Odoacer, and he would remain and conquer the country
and be its king. Soon after there was another battle, near Verona,
and Odoacer was again defeated.

Theodoric came very near being killed in battle. He was saved only
by the courage of his mother. She was in his camp, and at one time
she saw a number of the Ostrogoths running away from that part
of the battle-field where her son was fighting, thus leaving him
without support. The mother rushed forward and stopped the fleeing
men. She made them feel that it was a shame for them to desert
their leader, and they at once returned to the field and fought
beside their king until the battle was won.

After the battle of Verona, Odoacer went with his army to the city
of Ravenna, and remained there for some time. Theodoric followed
with his Ostrogoths and tried to take the city, but there was a
very strong wall around it, and the Ostrogoths could not capture
it. Although Theodoric was not able to take Ravenna, he did not
remain idle. He marched off to other parts of the country, and
took possession of towns and districts wherever he went.

After a while Odoacer got together a better army than he had before,
and made another effort to defeat Theodoric. But he again failed.
Theodoric defeated him in another great battle, which was fought
on the banks of the River Adda. After this battle Odoacer again
fled to Ravenna. Theodoric followed again and laid siege to the
city. This time his army surrounded it and kept provisions from
being sent in, and at last, when there was no food in the city
for the soldiers or the people to eat, Odoacer had to surrender.

A treaty was then made between the two kings and both agreed that
they should rule together over Italy, each to have equal power. But
a few days afterwards Theodoric murdered Odoacer while sitting at
a banquet, and then made himself the sole king of Italy. He divided
one-third of the land of the country among his own followers. So the
Ostrogoths settled in Italy, and Ostrogoths, Romans, and Visigoths
were governed by Theodoric as one people.

Theodoric died at the age of seventy-one after ruling Italy for
thirty-three years.

CLOVIS

KING FROM 481-511 A.D.

I

While the power of the Roman Empire was declining there dwelt on
the banks of the River Rhine a number of savage Teuton tribes called
Franks. The word Frank means _free_, and those tribes took pride
in being known as Franks or freemen.

The Franks occupi