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348 THE DECLINE AND FALL [Chap, xli city. The eunuch Narses landed in Picenum with two thou- sand Heruli and five thousand of the bravest troops of the East. The rock of the Apennine was forced; ten thousand veterans moved round the foot of the mountains under the command of Belisarius himself; and a new army, whose en- campment blazed with innumerable lights, appeared to advance along the Flaminian way. Overwhelmed with astonishment and despair, the Goths abandoned the siege of Bimini, their tents, their standards, and their leaders ; 109 and Vitiges, who gave or followed the example of flight, never halted till he found a shelter within the walls and morasses of Ravenna, retire to To these walls, and to some fortresses destitute of any Ravenna jpqfafi SU pp rt, the Gothic monarchy was now reduced. The jealousy of provinces of Italy had embraced the party of the emperor ; and geneS. an his army, gradually recruited to the number of twenty thousand men, must have achieved an easy and rapid conquest, if their invincible powers had not been weakened by the discord of the Roman chiefs. Before the end of the siege, an act of blood, ambiguous and indiscreet, sullied the fair fame of Belisarius. Presidius, a loyal Italian, as he fled from Ravenna to Rome, was rudely stopped by Constantine, the military governor of Spoleto, and despoiled, even in a church, of two daggers richly inlaid with gold and precious stones. As soon as the public danger had subsided, Presidius complained of the loss and injury ; his complaint was heard, but the order of restitution was dis- obeyed by the pride and avarice of the offender. Exasperated by the delay, Presidius boldly arrested the general's horse as he passed through the forum ; and with the spirit of a citizen de- manded the common benefit of the Roman laws. The honour of Belisarius was engaged ; he summoned a council ; claimed the obedience of his subordinate officer ; and was provoked, by an in- solent reply, to call hastily for the presence of his guards. Con- stantine, viewing their entrance as the signal of death, drew his sword, and rushed on the general, who nimbly eluded the stroke, and was protected by his friends ; while the desperate assassin was disarmed, dragged into a neighbouring chamber, and exe- 109 [Before the relief of Ariminuin, Belisarius and Narses held a council of war at Firmum (Fermo), and the influence of Narses decided that it should be relieved. The objection to that course was the circumstance that Auximum, which the Goths held, would threaten the rear of the relieving army ; the motive of most of the objectors was personal hostility to John.]