Page:1909historyofdec04gibbuoft.djvu/484

 422 THE DECLINE AND FALL [Chap, xliii tlldibad) [a.d. 541, c. May] by a sense of honour, the love of freedom, and the memory of their past greatness. The supreme command was unanimously offered to the brave Uraias ; and it was in his eyes alone that the disgrace of his uncle Vitiges could appear as a reason of exclusion. His voice inclined the election in favour of Hildi- bald, whose personal merit was recommended by the vain hope that his kinsman Theudes, the Spanish monarch, would support the common interest of the Gothic nation. The success of his arms in Liguria and Venetia seemed to justify their choice; but he soon declared to the world that he was incapable of forgiving or commanding his benefactor. The consort of Hildi- bald was deeply wounded by the beauty, the riches, and the pride of the wife of Uraias; and the death of that virtuous patriot excited the indignation of a free people. A bold assassin executed their sentence, by striking off the head of Hildibald in the midst of a banquet; the Rugians, a foreign tribe, assumed the privilege of election; and Totila, 14 the nephew of the late king, was tempted, by revenge, to deliver himself and the garrison of Treviso into the hands of the Romans. But the gallant and accomplished youth was easily persuaded to prefer the Gothic throne before the service of Justinian ; and, as soon as the palace of Pavia had been purified from the Eugian usurper, he reviewed the national force of five thousand soldiers, and generously undertook the restoration of the kingdom of Italy. The successors of Belisarius, eleven generals of equal rank, 15 neglected to crush the feeble and disunited Goths, till they were roused to action by the progress of Totila and the re- proaches of Justinian. The gates of Verona were secretly [Artabazes] opened to Artabazus, at the head of one hundred Persians in the service of the empire. 16 The Goths fled from the city. At the distance of sixty furlongs the Roman generals halted to regulate the division of the spoil. While they disputed, the enemy discovered the real number of the victors ; the Persians 14 [His proper name was Baduila, which appears invariably on coins and is mentioned by Jordanes. He was probably elected towards end of a.d. 541 ; Eraric the Bugian reigned, after Ildibad's death during the summer of that year.] 15 [Hardly of equal rank ; for Prooopius says that Constantian and Alexander were " first among them " (B. G. iii. 3). Others were Vitalius, Bessas, and John son of Vitalian.] 16 [Not 100 Persians, but 100 men selected from the whole army. Procop. ib. On ordinary occasions Artabazes commanded a Persian band.] Victories of Totila, king of Italy, a.d 541-544 [A.D. 542]