The Barbarian Invasions of Italy by Pasquale Villari

Author:Pasquale Villari
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Jovian Press

CHAPTER IX

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THE CONTROVERSY ON THE THREE CHAPTERS—NARSES’ NEW EXPEDITION TO ITALY, DEFEAT OF TOTILA AND TEIA—FALL OF THE OSTROGOTH KINGDOM.

The final withdrawal of Belisarius from public life marks the end, or indeed rather the collapse of Justinian’s foreign policy. For now from every side the barbarians were again pressing forward. The Franks seemed the most daring and the most confident of success; while Totila’s fortunes also appeared to be rapidly rising. Rome only possessed a garrison of 3,000 Imperial troops, who received next to no pay and were reduced to sore straits and seriously disaffected. They had already murdered their general, Conon, who apparently imitated Bessas in turning the public suffering to account by selling the stores of grain to fill his own purse. The present commandant of the garrison was a certain Diogenes, formerly belonging to Belisarius’s bodyguard, who had successfully repulsed many of Totila’s attacks. Nevertheless the latter, having contrived to seize Portus, was able to starve the city by cutting off supplies. So at last some Isaurian troopers, weary of suffering so much gratuitous hardship, betrayed Rome to the foe by opening the Porta San Paolo to them; thus the barbarian army poured in and put most of the garrison to the sword. Diogenes, however, escaped with some of his men, while 400 more took refuge in Hadrian’s Tomb (Castel St. Angelo), but being finally starved out, deserted to the barbarians (549) and were generously treated by Totila, who now feeling assured of success, wished to live on friendly terms with the Roman people. In fact, one by one, various cities, such as Rimini and Taranto for instance, surrendered to him, and even Civitavecchia and Ancona promised to open their gates unless the Imperialists soon came to their relief. Accordingly he decided to move to the South, seize the islands, and then, with his fleet commanding the sea, cut off the Imperial forces from all means of communication with the capital of the East. Crossing the straits, he landed in Sicily, and finding Messina prepared to resist marched into the interior of the island and easily occupied the rural districts.

At this juncture Justinian should have provided for the vigorous prosecution of the war, unless prepared to lose Italy altogether. Unfortunately, being already burdened with years, and more or less subject to fits of religious mania, he had become so deeply absorbed in theological studies as to neglect the most pressing necessities both of the war and the State. He aspired to be the champion of the true faith and restore the unity of the Church as well as that of the Empire. But, unluckily, the East and the West could never come to a complete agreement regarding the fundamental conception of religious supremacy. In questions of faith the Pope could recognise no authority as superior or even equal to his own, no matter what claims such authority might possess, nor what services it rendered to the Church. Justinian, on the other hand, considered his political authority to

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