CHAPTER XV.
In the camp of Cethegus the Prefect at Setinum, at the foot of theApennines, a few miles north of Taginae, Lucius Licinius, who had justarrived by sea from Epidamnus, was walking up and down, in eagerconversation with Syphax, before the tent of the commander-in-chief.
"My master has been anxiously expecting you, tribune, for many days,"said the Moor; "he will be rejoiced to find you in the camp when hereturns. He has ridden out to reconnoitre."
"Whither rode he?"
"Towards Taginae, with Piso and the other tribunes."
"That is the next fortified town occupied by the Goths to the south, isit not? But now, you wise Moor, tell me what happened last atByzantium? You know that your master sent me to levy forces among theLongobardians, long before anything was decided. And as, after adangerous journey through the country of the Longobardians and Gepidae,I safely crossed the rapid Ister near Novae into Justinian's kingdom,and went to fetch the promised orders of the Prefect from my host atNicopolis, I only found a laconic command to meet him in Senogallia. Iwas much astonished; for I scarcely dared to hope that he would everagain, at the head of the imperial fleet and army, victoriously treadthe soil of Italy. From Senogallia I followed your march hither. Thefew captains whom I have met in the camp told me briefly of the courseof events until shortly before the arrest of Belisarius. But they couldnot tell me how that occurred, and what took place later. Now you----"
"Yes, I know what happened almost as well as my master, for I waspresent."
"Is it possible? Can Belisarius really have conspired against theEmperor? I could never have believed it!"
Syphax smiled slyly.
"I have no right to judge of that. I can only tell you exactly whathappened. Listen--but come into the tent and refresh yourself. Mymaster would scold me for letting you stand outside unattended to. Andwe can talk more freely inside," he added, as he closed the curtains ofthe tent behind him. Then begging his master's guest to be seated, heserved him with fruit and wine, and began his account. "As the night ofthat fateful day fell, I went and hid myself in a niche of Photius'shouse, behind the tall statue of some Christian saint, whose name I donot know, but who had a famous broad back. I could easily look into thehall of the house through an aperture just above my head, which hadbeen made to allow the passage of fresh air. The faint light withinenabled me to distinguish a number of the aristocrats whom I had oftenseen in the imperial palace, and in the houses of Belisarius andProcopius. The first thing that I understood--for my master has takencare that I should learn the speech of the Greeks who call themselvesRomani--was what the master of the house was saying to a man who hadjust then entered. 'Rejoice,' he said, 'for Belisarius comes. Afterscarcely deigning to look at me yesterday when, full of expectation, Istopped him in the gymnasium of Zenon, to-day he himself addressed meas I was slowly and cautiously passing his house, for I knew that hewould return from the hunt towards evening. He pressed this waxentablet into my hand, first looking round to make sure that no oneobserved him. And on the tablet is written: "I cannot longer withstandyour appeals. Certain reasons impel me to join you. I shall come thisevening." But,' continued the master of the house, 'where is Piso,where is Salvius Julianus and the other young Romans?' 'They will notbe coming,' answered the man. 'I saw almost all of them in boats on theBosphorus. They have no doubt sailed to some feast at the Prefect'svilla, near the Gate of Constantine.' 'Let them go,' said Photius; 'wedo not need the brutal Latins, nor the proud and false Prefect. Verily,Belisarius outweighs them all.' At that moment I saw Belisarius enterthe hall. He wore an ample mantle, which entirely hid his figure. Themaster of the house hurried to meet him, and all present gatheredrespectfully around him. 'Great Belisarius,' said his freedman, 'weknow how to value your compliance.' And he pressed upon Belisarius thelittle ivory staff which is held by the head of the assembly, and ledhim to the raised seat of the president, which he himself had justvacated. 'Speak--command--act--we are ready,' said Photius. 'I shallact at the right time,' answered Belisarius gloomily, and took hisseat. Just then young Anicius rushed into the room with tangled hairand flying garments; a drawn sword in his hand. 'Fly!' he cried. 'Weare discovered and betrayed.' Belisarius rose. 'They have forced myhouse,' continued Anicius. 'My slaves were taken prisoners. The weaponswhich I had hidden were found, and your letters and documents, and,alas, my own too, have disappeared from a hiding-place which was knownonly to me! And still more--as I turned into the grove of Constantine,I thought I heard the sound of whispering and the rattle of armsamongst the bushes. I am followed--save yourselves!' The conspiratorsrushed to the doors. Belisarius alone remained quietly standing beforehis chair. 'Take heart!' cried Photius. 'Follow the example of yourhero-chief!' But the sound of a trumpet was heard from the greathouse-door, the sign for me to leave my post and join my master, whostormed into the house at the head of the imperial lance-bearers andGolden Shields, with the Prefect of Byzantium, and the archon of thepalace-guard. My master looked splendid," continued Syphaxenthusiastically, "as, with a flaming torch in his left hand, a swordin his right, and his crimson plume floating behind him, he rushed intothe hall; so looks the fire-demon when he issues from a blazingmountain in Africa! I drew my sword and sprang to my master's leftside, for he carried no shield. He had ordered me to render youngAnicius harmless as soon as possible. 'Down with all who resist, in thename of Justinian!' cried my master. His sword was dripping with blood,for he had killed with his own hand the body-guards whom Belisarius hadplaced at the entrance of the grove. 'Yield!' he cried to thefrightened crowd; 'and thou, archon of the palace, arrest _all_ theconspirators. Do you understand--_all_!' 'Is it possible! Shamelesstraitor!' cried Anicius, and rushed at my master with his sword. 'Yes,'he cried, 'there is the crimson crest! Die, murderer of my brother!'But the next moment he lay at our feet, severely wounded. I drew mysword out of his breast, and then disarmed Photius, who was the onlyone who still resisted. All the others allowed themselves to be takenlike sheep bewildered by a thunder-storm. 'Bravo, Syphax!' cried mymaster. 'Examine his dress for any writings.' Then he turned to thearchon, asking him if he were ready, for he had stopped hesitatinglyopposite Belisarius, who remained perfectly quiet. 'What!' asked thearchon--'must I also arrest the magister militum?' '_All_, I said. 'Doyou no longer understand Greek? You see--all see--that Belisarius is atthe head of the conspiracy--he holds the president's staff, he occupiesthe president's chair.' 'Ha!' now cried Belisarius; 'is it so! Guards!Help, help, my body-guards! Marcellus, Barbatio, Ardaburius!" 'The deadcannot hear, magister militum,' said my master. 'Yield, in the name ofthe Emperor! Here is his great seal. For this night he has made me hisrepresentative, and a thousand lances bristle round this house.''Fidelity is madness!' cried Belisarius, threw his sword away, and heldout his strong arms to the archon, who put on the chains. 'Into thedungeons with all the prisoners,' said my master. 'Photius andBelisarius must be put separately into the round tower of Anastasius,in the palace. I will hasten to the Emperor and return his ring, andtake him this steel'--he lifted the sword of Belisarius from theground--'and tell him that he may sleep in peace. The conspiracy iscrushed--the Empire is saved!'--The very next morning the trial forhigh treason was commenced. Many witnesses were heard--I amongst them.I swore that I had seen Belisarius received and heard him greeted asthe head of the conspiracy. I myself had taken the tablet from thedress of Photius. Belisarius would have appealed to the testimony ofhis bodyguards, but they were all dead. Photius and other prisoners,submitted to the rack, confessed that Belisarius had finally consentedto become the head of the conspiracy. Antonina was strictly guarded inthe Red House. The Empress refused to grant the interview for which shepassionately sued. It told strongly against both her and Belisariuswhen spies of the Empress bore witness that they had seen young Aniciussteal by night into the house of Belisarius for weeks together. And itshocked the judges that Anicius himself, Antonina and Belisarius,continued obstinately to deny their guilt, although it was so fullyproved
. Immediately after the arrest I was sent for by my master, totell Antonina that he had been most painfully surprised to find thatBelisarius was _really_ at the head of the conspiracy; and at the sametime to say that he had found not alone letters of hatred in thecistern belonging to Anicius. As I said these words, which I did notunderstand, the beautiful wife of Belisarius fell fainting to theground.--We left Byzantium before Belisarius was sentenced; but Photiusand most of the others were already condemned to death as we set sailwith the imperial fleet for Epidamnus, where my master's tribunes andmercenaries, and the imperial forces originally intended for thePersian wars, were awaiting us. For my master had been honoured withthe newly-created dignity of Magister Militum per Italium, and thecommand of the 'first army.' The 'second army' was to be brought afterus by Prince Areobindos, when he had accomplished the easy task ofoverpowering the small Gothic garrisons in the towns of Epirus and theislands with a force five times their number."
"What is said will be the punishment of Belisarius?" asked LuciusLicinius. "I could never have believed that that man----"
"The judge will certainly condemn him to death, for his guilt is clear.But people speculate as to whether the Emperor's anger or his formeraffection for the general will get the victory. Most of them think thatthe Emperor will change the sentence of death into one of banishmentand loss of sight. My master says that Belisarius's senseless denial ofhis guilt does him great harm. And he is also without the assistance ofhis wise friend Procopius, who is absent in Asia. Cethegus managed theembarkation of the troops to Epidamnus with such secrecy that thestupid Goths, who, besides, reckoned upon the armistice, werecompletely taken by surprise; and while the crews were sleeping onshore, the scantily-guarded Gothic fleet was taken and destroyed. Buthark! here comes my master; he alone has such a proud step?"
From Licinius Cethegus now learned that not only had he obtained apromise from Alboin, the Longobardian chief, that he would come to thehelp of Cethegus with twenty thousand men (a number which the latter,always jealous, found almost too great), but that he had succeeded inengaging other warlike troops of mercenaries.
Cethegus, on his side, informed Lucius that, although he had been ableto relieve Ravenna, he had met with much hindrance on the part of hisown countrymen, who were slow to rise in revolt against the Goths; andthat only with the Byzantines under his command, it would be impossibleto beat Totila. He complained bitterly of the delay of Areobindos inbringing up the "second army," and regretted that he had been unable toreach Taginae before Earl Teja, who had beaten the Saracens there postedwith great loss, and had taken up a strong position in the expectationof being speedily joined by King Totila with the army.
"And Taginae is the key of the position," concluded Cethegus. "Earl Tejamust have flown from Rome on the wings of the wind! I have tried to-dayto ascertain the strength of his garrison, but I could not penetratebeyond Caprae. The barbarian King is already on the march, and where,oh! where tarries my 'second army?'"