It had been thought that the fall of Neapolis would be
followed by Totila's swift march along the Appian Way; but three
months had passed, and the Gothic king was but little nearer to the
city. He seemed resolved to leave nothing behind him that had not
yielded to his arms; slowly and surely his rule was being
established over all the South. Through the heats of summer, with
pestilence still lurking in her palaces and her dens, no fountain
plashing where the sun blazed on Forum and on street, Rome waited.
In June Bessas was joined by another of the Greek commanders,
Joannes, famed for his ferocity, and nicknamed the Devourer. A show
of activity in the garrison resulted from this arrival; soldiers
were set to work upon parts of the city wall which needed
strengthening; the Romans began to make ready for a siege; and some,
remembering the horrors of a few years ago, took to flight. There
was much talk of a conspiracy to open the gates to Totila; one or
two senators were imprisoned, and a few Arian priests who still
dwelt in Rome were sentenced to banishment. But when, after a few
weeks, Joannes and his troop marched northward, commotion ceased;
Bessas fell back into the life of indolent rapacity, work on the
walls was soon neglected, and Rome found that she had still only to
wait.
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