negotiation as described by him. Especially the striking letter of the
King to the Emperor--striking by reason of its very abjectness--which
is quoted by Procopius in the sixth chapter of his First Book, appears
to be entirely unrepresented in the collection of Cassiodorus.
Evidently all this part of the 'Variae' has been severely edited by
its author, who has expunged all that seemed to reflect too great
discredit on the Sovereign whom he had once served, and has preserved
only some letters written to Justinian and Theodora by Theodahad and
his wife, vaguely praising peace, and beseeching the Imperial pair to
restore it to Italy; letters which, as it seems to me, may be applied
with about equal fitness to any movement of the busy shuttle of
diplomacy backwards and forwards between Ravenna and Constantinople.

[Sidenote: Theodahad deposed, Witigis elected, Aug. 536.]

The onward march of Belisarius trampled all the combinations of
diplomatists into the dust. In the early part of July, 536, he had
succeeded in capturing the important city of Neapolis, and had begun
to threaten Rome. The Gothic warriors, disgusted at the incapacity of
their King, and probably suspecting his disloyalty to the nation, met
(August, 536) under arms upon the plain of Regeta[66], deposed
Theodahad, and elected a veteran named Witigis as his successor.
Witigis at once ordered Theodahad to be put to death, and being
himself of somewhat obscure lineage, endeavoured to strengthen his
title to the crown by marrying Matasuentha, the sister of Athalaric
and the only surviving descendant of Theodoric.

[Footnote 66: The situation of this plain is unknown.]

[Sidenote: Letter on the elevation of Witigis.]