What her religion truly
was she could not have declared, for the memories of early life were
sometimes as strong in her as rancour against the faith of her
enemies. Basil's simple and honest utterance touched her conscience.
She put an end to the conversation, promising to renew it before
long; whilst Basil, for his part, went away to brood, then to hold
converse with Decius.
Through all but the whole of Theodoric's reign, Italy had enjoyed a
large toleration in religion: Catholics, Arians, and even Jews
observed their worship under the protection of the wise king. Only
in the last few years of his life did he commit certain acts of
harshness against his Catholic subjects, due to the wrath that was
moved in him by a general persecution of the Arians proclaimed at
Byzantium. His Gothic successors adhered to Theodoric's better
principle, and only after the subjugation of the land by Belisarius
had Arianism in Italy been formally condemned. Of course it was
protected by the warring Goths: Totila's victories had now once more
extended religious tolerance over a great part of the country; the
Arian priesthood re-entered their churches; and even in Rome the
Greek garrison grew careless of the reviving heresy.
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