He was enjoying himself in an unusual role, utterly unaware of the resentment such behaviour engendered: no military man enjoyed being ordered around by a civilian, however elevated. Had he known, Procopius would not have cared; everything was in place, including supplies set up along the route, and he chose to take a place at the head of what was now a force of some seven thousand men made up of two thousand cavalry, Isaurian infantry and the scrapings of the Apulian and Calabrian garrisons.
His chosen position did nothing to quell any bitterness felt towards him by men who were experienced commanders. Close behind came Antonina in her palanquin, surrounded by her walking attendants, and her background and behaviour were no mystery.
This meant that both were the subject of much unheard ribaldry, he for his pretensions and supposed proclivities, she for her famously lax morals, which were held to be of long duration and included much carnal activity in the company of Theodora, quite a degree of it sapphic, this while their spouses, both emperor and general, were derided for being too weak to deal with their consorts.
Procopius, trailing Antonina, hurried north to advise Flavius that his desired reinforcements were on the move, which required him to pin back the Goths and render them too fearful to move away from Rome in any strength and launch an attack on the column in open country, when he would be unable to support them. That required he go even more on the offensive and the site chosen for the action was the Porta Flaminia, always a defensive position at serious risk, so much so that the interior wall had been constructed behind the main defences to ensure it could not be breached.
It was an avenue of attack just as precious to Witigis, who had to consider that the entire Byzantine army might essay from Rome, in effect abandon the city and get across the Milvian Bridge before he could interfere. Once north of him they would be between the Goths and their capital and base at Ravenna. If it was an unlikely ploy he had to be careful of the man he was up against; he knew just how ingenious Flavius Belisarius could be and was not going to leave anything to chance.
To counter the threat, Witigis had constructed a special forward camp close to what was the main northern entrance to the city and had it not had that double protection, it would have been the gate he chose above all others to attack, given the Tiber provided him a strong protection on his western flank.
He was right to worry about his wily opponent; out of sight and in darkness Flavius had that extra wall slowly and silently dismantled, which meant that what had hitherto been impossible – namely this being a place from which he could sortie out to fight – was no longer so.
When those gates swung open and a thousand cavalry under Martinus emerged, the Goths were taken completely by surprise, yet they rallied quickly to not only fight off these raiders but to drive them back towards the Porta Flaminia in time to get through the gates before they were once more shut, the prize being entry into the city.
That was exactly what Flavius desired; when Martinus and his men began to retreat the Goths pressed doubly hard, at which point Flavius Belisarius himself exited from the next gate along, the Porta Pinciana, leading another thousand men and riding straight for the Goth camp, a place his enemies had no choice but to seek to protect.
Their commander ordered his men to fall back and they moved with speed enough to prevent Flavius from overrunning it, so, thwarted in that aim he rode on slightly before swinging round to attack the Goths and drive them onto the spears of Martinus’s cavalry, who had now reversed their retreat and resumed their assault.
Caught between two forces the Goths, too far off from their other camps to be supported, paid the price. They were slaughtered in droves, few getting clear. Flavius retired to the city having sent to Witigis the necessary message: do not dare detach men from the siege of Rome for it will cost you dearly.
The King of the Goths had similar information at that point to his adversary; he knew that there were reinforcements coming from Naples as well as their numbers. Witigis was also aware that sailing up the coast was a strong Byzantine fleet, which made holding on to some of his more extended possessions, especially blocking the ports, untenable.
Disease was stalking his forces too, and his men being almost prisoners in their own camps had left him with a dispirited set of warriors deeply sick of this fight, a mood which would not be aided by the arrival of the Byzantine reinforcements. It was time to talk and Flavius was called to the Porta Salaria to receive envoys asking that he parley.
A meeting was arranged in a special tent set up close to the gate, given Witigis would not enter Rome and Flavius declined to go far from the safety of the city walls. Face to face for the first time the two men naturally sought to assess each other, as no doubt did the inferior officers both had brought along.
Flavius saw a man much taller than he, for Witigis had imposing height. The head was large, the features heavy under thick greying hair and a single impressive eyebrow. The impression could not be avoided that the Goth would have been a hard man to best in single combat, no doubt one of the reasons he had been elected to his position.
What Witigis observed would look slight to a man of his frame but if he knew anything about Flavius Belisarius he would be aware that he was dealing with a man who could hold his own when wielding weapons. The shoulders were not excessively wide and nor was the body imposing, but the real key to the man lay in the calm expression and steady eyes, under dark curled hair and with a face framed by that thin black beard.
‘You have no right to be here, Flavius Belisarius.’
There was no sitting down, no air that this might be a passive exchange between equals. The Latin was guttural and far from perfect in its composition, the tone as harsh as the expression on the face of the Goth King. Flavius decided the anger was genuine, not faked; Witigis believed every word of what he had just said.
‘No right? I am in Rome at the express command of the Emperor Justinian, who has title to the whole of the lands of Italy. They are part of the Roman Empire.’
‘Long since lost!’
‘Theodoric ruled at the behest of the predecessors of Justinian. Since those who succeeded have failed to acknowledge him as their overlord he has sent me to take back that which he owns.’
‘Why take what you cannot hold? I demand that you hand back the provinces of South Italy that you have stolen and return them to my authority. If some hollow title is needed by your master, the same arrangement he enjoyed with Theodoric, God rest his soul, then I am willing to let him enjoy it.’
‘Even if I was inclined to accede to your demand – which, I may add, I am not – I lack the authority to do so. Only Justinian can decide on such a weighty matter.’
‘You are his legate in Italy.’
‘I am in command of his armies, that is all.’
Flavius and Procopius had discussed what might come out of this meeting and the kernel of it was needs rather than outcomes. Antonina had tried to do likewise and been brusquely informed it was none of her business, even if her husband knew how such a message, conveyed to Theodora, would be taken.
Winter was coming, the Byzantine army was not in perfect condition and it was possible the Goths were equally afflicted. Witigis could no more win than Flavius. What both men needed was time, to rebuild the health of their men and the potency of the forces they led. It was thus a theatrical gesture that had Procopius lean forward and whisper in his master’s ear; the words were already known.
‘It may be, King Witigis’ – the courtesy of the title got a sharp nod, it being the first acknowledgement of his position – ‘that my emperor will be open to what you suggest, I cannot say. All I can do is repeat to you that I will hold what I have until ordered to surrender it. So if you want an answer, one I am not empowered to provide, you must go to where it can be considered.’