it happened that Belisarius had distinguished himself by the

defeat of Gelimer and the Vandals. And the emperor, upon learning
what had befallen Amalasuntha, immediately entered upon the war,
being in the ninth year of his reign. And he first commanded Mundus,
the general of Illyricum, to go to Dalmatia, which was subject to the
Goths, and make trial of Salones.[19] Now Mundus was by birth a
barbarian, but exceedingly loyal to the cause of the emperor and an able
warrior. Then he sent Belisarius by sea with four thousand soldiers
from the regular troops and the foederati,[20] and about three thousand
of the Isaurians. And the commanders were men of note: Constantinus
and Bessas from the land of Thrace, and Peranius from Iberia[21]
which is hard by Media, a man who was by birth a member of the royal
family of the Iberians, but had before this time come as a deserter to the
Romans through enmity toward the Persians; and the levies of cavalry
were commanded by Valentinus, Magnus, and Innocentius, and the
infantry by Herodian, Paulus, Demetrius, and Ursicinus, while the
leader of the Isaurians was Ennes. And there were also two hundred
Huns as allies and three hundred Moors. But the general in supreme
command over all was Belisarius, and he had with him many notable
men as spearmen and guards. And he was accompanied also by Photius,
the son of his wife Antonina by a previous marriage; he was still a
young man wearing his first beard, but possessed the greatest discretion
and shewed a strength of character beyond his years. And the emperor
instructed Belisarius to give out that his destination was Carthage, but
as soon as they should arrive at Sicily, they were to disembark there as
it obliged for some reason to do so, and make trial of the island. And if
it should be possible to reduce it to subjection without any trouble, they
were to take possession and not let it go again; but if they should meet
with any obstacle, they were to sail with all speed to Libya, giving no
one an opportunity to perceive what their intention was.
And he also sent a letter to the leaders of the Franks as follows: "The
Goths, having seized by violence Italy, which was ours, have not only
refused absolutely to give it back, but have committed further acts of
injustice against us which are unendurable and pass beyond all bounds.
For this reason we have been compelled to take the field against them,
and it is proper that you should join with us in