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he reported to the emperor, insisting that nothing unpleasant had happened to Amalasuntha on his part, although she had previously done him irreparable wrongs 5.4.16. And in accordance with this, he himself wrote to the emperor and forced Amalasuntha, by no means willingly, to write. 5.4.17 So these things were proceeding in this way. But Peter was already being sent on an embassy, having been instructed beforehand by the emperor to meet with Theudatus in secret from all others and, when he had given a pledge by oath that nothing of what was being transacted would become known, thus to arrange with him the matter concerning 5.4.18 Tuscia in security, and, meeting with Amalasuntha secretly, to make arrangements concerning all of Italy, in whatever way might be advantageous for each of them. 5.4.19 But publicly he went as an ambassador concerning both Lilybaeum and the other matters which I recently mentioned. For the emperor had not yet heard anything about the death of Atalaric or the rule of Theudatus or the things that had befallen Amalasuntha. 5.4.20 But Peter, while traveling on the way, first meeting with the ambassadors of Amalasuntha, learned about 5.4.21 the rule of Theudatus. And arriving a little later in the city of Aulon, which lies on the Ionian Gulf, there he met with the parties of Liberius and Opilio and learned all that had happened, and having reported these things to the emperor, he remained there. 5.4.22 When the emperor Justinian heard these things, intending to throw the Goths and Theudatus into confusion, he wrote a letter to Amalasuntha, declaring that he was eager to protect her as much as possible; and he instructed Peter in no way to conceal these things, but to make them known to Theudatus himself and to all the Goths. 5.4.23 And of the ambassadors from Italy, the others, when they were brought to Byzantium, reported the whole story to the emperor, and especially Liberius. 5.4.24 For the man was exceptionally noble and good, and knew well how to care for the true account; 5.4.25 but Opilio alone most persistently insisted that Theudatus had committed no wrong against Amalasuntha. But when Peter arrived in Italy, it befell Amalasuntha to disappear from among men. 5.4.26 For relatives of the Goths who had been slain by her went to Theudatus and insisted that life was safe neither for him nor for themselves, unless Amalasuntha should be gotten out of their way as quickly as possible. 5.4.27 And since he agreed with them, going to the island, 5.4.28 they immediately killed Amalasuntha. which thing exceedingly distressed all the Italians and the other Goths. 5.4.29 For the woman most powerfully cultivated every virtue, 5.4.30 as has been said by me a little before. Peter, therefore, openly declared to Theudatus and the other Goths that since this terrible deed had been wrought by them, the war between the emperor and them would be without truce. 5.4.31 But Theudatus, out of foolishness, holding Amalasuntha's murderers in honor and esteem, wished to persuade Peter and the emperor that he in no way approved, but was as unwilling as possible, when this pollution was committed by the Goths. 5.5.1 Meanwhile, it so happened that Belisarius had won renown against both Gelimer and the Vandals. But the emperor, upon learning what had happened concerning Amalasuntha, immediately set about the war, being in the ninth year of his reign. 5.5.2 And he ordered Mundus, the general of Illyricum, to go to Dalmatia, which was subject to the Goths, and to make an attempt on Salona (Mundus was a barbarian by birth, but exceptionally loyal to the emperor's interests and skilled in warfare), and he sent Belisarius with a fleet, having four thousand soldiers from the regular troops and foederati, and about three thousand from the Isaurians. 5.5.3 The notable commanders were Constantinus and Bessas, from the regions of Thrace, and Peranius from Iberia which is very near the Medes, being one of the royal Iberians, but had previously come over to the Romans as a deserter out of hatred for the Persians; of the cavalry rolls were Valentinus and Magnus and Innocentius, and of the infantry Herodianus and Paulus and Demetrius and Ursicinus, and the leader of the Isaurians was 5.5.4 Ennes. And there also followed two hundred allied Huns and Maurusians

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βασιλέα ἐπήγγελλεν, ἰσχυριζομένους μηδὲν πρὸς αὐτοῦ ἄχαρι τῇ Ἀμαλασούνθῃ ξυμβῆναι, καίπερ ἐς αὐτὸν ἀνήκεστα δεινὰ εἰργασμένῃ 5.4.16 τὰ πρότερα. καὶ κατὰ ταῦτα αὐτός τε βασιλεῖ ἔγραψε καὶ τὴν Ἀμαλασοῦνθαν οὔτι ἑκουσίαν ἠνάγκασε γράψαι. 5.4.17 ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἐφέρετο τῇδε. Πέτρος δὲ ἤδη ἐπὶ πρεσβείᾳ ἐστέλλετο προειρημένον αὐτῷ πρὸς τοῦ βασιλέως ἐντυχεῖν μὲν κρύφα τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων Θευδάτῳ καὶ ὅρκῳ τὰ πιστὰ παρεχομένῳ ὡς οὐδὲν ἂν τῶν πρασσομένων ἔκπυστον γένοιτο, οὕτω τε τὰ ἀμφὶ 5.4.18 Τουσκίαν ἐν τῷ ἀσφαλεῖ πρὸς αὐτὸν θέσθαι, καὶ Ἀμαλασούνθῃ ξυγγενόμενον λάθρα ξυμπάσης πέρι Ἰταλίας διοικήσασθαι, ὅπη ἑκατέρῳ ξυνοίσειν μέλλει. 5.4.19 ἐς δὲ τὸ ἐμφανὲς ὑπέρ τε τοῦ Λιλυβαίου καὶ τῶν ἄλλων, ὧν ἔναγχος ἐμνήσθην, πρεσβεύσων ᾔει. οὔπω γάρ τι περὶ τῆς Ἀταλαρίχου τελευτῆς ἢ τῆς Θευδάτου ἀρχῆς ἢ τῶν Ἀμαλασούνθῃ ξυμπεπτωκότων βασιλεὺς 5.4.20 ἠκηκόει. Πέτρος δὲ ὁδῷ πορευόμενος πρῶτον μὲν τοῖς Ἀμαλασούνθης πρέσβεσι ξυγγενόμενος τὰ ἀμφὶ 5.4.21 τῇ Θευδάτου ἀρχῇ ἔμαθε. γενόμενος δὲ ὀλίγῳ ὕστερον ἐν πόλει Αὐλῶνι, ἣ πρὸς κόλπῳ τῷ Ἰονίῳ κεῖται, ἐνταῦθά τε τοῖς ἀμφὶ Λιβέριόν τε καὶ Ὀπιλίωνα ἐντυχὼν τὰ ξυμπεσόντα ξύμπαντα ἔγνω, ἔς τε βασιλέα ταῦτα ἀνενεγκὼν αὐτοῦ ἔμεινεν. 5.4.22 Ἐπεὶ δὲ ταῦτα Ἰουστινιανὸς βασιλεὺς ἤκουσε, Γότθους τε καὶ Θευδάτον ξυνταράξαι διανοούμενος, πρὸς μὲν Ἀμαλασοῦνθαν γράμματα ἔγραφε, δηλοῦντα ὅτι αὐτῆς ὡς ἔνι μάλιστα μεταποιεῖσθαι ἐν σπουδῇ ἔχοι· τῷ δὲ Πέτρῳ ἐπέστελλε ταῦτα μηδαμῆ ἀποκρύψασθαι, ἀλλ' αὐτῷ τε Θευδάτῳ φανερὰ καὶ Γότθοις ἅπασι 5.4.23 καταστήσασθαι. πρέσβεων δὲ τῶν ἐξ Ἰταλίας οἱ μὲν ἄλλοι, ἐπειδὴ ἐς Βυζάντιον ἐκομίσθησαν, τὸν πάντα λόγον βασιλεῖ ἤγγειλαν, καὶ πάντων μάλιστα Λιβέριος. 5.4.24 ἦν γὰρ ὁ ἀνὴρ καλός τε καὶ ἀγαθὸς διαφερόντως, λόγου τε τοῦ ἀληθοῦς ἐπιμελεῖσθαι ἐξεπιστάμενος· 5.4.25 Ὀπιλίων δὲ μόνος ἐνδελεχέστατα ἰσχυρίζετο μηδὲν ἐς Ἀμαλασοῦνθαν ἁμαρτεῖν Θευδάτον. Πέτρου δὲ ἀφικομένου ἐς Ἰταλίαν Ἀμαλασούνθῃ ξυνέβη ἐξ ἀνθρώπων 5.4.26 ἀφανισθῆναι. Γότθων γὰρ συγγενεῖς τῶν ὑπ' ἐκείνης ἀνῃρημένων Θευδάτῳ προσελθόντες οὔτε αὐτῷ οὔτε σφίσι τὸν βίον ἐν τῷ ἀσφαλεῖ ἰσχυρίζοντο εἶναι, ἤν γε μὴ αὐτοῖς Ἀμαλασοῦνθα ὅτι τάχιστα ἐκποδὼν γέ5.4.27 νηται. ξυγχωροῦντός τε αὐτοῖς, ἐν τῇ νήσῳ γενό5.4.28 μενοι τὴν Ἀμαλασοῦνθαν εὐθὺς ἔκτειναν. ὅπερ Ἰταλιώτας τε ὑπερφυῶς ἅπαντας καὶ Γότθους τοὺς ἄλλους 5.4.29 ἠνίασεν. ἀρετῆς γὰρ πάσης ἡ γυνὴ ἰσχυρότατα ἐπε5.4.30 μελεῖτο, ὅπερ μοι ὀλίγῳ ἔμπροσθεν εἴρηται. Πέτρος μὲν οὖν Θευδάτῳ ἄντικρυς ἐμαρτύρετο καὶ Γότθοις τοῖς ἄλλοις ὅτι δὴ αὐτοῖς τοῦ δεινοῦ τούτου ἐξειργασμένου ἄσπονδος βασιλεῖ τε καὶ σφίσιν ὁ πόλεμος ἔσται. 5.4.31 Θευδάτος δὲ ὑπὸ ἀβελτερίας τοὺς Ἀμαλασούνθης φονεῖς 5.4.31 ἐν τιμῇ τε καὶ σπουδῇ ἔχων, Πέτρον τε καὶ βασιλέα πείθειν ἤθελεν ὡς αὐτοῦ οὐδαμῆ ἐπαινοῦντος, ἀλλ' ὡς μάλιστα ἀκουσίου, Γότθοις ἐργασθείη τὸ μίασμα τοῦτο. 5.5.1 Ἐν τούτῳ δὲ Βελισάριον ηὐδοκιμηκέναι κατὰ Γελίμερός τε καὶ Βανδίλων τετύχηκε. βασιλεὺς δὲ τὰ ἀμφὶ Ἀμαλασούνθῃ ξυνενεχθέντα μαθὼν εὐθὺς καθίστατο ἐς τὸν πόλεμον, ἔνατον ἔτος τὴν βασιλείαν 5.5.2 ἔχων. καὶ Μοῦνδον μὲν τὸν Ἰλλυριῶν στρατηγὸν ἔς τε ∆αλματίαν ἰέναι, τὴν Γότθων κατήκοον, καὶ Σαλώνων ἀποπειράσασθαι ἐκέλευεν (ἦν δὲ ὁ Μοῦνδος γένος μὲν βάρβαρος, διαφερόντως δὲ τοῖς τε βασιλέως πράγμασιν εὔνους καὶ ἀγαθὸς τὰ πολέμια), Βελισάριον δὲ ναυσὶν ἔστελλε, στρατιώτας ἐκ μὲν καταλόγων καὶ φοιδεράτων τετρακισχιλίους, ἐκ δὲ Ἰσαύρων τρισχιλίους 5.5.3 μάλιστα ἔχοντα. ἄρχοντες δὲ ἦσαν λόγιμοι μὲν Κωνσταντῖνός τε καὶ Βέσσας, ἐκ τῶν ἐπὶ Θρᾴκης χωρίων, Περάνιος δὲ ἐξ Ἰβηρίας τῆς ἄγχιστα Μήδων, γενόμενος μὲν τῶν ἐκ βασιλέως Ἰβήρων, αὐτόμολος δὲ πρότερον ἐς Ῥωμαίους κατὰ ἔχθος τὸ Περσῶν ἥκων, καταλόγων δὲ ἱππικῶν μὲν Βαλεντῖνός τε καὶ Μάγνος καὶ Ἰννοκέντιος, πεζῶν δὲ Ἡρωδιανός τε καὶ Παῦλος καὶ ∆ημήτριος καὶ Οὐρσικῖνος, ἀρχηγὸς δὲ Ἰσαύρων 5.5.4 Ἔννης. εἵποντο δὲ καὶ Οὖννοι ξύμμαχοι διακόσιοι καὶ Μαυρούσιοι