the palace at Ravenna to an island
of the Bulsinian lake where he kept her in exile. After
spending a very few days there in sorrow, she was
strangled in the bath by his hirelings.

[Sidenote: Justinian 527-565]

[Sidenote: JUSTINIAN SENDS BELISARIUS TO AVENGE THE DEATH OF HIS WARDS
534]

[Sidenote: Vitiges King 536-540]

LX When Justinian, the Emperor of the East, heard 307
this, he was aroused as if he had suffered personal injury
in the death of his wards. Now at that time he had won
a triumph over the Vandals in Africa, through his most
faithful Patrician Belisarius. Without delay he sent his
army under this leader against the Goths at the very time
when his arms were yet dripping with the blood of the
Vandals. This sagacious general believed he could not 308
overcome the Gothic nation, unless he should first seize
Sicily, their nursing-mother. Accordingly he did so. As
soon as he entered Trinacria, the Goths, who were besieging
the town of Syracuse, found that they were not succeeding
and surrendered of their own accord to Belisarius,
with their leader Sinderith. When the Roman general
reached Sicily, Theodahad sought out Evermud, his
son-in-law, and sent him with an army to guard the strait
which lies between Campania and Sicily and sweeps from
a bend of the Tyrrhenian Sea into the vast tide of the
Adriatic. When Evermud arrived, he pitched his camp 309
by the town of Rhegium. He soon saw that his side was
the weaker. Coming over with a few close and faithful
followers to the side of the victor and willingly casting
himself at the feet of Belisarius, he decided to serve the
rulers of the Roman Empire. When the army of the
Goths perceived this, they distrusted Theodahad and
clamored for his expulsion from the kingdom and for the
appointment as king of their leader Vitiges, who had been
his armor bearer. This was done; and presently Vitiges 310
was raised to the office of king on the Barbarian Plains.
He entered Rome and sent on to Ravenna the men most
faithful to him to demand the death of Theodahad. They
came and executed his command. After King Theodahad
was slain, a messenger came from the king--for he was
already king in the Barbarian Plains--to proclaim Vitiges
to the people.

[Sidenote: THE OSTROGOTHS OVERCOME BY BELISARIUS]

[Sidenote: Siege of Rome 537-538]

[Sidenote: Surrender of Vitiges 540]

[Sidenote: Death of Vitiges 542]

[Sidenote: Mathesuentha marries Germanus 542