history of florence-第3部分

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her　title；　Odoacer；　instead　of　using　the　imperial　name；　caused　himself

to　be　declared　king　of　Rome。　He　was　the　first　of　those　leaders　who　at

this　period　overran　the　world　and　thought　of　settling　in　Italy；　for

the　others；　either　from　fear　that　they　should　not　be　able　to　hold　the

country；　knowing　that　it　might　easily　be　relieved　by　the　eastern

emperors；　or　from　some　unknown　cause；　after　plundering　her；　sought

other　countries　wherein　to　establish　themselves。







CHAPTER　II



　　State　of　the　Roman　empire　under　ZenoTheodoric　king　of　the

　　OstrogothsCharacter　of　TheodoricChanges　in　the　Roman　empire

　　New　languagesNew　namesTheodoric　diesBelisarius　in　Italy

　　Totila　takes　RomeNarses　destroys　the　GothsNew　form　of

　　Government　in　ItalyNarses　invites　the　Lombards　into　ItalyThe

　　Lombards　change　the　form　of　government。



At　this　time　the　ancient　Roman　empire　was　governed　by　the　following

princes：　Zeno；　reigning　in　Constantinople；　commanded　the　whole　of　the

eastern　empire；　the　Ostrogoths　ruled　Mesia　and　Pannonia；　the

Visigoths；　Suavi；　and　Alans；　held　Gascony　and　Spain；　the　Vandals；

Africa；　the　Franks　and　Burgundians；　France；　and　the　Eruli　and　Turingi；

Italy。　The　kingdom　of　the　Ostrogoths　had　descended　to　Theodoric；

nephew　of　Velamir；　who；　being　on　terms　of　friendship　with　Zeno　the

eastern　emperor；　wrote　to　him　that　his　Ostrogoths　thought　it　an

injustice　that　they；　being　superior　in　valor　to　the　people　thereabout；

should　be　inferior　to　them　in　dominion；　and　that　it　was　impossible　for

him　to　restrain　them　within　the　limits　of　Pannonia。　So；　seeing　himself

under　the　necessity　of　allowing　them　to　take　arms　and　go　in　search　of

new　abodes；　he　wished　first　to　acquaint　Zeno　with　it；　in　order　that　he

might　provide　for　them；　by　granting　some　country　in　which　they　might

establish　themselves；　by　his　good　favor　with　greater　propriety　and

convenience。　Zeno；　partly　from　fear　and　partly　from　a　desire　to　drive

Odoacer　out　of　Italy；　gave　Theodoric　permission　to　lead　his　people

against　him；　and　take　possession　of　the　country。　Leaving　his　friends

the　Zepidi　in　Pannonia；　Theodoric　marched　into　Italy；　slew　Odoacer　and

his　son；　and；　moved　by　the　same　reasons　which　had　induced　Valentinian

to　do　so；　established　his　court　at　Ravenna；　and　like　Odoacer　took　the

title　of　king　of　Italy。



Theodoric　possessed　great　talents　both　for　war　and　peace；　in　the

former　he　was　always　conqueror；　and　in　the　latter　he　conferred　very

great　benefits　upon　the　cities　and　people　under　him。　He　distributed

the　Ostrogoths　over　the　country；　each　district　under　its　leader；　that

he　might　more　conveniently　command　them　in　war；　and　govern　them　in

peace。　He　enlarged　Ravenna；　restored　Rome；　and；　with　the　exception　of

military　discipline；　conferred　upon　the　Romans　every　honor。　He　kept

within　their　proper　bounds；　wholly　by　the　influence　of　his　character；

all　the　barbarian　kings　who　occupied　the　empire；　he　built　towns　and

fortresses　between　the　point　of　the　Adriatic　and　the　Alps；　in　order；

with　the　greater　facility；　to　impede　the　passage　of　any　new　hordes　of

barbarians　who　might　design　to　assail　Italy；　and　if；　toward　the　latter

end　of　his　life；　so　many　virtues　had　not　been　sullied　by　acts　of

cruelty；　caused　by　various　jealousies　of　his　people；　such　as　the　death

of　Symmachus　and　Boethius；　men　of　great　holiness；　every　point　of　his

character　would　have　deserved　the　highest　praise。　By　his　virtue　and

goodness；　not　only　Rome　and　Italy；　but　every　part　of　the　western

empire；　freed　from　the　continual　troubles　which　they　had　suffered　from

the　frequent　influx　of　barbarians；　acquired　new　vigor；　and　began　to

live　in　an　orderly　and　civilized　manner。　For　surely　if　any　times　were

truly　miserable　for　Italy　and　the　provinces　overrun　by　the　barbarians；

they　were　those　which　occurred　from　Arcadius　and　Honorius　to

Theodoric。　If　we　only　consider　the　evils　which　arise　to　a　republic　or

a　kingdom　by　a　change　of　prince　or　of　government；　not　by　foreign

interference；　but　by　civil　discord　（in　which　we　may　see　how　even

slight　variations　suffice　to　ruin　the　most　powerful　kingdoms　or

states）；　we　may　then　easily　imagine　how　much　Italy　and　the　other　Roman

provinces　suffered；　when　they　not　only　changed　their　forms　of

government　and　their　princes；　but　also　their　laws；　customs；　modes　of

living；　religion；　language；　and　name。　Any　one　of　such　changes；　by

itself；　without　being　united　with　others；　might；　with　thinking　of　it；

to　say　nothing　of　the　seeing　and　suffering；　infuse　terror　into　the

strongest　minds。



From　these　causes　proceeded　the　ruin　as　well　as　the　origin　and

extension　of　many　cities。　Among　those　which　were　ruined　were　Aquileia；

Luni；　Chiusi；　Popolonia；　Fiesole；　and　many　others。　The　new　cities　were

Venice；　Sienna；　Ferrara；　Aquila；　with　many　towns　and　castles　which　for

brevity　we　omit。　Those　which　became　extended　were　Florence；　Genoa；

Pisa；　Milan；　Naples；　and　Bologna；　to　all　of　which　may　be　added；　the

ruin　and　restoration　of　Rome；　and　of　many　other　cities　not　previously

mentioned。



From　this　devastation　and　new　population　arose　new　languages；　as　we

see　in　the　different　dialects　of　France；　Spain　and　Italy；　which；

partaking　of　the　native　idiom　of　the　new　people　and　of　the　old　Roman；

formed　a　new　manner　of　discourse。　Besides；　not　only　were　the　names　of

provinces　changed；　but　also　of　lakes；　rivers；　seas；　and　men；　for

France；　Spain；　and　Italy　are　full　of　fresh　names；　wholly　different

from　the　ancient；　as；　omitting　many　others；　we　see　that　the　Po；　the

Garda；　the　Archipelago；　are　names　quite　different　from　those　which　the

ancients　used；　while　instead　of　C鎠ar　and　Pompey　we　have　Peter；

Matthew；　John；　etc。



Among　so　many　variations；　that　of　religion　was　not　of　little

importance；　for；　while　combating　the　customs　of　the　ancient　faith　with

the　miracles　of　the　new；　very　serious　troubles　and　discords　were

created　among　men。　And　if　the　Christians　had　been　united　in　one　faith；

fewer　disorders　would　have　followed；　but　the　contentions　among

themselves；　of　the　churches　of　Rome；　Greece；　and　Ravenna；　joined　to

those　of　the　heretic　sects　with　the　Catholics；　served　in　many　ways　to

render　the　world　miserable。　Africa　is　a　proof　of　this；　having　suffered

more　horrors　from　the　Arian　sect；　whose　doctrines　were　believed　by　the

Vandals；　than　from　any　avarice　or　natural　cruelty　of　the　people

themselves。　Living　amid　so　many　persecutions；　the　countenances　of　men

bore　witness　of　the　terrible　impressions　upon　their　minds；　for　besides

the　evils　they　suffered　from　the　disordered　state　of　the　world；　they

scarcely　could　have　recourse　to　the　help　of　God；　in　whom　the　unhappy

hope　for　relief；　for　the　greater　part　of　them；　being　uncertain　what

divinity　they　ought　to　address；　died　miserably；　without　help　and

without　hope。



Having　been　the　first　who　put　a　stop　to　so　many　evils；　Theodoric

deserves　the　highest　praise：　for　during　the　thirty…eight　years　he

reigned　in　Italy；　he　brought　the　country　to　such　a　state　of　greatness

that　her　previous　sufferings　were　no　longer　recognizable。　But　at　his

death；　the　kingdom　descending　to　Atalaric；　son　of　Amalasontha；　his

daughter；　and　the　malice　of　fortune　not　being　yet　exhausted；　the　old

evils　soon　returned；　for　Atalaric　died　soon　after　his　grandfather；　and

the　kingdom　coming　into　the　possession　of　his　mother；　she　was　betrayed

by　Theodatus；　whom　she　had　called　to　assist　her　in　the　government。　He

put　her　to　death　and　made　himself　king；　and　having　thus　become　odious

to　the　Ostrogoths；　the　emperor　Justinian　entertained　the　hope　of

driving　him　out　of　Italy。　Justinian　appointed　Belisarius　to　the

command　of　this　expedition；　as　he　had　already　conquered　Africa；

expelled　the　Vandals；　and　reduced　the　country　to　the　imperial　rule。



Belisarius　took　possession　of　Sicily；　and　from　thence　passing　into

Italy；　occupied　Naples　and　Rome。　The　Goths；　seeing　this；　slew

Theodatus　their　king；　whom　they　considered　the　cause　of　their

misfortune；　and　elected　Vitiges　in　his　stead；　who；　after　some

skirmishes；　was　besieged　and　taken　by　Belisarius　at　Ravenna；　but

before　he　had　time　to　secure　the　advantages　of　his　victory；　Belisarius

was　recalled　by　Justinian；　and　Joannes　and　Vitalis　were　appointed　in

his　place。　Their　principles　and　practices　were　so　different　from　those

of　Belisarius；　that　the　Goths　took　courage　and　created　Ildovadus；

governor　of　Verona；　their　king。　After　Ildovadus；　who　was　slain；　came

Totila；　who　routed　the　imperial　forces；　took　Tuscany　and　Naples；　and

recovered　nearly　the　whole　of　what　Belisarius　had　taken　from　them。　On

this　account　Justinian　determined　to　send　him　into　Italy　again；　but；

coming　with　only　a　small　force；　he　lost　the　reputation　which　his

former　victories　had　won　for　him；　in　less　time　than　he　had　taken　to

acquire　it。　Totila　being　at　Ostia　with　his　forces；　took　Rome　before

his　eyes；　but　being　unable　to　hold　or　to　leave　the　city；　he　destroyed

the　greater　part　of　it；　drove　out　the　citizens；　and　took　the　senators

away　from　him。　Thinking　little　of　Belisarius；　he　led　his　people　into

Calabria；　to　attack　the　forces　which　had　been　sent　from　Greece。



Belisarius；　seeing　the　city　abandoned；　turned　his　mind　to　the

performance　of　an　honourable　work。　Viewing　the　ruins　of　Rome；　he

determined　to　rebuild　her　walls　and　recall　her　inhabitants　with　as

little　delay　as　possible。　But　fortune　was　opposed　to　this　laudable

enterprise；　for　Justinian；　being　at　this　time　assailed　by　the

Parthians；　recalled　him；　and　his　duty　to　his　sovereign　compelled　him

to　abandon　Italy　to　Totila；　who　again　took　Rome；　but　did　not　treat　her

with　such　severity　as　upon　the　former　occasion；　for　at　the　entreaty　of

St。　Benedict；　who　in　those　days　had　great　reputation　for　sanctity；　he

endeavored　to　restore　her。　In　the　meantime；　Justinian　having　arranged

matters　with　the　Parthians；　again　thought　of　sending　a　force　to　the

relief　of　Italy；　but　the　Sclavi；　another　northern　people；　having

crossed　the　Danube　and　attacked　Illyria　and　Thrace；　p