At the end of Belisarius's second expedition to Italy, he was obliged to retire in disgrace; for, as I have told already, he was unable for a space of five years to effect a landing on the continent, because he had no stronghold there, but spent the whole time in hovering off the coast.

Totila was very eager to meet him in the open field, but never found an opportunity, for both the Roman general and all the army were afraid to fight.

For this reason he recovered nothing of all that had been lost, but even lost Rome as well, and pretty nearly everything else.

During this time he became exceedingly avaricious and greedy for ignoble gain.

Because he had received no funds from the Emperor, he plundered all the Italian peoples of Ravenna and Sicily, and the rest of Italy without mercy, by way of exacting vengeance for irregularities in their past lives.