were not misused as quarries of building material ? 1 The history of the city is veiled in impenetrable darkness immediately after the Gothic war and during the whole time of Narses' governorship. Nowhere do we find mention of any single building which owed its restoration to the Greek governor. Only two inscriptions remain as memorials of the so-called deliverance of Rome, both on the Salarian bridge of the Anio, destroyed by Totila and restored by Narses in 565. The pompous ostentation of these Inscripinscriptions, viewed in regard to the insignificance of honour of the work-a little bridge over a little stream—is Narses. characteristic of the period. "Under the reign of our lord, the most pious and ever-triumphant Justinian, the Father of the country and Augustus, in the thirty-ninth year of his reign. Narses, the most glorious, late Præpositus of the holy palace, ex-consul and patrician, after the victory over the Goths, after he had overcome and laid low with marvellous rapidity their kings in open battle, and had restored freedom to the city and to the whole of Italy, restored the bridge on the Salarian Way, which had been destroyed to the level of the water by the atrocious tyrant Totila, cleansing the bed of the river 1 Since Justinian laid Ephesus, Cyzicus, Troy, Athens, and the Cyclades under contributions for the building of S. Sophia, it is probable that he may have also despoiled Rome for the same purpose. Incerti Auctoris de Structura Templi-S. Sophiæ in Combefis Origin. Constant. Here and in the Codinus, p. 65, we are told that Maria, a Roman widow, sent eight columns, which she herself had received as dowry, to the Emperor Justinian at Byzantium: Fuerant hae in Solis Delubro a Valeriano Imp. (read Aureliano) extructo. It is thus evident that the Temple of the Sun was already in ruins. tions to the and placing the bridge in better than its former condition."1 Eulogistic distichs, for which some poet of the time still found inspiration, arrested the attention of the traveller on the same bridge: Lo! where the stream erst sundered the highway, straight as an arrow Over the arched bridge leads the unbroken path ; High o'er the angry stream we pass, and the sound of the waters Murmuring under our feet fills the delighted ear. Go then, Romans, in joy unhindered; ever resounding Let your applause ring forth, echoing Narses' name. Narses the stubborn hearts of the Goths did conquer, and Narses Set the unbridled streams under a yoke of stone. 1 Imperante D. N. Piisimo Ac Triumphali Semper Justiniano -C. I. L., vi. 1199. 2 Quam bene curvati directa est semita pontis Et lubet irata cernere murmur aquæ. -Corp. I. L., vi. 1199a. Even these solitary monuments to the memory of Narses have perished; they were destroyed when the Neapolitans broke down the 3. NARSES FALLS INTO DISGRACE-HE GOES TO NAPLES AND IS BROUGHT BACK BY POPE JOHN HIS Death in 567-OPINIONS CONCERNING THE CAUSE OF THE LOMBARD INVASION-ALBOIN FOUNDS THE LOMBARD KINGDOM, 568-ORIGIN OF THE EXARCHATE-THE GREEK PROVINCES OF ITALY-THE ADMINISTRATION OF ROME. Narses spent the last years of his life in Rome, dwelling in the Palace of the Cæsars; but the annals of his sojourn in Italy, as Patrician and Lieutenant of the Empire, are limited to some accounts of his continued wars against the Franks and the remnant of the Goths. Pestilence meanwhile made its appearance (June 542) and devastated the West. The utter darkness in which, for some decades after the fall of the Goths, history is shrouded, is rendered yet more sinister by the awful destruction worked by the forces of Nature. Rome and the whole of Italy were visited suddenly by pestilence, earthquakes, storms and inundations. Even the last years of the renowned conqueror of the Goths are lighted only by uncertain gleams, and at the end, like those of Belisarius, are lost in legend. Tradition relates that the victor of Rome and Disgrace of Narses. Italy, a prey to avarice, the vice of old age, spent the bridge on their retreat from Rome in 1798. A bridge erected in its place was blown up by the papal soldiers on the approach of Garibaldi's troops in 1866, but has since been entirely rebuilt. Padre Eschinardi, Dell' Agro Roman., p. 324, is of opinion that Narses also restored the Ponte Nomentana over the Anio. Marius Avent. mentions under Narses' restorations especially: Mediolanum, and adds vel reliquas civitates, quas Gothi destruxerant, laudabiliter reparatas, &c. remainder of his declining years in the accumulation of wealth; it asserts that he amassed piles of gold, and buried treasures so vast in a fountain in some town of Italy, that after his death it took several days to bring them to light. His wealth, it was said, excited the envy of the Romans; but it is probable that, more than his wealth, the people found the military despotism of Byzantium, the burthen of taxation, the rapacity of the Greek vampires, the invasion of their churches, and the ill-usage to which Latin nationality was subjected, difficult to bear. Incapable of shaking the position of Narses so long as Justinian lived, the Romans sought to overthrow the favourite as soon as Justin the Younger succeeded to the throne (565). The fall of Narses is perfectly in accordance with the nature of the rule of favourites in Byzantium, more especially when the dread which his power in Italy had awakened is taken into consideration. The Romans accused him to Justin and to his wife Sophia, writing with audacious candour: "It were better for us to serve the Goths than the Greeks where the Eunuch Narses reigns and oppresses us with slavery. Our most pious prince knows nothing of his oppressions; but deliver us out of his hands, or we shall give ourselves and the city up to the barbarians." In 567, after having adminis 1 Paul. Diacon., iii. c. 12, and the Histor. Misc., xvii. p. 112, give Constantinople as the place where his wealth was found. Both authorities took the legend from Gregory of Tours, v. 20. 2 Paul. Diacon., ii. c. 5. 3 Paul. Diacon. derives his information from the Lib. Pont., life of John, where we find: Tunc Romani invidia ducti suggesserunt Justino Augusto et Sophiæ Augusta, dicentes: Quia expedierat Romanis, Gothio ANDOVER THEOL SEMINARY JUN 8 1997 LIBRARY tered the affairs of Italy for sixteen years, Narses received his recall. It is said that he fled from Rome to Campania on hearing that Longinus had been sent to fill his place in Italy. He either did not venture to return to Constantinople, or he defied the command on being informed of the threat of the Empress Sophia that she "would make the eunuch spin wool with the women." Legend relates that Narses replied that he "would weave her such a web as would take all her life-time to unravel," and that forthwith he sent messengers from Naples summoning the Lombards from Pannonia to Italy, sending, as evidences of the wealth of the country, choice fruits as well as other valuable things.3 The fear of the Romans, who dreaded his revenge, was aroused by the departure of the irate governor for Naples, and Pope John was immediately despatched to try and prevail on him to return. "What harm have I done to the Romans, Most Holy Father?" cried Narses. "I will go and throw myself at the potius servire, quam Græcis; ubi Narses eunuchus nobis fortiter imperat, et servitio male nos subjicit. 1 This is evident from Agnellus, Lib. Pont. (seu vitæ Pontif. Ravennatium), tom. ii., "Vita S. Agnelli," p. 127: Tertio vero anno Justini minoris Imperatoris Narsis Patricius de Ravenna evocitatus, egressus est cum divitiis omnibus Italiæ, et fuit Rector XVI. annis, &c. This is, however, Ann. II. cons. Justini Jun. Aug. Indict. I. of Marius Aventicensis, and synonymous with Ann. I. post Cons. 2 These are the statements of Paul. Diaconus. The fruits of Salerno (multimoda pomorum genera) were sent 500 years later by the earliest Norman adventurers to their brethren in Normandy, in order to show them that the land was a paradise. Great numbers of the Lombards having, however, served under Narses in Italy were already acquainted from their own experience with the fruits of the country. VOL. I. 2 I |