ur ruler,
although he was on the point of besieging him and Byzantium, not only to
put an end to his hostility towards himself, in recollection of the
honour which Theoderic had already received at his hands in having been
made a patrician and consul of the Romans,[158] but also to punish
Odoacer for his unjust treatment of Augustulus, and thereafter, in
company with the Goths, to hold sway over the land as its legitimate and
rightful rulers. It was in this way, therefore, that we took over the
dominion of Italy, and we have preserved both the laws and the form of
government as strictly as any who have ever been Roman emperors, and
there is absolutely no law, either written or unwritten, introduced by
Theoderic or by any of his successors on the throne of the Goths. And we
have so scrupulously guarded for the Romans their practices pertaining
to the worship of God and faith in Him, that not one of the Italians has
changed his belief, either willingly or unwillingly, up to the present
day, and when Goths have changed,[159] we have taken no notice of the
matter. And indeed the sanctuaries of the Romans have received from us
the highest honour; for no one who has taken refuge in any of them has
ever been treated with violence by any man; nay, more, the Romans
themselves have continued to hold all the offices of the state, and not
a single Goth has had a share in them. Let someone come forward and
refute us, if he thinks that this statement of ours is not true. And one
might add that the Goths have conceded that the dignity of the
consulship should be conferred upon Romans each year by the emperor of
the East. Such has been the course followed by us; but you, on your
side, did not take the part of Italy while it was suffering at the hands
of the barbarians and Odoacer, although it was not for a short time, but
for ten years, that he treated the land outrageously; but now you do
violence to us who have acquired it legitimately, though you have no
business here. Do you therefore depart hence out of our way, keeping
both that which is your own and whatever you have gained by plunder."

And Belisarius said: "Although your promise gave us to understand that
your words would be brief and temperate, yet your discourse has been
both long and not far from fraudulent in its pretensions. For Theoderic
was sent by the Emperor Zeno in order to make war on Odoacer, not in
order to hold the dominion of Italy for himself. For why should the