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the end of the ostrogothic kingdom (526,68) 533
iii. the end of the ostrogothic kingdom (526,68)
Foremost among those contending for influence was Theoderic’s daughter
and Athalaric’s mother, Amalasuintha. Although her position was precarious,
she showed herself to be a shrewd manipulator, and for eight years the
machinery of government acted smoothly under her guidance in
Athalaric’s name. She pursued further the pro-Roman policies of
Theoderic’s earlier years, ensuring that Athalaric received a full Roman education
and seeking to make reparations for the deterioration in
Gotho–Roman relations in the mid 520s. Yet behind this serene façade
there lurked a deep unease. At the time of a conspiracy hatched against her
by members of the Gothic élite, she loaded a ship with supplies and treasures
in readiness for sudden flight to the east. 39 Her relationship with the
new Byzantine emperor Justinian went further. During Belisarius’ campaigns
against the Vandals in 533–4, Byzantine forces were able to use
Ostrogothic Sicily as an important staging-point on the way to Africa. 40
Already during these campaigns, however, there were indications of the
traumatic period that was about to engulf Italy. Gothic forces took advantage
of Vandal disarray to seize Lilybaeum, which had been held by the
Vandals since 476 and possession of which had been confirmed by
Theoderic as part of his diplomatic initiatives in 500. Belisarius protested
at the illegality of the move, threatening hostilities if the Goths did not give
up their new conquest. 41
The tenuousness of Amalasuintha’s domination was exposed by
Athalaric’s death in October 534. She elevated her cousin Theodahad in an
effort to maintain control, but within two months, she had been incarcerated;
by the next spring, she had been murdered. Theodahad’s reign proved
disastrous. Frankish power increased north of the Alps as Ostrogothic
influence there faded. More seriously, a breach with Constantinople
seemed likely. In the course of 535, Sicily succumbed to Byzantine forces,
allowing Belisarius to enter Syracuse in triumph on 31 December; meanwhile,
Justinian’s armies eroded Ostrogothic possessions in Dalmatia. But
if it seemed that such reverses might provoke Theodahad to negotiate surrender,
a major Gothic victory at Salona in 536 gave the king the bravado
to repudiate Justinian’s diplomatic overtures. The result was a more vigorous
Byzantine counter-offensive. Dalmatia was swiftly cleared of its
Ostrogothic garrisons, while a large army under Belisarius crossed the
straits of Messina from Sicily. The war for the conquest of Italy had begun.
Theodahad’s reaction was to wait in Ravenna. By the time he chose to
take the field, in response to Belisarius’ capture of Naples, the Gothic élite
39 Procop. Wars v.2.22–9. 40 Procop. Wars iii.14.5–6.
41 Procop. Wars iv.5.11–25; cf. Wilson (1990) 336–7.
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