by Felix Dahn
CHAPTER VI.
There now streamed into Neapolis ambassadors from Campania and Samnium,Bruttia and Lucania, Apulia and Calabria, who came to invite the GothicKing to enter their cities as a liberator.
Even the important and strong fortress of Beneventum and theneighbouring forts of Asculum, Canusia, and Acheruntia surrendered atdiscretion.
In these districts thousands of cases occurred in which the peasantswere settled upon the lands of their former masters, who had fallen inbattle, or had fled to Byzantium or to Rome.
Besides Rome and Ravenna, there were now in the hands of theByzantines, only Florentia, held by Justinus; Spoletium, whose jointgovernors were Bonus and Herodianus; and Perusia, under the Hun,Uldugant.
In a few days the King, reinforced by many Italians from the south ofthe Peninsula, had new manned his conquered fleet, and left the harbourin full sail, while his horsemen marched by land on the Via Appia tothe north.
Rome was the goal of both ships and horse; while Teja, havingconquered all the country between Ravenna and the Tiber--Petra andCaesena fell without bloodshed--the AEmilia and both Tuscanies (theAnnonarian and the Sub-urbicarian), marched with a third army on theFlaminian Way against the city of the Prefect.
On hearing of these movements, Cethegus was obliged to acknowledge thatthe struggle would now begin in good earnest, and, like a dragon in hisden, he determined to defend himself to the death.
With a proud and contented look he viewed the ramparts and towers, andsaid to his brothers-in-arms, who were uneasy at the approach of theGoths:
"Be comforted! Against these invincible walls they shall be broken topieces for the second time!"
But at heart he was not so easy as his words and looks would seem toindicate.
Not that he ever repented his past deeds or thought his plansunachievable. But that when, after repeated reverses, he appeared tohave arrived at the point of success, he should be as far off the goalas ever because of Totila's victories--this feeling had a great effectupon even _his_ iron nerves.
"Water wears away a rock!" he said, when his friend Licinius once askedhim why he looked so gloomy. "And besides, I cannot sleep as I used todo."
"Since when?"
"Since--Totila! That fair youth has stolen my slumbers!"
Though the Prefect felt so secure and so superior to all his enemiesand adversaries, Totila's bright and open nature, and his easily-wonsuccess, irritated him so much, that his coolness often melted in theheat of his passion; while Totila went to meet the universally fearedfoe with a sense of victory which nothing could disquiet.
"He has luck, the downy-beard!" cried Cethegus, when he heard of theeasy conquest of Neapolis. "He is as fortunate as Achilles andAlexander. But luckily such god-like youths never grow old! The softgold of such natures is quickly worn out. We lumps of native iron lastlonger. I have seen the laurels and roses of the enthusiast, and itseems to me that I shall soon see his cypresses. It cannot be that Ishall yield to this maiden soul! Fortune has borne him rapidly to adizzy height; she will hurl him down as rapidly and dizzily. Will shefirst carry him over the ramparts of Rome?--Fly then, without effort,young Icarus, in the brightest sunshine. I, through blood and strife,step by step, climb up in the shade. But I shall stand on high when thetreacherous and burning kiss of Fortune has melted the wax on thy boldwings. Thou wilt vanish beneath me like a falling star!"
This, however, did not seem likely to happen soon.
Cethegus awaited with impatience the arrival of a numerous fleet fromRavenna, which was to bring him the remainder of his troops, and allwho could be spared of the legionaries and the troops of Demetrius, aswell as a quantity of provisions.
When these reinforcements had arrived, he would be able to relieve thegrumbling Romans from their arduous duties.
For weeks he had comforted the embittered inhabitants with the promiseof this fleet.
At last it was announced by a swift-sailer that the fleet had reachedOstia.
Cethegus caused the news to be published in all the streets with aflourish of trumpets, and announced that at the next Ides of October,eight thousand citizens would be relieved from duty on the walls. Healso caused double rations of wine to be distributed among the soldierson the ramparts.
When the Ides of October arrived, thick fog covered Ostia and the sea.
The day after, a little sailing-boat flew from Ostia to Portus. Thetrembling crew announced that King Totila had attacked the Ravennesetriremes with the fleet from Neapolis, under the protection of a thickfog. Of the eighty ships, twenty were burnt or sunk; the remainingsixty, with all their men and provisions, taken.
Cethegus would not believe it.
He hurried on board his own swift boat, the _Sagitta_, and flew downthe Tiber.
But with difficulty he escaped the boats of the King, who had alreadyblockaded the harbour of Portus and sent small cruisers up the river.
The Prefect now hastily caused a double river-bolt to be laid acrossthe Tiber; the first consisting of masts; the second of iron chainsplaced an arrow's length farther up the river. The space between thetwo bolts was filled with a great number of small boats.
Cethegus felt deeply the blow which had fallen upon him. Not only hadhis long-wished-for reinforcements fallen into the enemy's hand; notonly was he obliged to lay still heavier burdens upon the Romans, whobegan to curse him, for now the river, too, had to be defended againstthe constant attempts of the Gothic ships to break through; but with aslight shudder of horror he saw approaching nearer and nearer the mostterrible of all enemies--famine.
The water-road, by which he, as formerly Belisarius, had receivedabundant provisions, was now blocked.
Italy had no third fleet. That of Neapolis and that of Ravennablockaded Rome under the Gothic flag.
And now the horsemen which Marcus Licinius had sent on the FlaminianWay to reconnoitre and forage, came galloping back with the news that astrong army of Goths, under the dreaded Teja, was approaching at aquick step. The vanguard had already reached Reate.
The day following Rome was also invested on the last side which hadremained open--the north--and had nothing left to depend upon but itsown citizens.
And the latter were weak enough, however strong might be the Prefect'swill and the walls of the city.
Yet for weeks and months Cethegus's stern resolution sustained thedespairing defenders against their will.
At last the fall of the city, not by force, but by starvation, wasexpected daily.
At this juncture an unexpected event occurred, which revived the hopesof the besieged, and put the genius and good fortune of the young Kingto a hard proof: for there once more appeared upon the scene ofbattle--Belisarius!