gan to go about the land of Picenum and to plunder everything before
him, treating the women and children of the enemy as slaves. And when
Ulitheus, the uncle of Vittigis, confronted him with an army of Goths,
he defeated them in battle and killed Ulitheus himself and almost the
whole army of the enemy. For this reason no one dared any longer to
engage with him. But when he came to the city of Auximus,[168] though he
learned that it contained a Gothic garrison of inconsiderable size, yet
in other respects he observed that the place was strong and impossible
to capture. And for this reason he was quite unwilling to lay siege to
it, but departing from there as quickly as he could, he moved forward.
And he did this same thing at the city of Urbinus,[169] but at
Ariminum,[170] which is one day's journey distant from Ravenna, he
marched into the city at the invitation of the Romans. Now all the
barbarians who were keeping guard there were very suspicious of the
Roman inhabitants, and as soon as they learned that this army was
approaching, they withdrew and ran until they reached Ravenna. And thus
John secured Ariminum; but he had meanwhile left in his rear a garrison
of the enemy both at Auximus and at Urbinus, not because he had
forgotten the commands of Belisarius, nor because he was carried away by
unreasoning boldness, since he had wisdom as well as energy, but because
he reasoned--correctly, as it turned out--that if the Goths learned that
the Roman army was close to Ravenna, they would instantly break up the
siege of Rome because of their fears regarding this place. And in fact
his reasoning proved to be true. For as soon as Vittigis and the army
of the Goths heard that Ariminum was held by him, they were plunged into
great fear regarding Ravenna, and abandoning all other considerations,
they straightway made their withdrawal, as will be told by me directly.
And John won great fame from this deed, though he was renowned even
before. For he was a daring and efficient man in the highest degree,
unflinching before danger, and in his daily life shewing at all times a
certain austerity and ability to endure hardship unsurpassed by any
barbarian or common soldier. Such a man was John. And Matasuntha, the
wife of Vittigis, who was exceedingly hostile to her husband because he
had taken her to wife by violence in the beginning,[171] upon learning
that John had come to Ariminum was absolutely overcome by joy, and
sending a messen