The Goths, from the earliest times to the end of the Gothic dominion in Spain . yUSTINIAN RESOLVES ON WAR, 207 all the Romans of Italy, but even from many of theGoths themselves, who were still loyal to the memoryof their great hero, and were filled with loathfng forthe treachery and cowardice of Theodahad. Theweakness of Italy, divided into hostile parties, withits military system fallen into decay through years offeeble government, invited attack ; and the emperorwas conscious of the strength which he possessed, notso much in the numbers of his army as in the talc^ntsand energy of his genera
The Goths, from the earliest times to the end of the Gothic dominion in Spain . yUSTINIAN RESOLVES ON WAR, 207 all the Romans of Italy, but even from many of theGoths themselves, who were still loyal to the memoryof their great hero, and were filled with loathfng forthe treachery and cowardice of Theodahad. Theweakness of Italy, divided into hostile parties, withits military system fallen into decay through years offeeble government, invited attack ; and the emperorwas conscious of the strength which he possessed, notso much in the numbers of his army as in the talc^ntsand energy of his general Belisarius, in himself ahost And so in the year 535, Justinian declared a warwhich he vowed should continue until the Gothic powerin Italy was annihilated. He kept his promise ; butthe struggle was harder and longer than he was not until twenty years had passed that thesword was sheathed, and Italy became a part of thedominions of the Eastern XXI. AN UNKINGLY KING. Jqstinians design of conquering Italy was a boldone, for the military power of the empire had sunk solow that the number of men that could be placed inthe field scarcely amounted to more than ten is true that they were commanded by Belisarius,whose skill had just been shown in the brilliant cam-paign that crushed the Vandals, and who (so manymodern writers have judged) was one of the greatestgenerals of all time. But it was only the distractedstate of Italy, and the helpless weakness of the Gothicking, that gave to the project of conquest any chanceof success. It was necessary to act at once, lest theopportunity should be lost ; and yet caution wasequally needed, for the consequences of failure weretemble. The sagacity of Justinian was equal to the emer-gency. First of all, he wrote to the king of the Franksannouncing that having been deeply wronged by theGoths, he was about to march against them to recon-quer the portion of his dominions which they
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectgoths, bookyear1887
