oman vessels,
which also were soon on fire. The flames quickly spread, and in
a very short time a great part of the Roman fleet was destroyed.
Basilicus fled with as many ships as he could save, and returned
to Constantinople.

This was the last attempt of the Romans to conquer the Vandals.
Genseric lived to a good old age, and when he died, in 477, all
the countries he had conquered during his life still remained parts
of the Vandal dominions.

THEODORIC THE OSTROGOTH

KING FROM 475-526 A.D.

I

The Ostrogoths, or East Goths, who had settled in Southern Russia,
at length pushed southward and westward to the mouth of the Danube.

They were continually invading countries belonging to the Romans
and their warlike raids were dreaded by the emperors of the Eastern
Roman Empire, who lived at Constantinople. One emperor gave them
land and money, and thus stopped their invasions for a time.

The most famous of the Ostrogoth kings was The-od'or-ic the Great.
He was the son of The-od'e-mir, who was also a king of the Ostrogoths.
When Theodoric was eight years old he was sent to Constantinople to
be held as a hostage by Leo, the Emperor of the East. In former
times, when kings made treaties with one another, it was customary
for one to give to the other a pledge or security that he would
fulfill the conditions of the treaty. The pledge usually given
was some important person or persons, perhaps the king's son or a
number of his chief men. Persons so given as a security were called
hostages. When Theodoric was a boy he was given as a hostage for
his father's good faith in carrying out a treaty with the Emperor
and was sent to Constantinople to live. Here the youth was well
treated by Leo. He was educated with great care and trained in
all the exercises of war.

Theodemir died in 475, and then Theodoric returned to his own country
and became king of the Ostrogoths. At this time he was eighteen
years of age. He was handsome and brave and people loved him, for
in those days a man who was tall and strong and brave was liked
by everybody.

II

For some years after he became king Theodoric had frequent wars
with other Gothic kings and also with the Roman Emperor Ze'no.
He was nearly always successful in battle, and at last Zeno began
to think it would be better to try to make friends with him. So
he gave Theodoric some rich lands and made him commander of the
Imperial Guard of Constantinople.

But the Emperor soo