her Theoderic
before he died had become master of all this territory and had invested
himself with a kingdom which was his by no sort of right, although he
had not so much as heard of letters. "Therefore, O Queen," they said,
"have done with these tutors now, and do you give to Atalaric some men
of his own age to be his companions, who will pass through the period of
youth with him and thus give him an impulse toward that excellence which
is in keeping with the custom of barbarians."

DATES:
[G]526 A.D.
[H]527 A.D.

When Amalasuntha heard this, although she did not approve, yet because
she feared the plotting of these men, she made it appear that their
words found favour with her, and granted everything the barbarians
desired of her. And when the old men had left Atalaric, he was given the
company of some boys who were to share his daily life,--lads who had not
yet come of age but were only a little in advance of him in years; and
these boys, as soon as he came of age, by enticing him to drunkenness
and to intercourse with women, made him an exceptionally depraved youth,
and of such stupid folly that he was disinclined to follow his mother's
advice. Consequently he utterly refused to champion her cause, although
the barbarians were by now openly leaguing together against her; for
they were boldly commanding the woman to withdraw from the palace. But
Amalasuntha neither became frightened at the plotting of the Goths nor
did she, womanlike, weakly give way, but still displaying the dignity
befitting a queen, she chose out three men who were the most notable
among the barbarians and at the same time the most responsible for the
sedition against her, and bade them go to the limits of Italy, not
together, however, but as far apart as possible from one another; but it
was made to appear that they were being sent in order to guard the land
against the enemy's attack. But nevertheless these men by the help of
their friends and relations, who were all still in communication with
them, even travelling a long journey for the purpose, continued to make
ready the details of their plot against Amalasuntha.

And the woman, being unable to endure these things any longer, devised
the following plan. Sending to Byzantium she enquired of the Emperor
Justinian whether it was his wish that Amalasuntha, the daughter of
Theoderic, should come to him; for she wished to depart from Italy as
quickly as possi