Читать книгу History Of The Lombards - Paolo Diacono – Paulus Diaconus - Страница 15

1.

While the fame of the continuous victories of the Lombards spread everywhere, Narsete, "Cartulario Imperiale" and governor in Italy, was busy preparing the war against Totila the Goth. Having already been the federated Lombards of the Empire, Narsete sent ambassadors to Alboino asking him to provide an auxiliary contingent for the imminent war against the Goths. Alboino sent a contingent of selected men who arrived in Italy by crossing the Gulf of the Adriatic Sea. These allies of the Romans took part in the battles by defeating and exterminating the Goths, also killing King Totila, honoured and full of gifts, they returned to their lands.

For as long as they remained stationed in Pannonia, the Lombards were Federations of the Roman Republic and helped them against their enemies.

2.

In those years Narsete undertook a war against Duke Buccellino. King Franco Teodeberto, when he returned to Gaul, had left him in Italy together with another Duke, Amingo; they had the task of subjugating the whole peninsula. Buccellino sent rich gifts to his King, these were part of the great accumulated booty, and while he was preparing to winter in Campania, he was reached and won by Narsete in a hard battle in the place known as Tanneto. In the battle Buccellino himself was killed. Later Amingo tried to bring help to Windin, a Goto Count who had rebelled against Narsete, both were defeated by the Roman general, Windin was sent into exile in Constantinople while Amingo was killed by the sword of Narsete. A third Duke, Leutarius, Buccellino's brother, laden with much booty, tried to return to his homeland, but between Verona and Trento, near Lake Benaco, he died of illness.

3.

Narsete still had to wage war against Sindualdo, King of Brioni, a part of the lineage of Eruli that Odoacer brought with him when he came to Italy. To Sindualdo, Narsete had given many privileges as an ally of Rome, but then Sindualdo, taken with pride and a desire to reign, rebelled against Narsete. He defeated him in battle and captured him, then Sindualdo ended up hanging from a high beam.

In addition to this, Patrick Narsete, through General Digisteo, a strong and belligerent man, occupied the whole of Italy. Narsete arrived in Italy as Cartulario but thanks to his value he obtained the Patriziato. He was a pious man, of Catholic religion, generous with the poor and zealous in the restoration of churches. So fervent in vigils and prayers that he obtained victory more with supplications to God than with arms.

4.

At the time when Narsete governed Italy, a very serious plague broke out in the province of Liguria. Suddenly stains appeared in the houses, on doors, vases and clothes, when someone tried to clean them they became even more evident. After a year, men had glands the size of a walnut or date gland in the groin and other delicate parts of the body. This was followed by a strong fever that led to death in three days. Those who made it through the three days had a good chance of surviving. Everywhere there were mourning and tears, and since the word had spread among the people that those who left their homes could survive, they were abandoned, empty, only the dogs remained to keep them. The flocks were left alone in the pastures, without shepherds to watch over them. Where before you could see villages and camps full of people, now they were deserted and abandoned because everyone had fled. The children fled, leaving the corpses of their parents unburied, the parents fled, leaving their children in strong fevers. Those who lingered and remained to give a pitiful burial according to ancient customs, were infected and in turn remained unburied. In giving the last honour to the corpse of the deceased he left his corpse without the honour of burial.

The places returned to primordial silence, no voices in the fields, no whistling of shepherds, no danger of beasts for cattle, no danger for domestic birds. The harvest, which already had to be reaped, waited in vain for the reaper, the vineyard, already without leaves, and with the reddish grapes, remained unharmed on the vine while winter was already looming.

Silence reigned supreme, where before the trumpets of war and the roar of arms were heard, no traveller and no bandits, yet there were corpses as far as the eye could see. The shepherds' shelters had become tombs for men, and the dwellings dens for the beasts. But this misfortune struck only the Romans within Italian territory, as far as the border with the Alemanni and Bavarians.

While this was happening in Italy, Justinian died and in Constantinople Justin II (The Second) took the leadership of the state. Narsete instead captured Vitale, bishop of the city of Altino, who had long before fled to Agunto in the Kingdom of the Franks and condemned him to exile in Sicily.

5.

Narsete, having conquered every Gota lineage in Italy and also the others we have mentioned before, put together such riches of gold, silver and other precious things, arousing great envy in those Romans whom he had defended and protected from many enemies. Their hatred produced a message that they secretly sent to Augustus Justin and his wife Sophia, a message that read: "The Romans are pleased to be slaves of both Goths and Greeks, since we are ruled by a eunuch, Narsete, and kept us oppressed in slavery, and our pious prince ignores him. Deliver us from his hands, or we shall surely deliver the city of Rome and with it ourselves, to the heathen. Upon learning of this, Narsete answered with these words: "If I have acted badly with the Romans, I will have bad. The emperor, outraged with Narsete, sent Longinus to Italy as Prefect to take his place.