Reminding the Roman people that nearly the whole of Italy was
now his, and urging them to avoid the useless sufferings of a siege,
Totila made promise that, were the city surrendered to him, neither
hurt nor loss should befall one of the inhabitants; and that under
his rule Rome should have the same liberty, the same honour, as in
the time of the glorious Theodoric. Before these papers had been
torn down, their purport became universally known; everywhere men
whispered together; but those who would have welcomed the coming of
Totila could not act upon their wish, and the Greeks were confident
of relief long ere the city could be taken by storm or brought to
extremities. Bessas well knew the numbers of Totila's army; he
himself commanded a garrison of three thousand men, and not much
larger than this was the force with which, after leaving soldiers to
maintain his conquest throughout the land, the king now drew towards
Rome. At the proclamation Bessas laughed, for he saw in it a device
dictated by weakness.
And now, in these days of late autumn, the Gothic army lay all but
in sight.
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