umbers, and, as was natural, they
attacked and vanquished them severally and kept plundering their
possessions by force. And finally they made the Lombards, who were
Christians, together with several other nations, subject and tributary
to themselves, though the barbarians of that region were not accustomed
to that sort of thing; but the Eruli were led to take this course by
love of money and a lawless spirit. [X]When, however, Anastasius took
over the Roman empire, the Eruli, having no longer anyone in the world
whom they could assail, laid down their arms and remained quiet, and
they observed peace in this way for a space of three years. But the
people themselves, being exceedingly vexed, began to abuse their leader
Rodolphus without restraint, and going to him constantly they called him
cowardly and effeminate, and railed at him in a most unruly manner,
taunting him with certain other names besides. And Rodolphus, being
quite unable to bear the insult, marched against the Lombards, who were
doing no wrong, without charging against them any fault or alleging any
violation of their agreement, but bringing upon them a war which had no
real cause. And when the Lombards got word of this, they sent to
Rodolphus and made enquiry and demanded that he should state the charge
on account of which the Eruli were coming against them in arms, agreeing
that if they had deprived the Eruli of any of the tribute, then they
would instantly pay it with large interest; and if their grievance was
that only a moderate tribute had been imposed upon them, then the
Lombards would never be reluctant to make it greater. Such were the
offers which the envoys made, but Rodolphus with a threat sent them away
and marched forward. And they again sent other envoys to him on the same
mission and supplicated him with many entreaties. And when the second
envoys had fared in the same way, a third embassy came to him and
forbade the Eruli on any account to bring upon them a war without
excuse. For if they should come against them with such a purpose, they
too, not willingly, but under the direst necessity, would array
themselves against their assailants, calling upon God as their witness,
the slightest breath of whose favour, turning the scales, would be a
match for all the strength of men; and He, in all likelihood, would be
moved by the causes of the war and would determine the issue of the
fight for both sides accordingly. So they spoke, thinking in this