Totila

Totila or Baduila ( “Immortal” the ) (born in?? with Trévise - died in 552 with Taginae , (auj. Gualdo Tadino), close to Urbino, Ombrie) is a king ostrogoth of Italy of 541 with 552.

Totila is elected king d' Italie in 541 after the death of his/her uncle Ildebad and that of the successor of this one, his cousin Eraric, of which it organizes the assassination into 541.

Since 535 the Byzantine Empereur Justinien Ier seeks to reconquer the Italy. Its general Bélisaire has just taken Ravenne, the capital of Ostrogoths in 540 and seizes Vitigès their sovereign. Totila is the prince ostrogoth who is elected king to replace Vitigès. Endowed with undeniable military qualities it is victorious with Faenza then takes again to the Byzantines the Toscane, the Ombrie and Italy of the south (taken Naples in 543).

These successes are also explained by a skilful policy option. Totila indeed is presented in the form of a defender of Italy and Romanité vis-a-vis the Greek “foreigner” and his imposing taxation. He also seeks to reconcile the Catholique S and meets, according to Gregoire Large the, Benoît de Nursie, the abbot of the Mount-Cassin. Moreover it outlines a “social revolution” by releasing the slaves present on the great fields.

Totila besieges the town of Rome in 544 and, after a two year old seat, seizes the city in 546. It then tries to start negotiations with Justinien and tries to rejoin the Roman senators with his policy. It is a failure and Totila gives up Rome and vacuum the town of all its inhabitants. Bélisaire take again the city then but is recalled soon to Constantinople. Totila benefits from the departure of the most famous Byzantine general of the time and takes again the offensive. Rome is taken again in 552. Shortly after (549) Totila arms a fleet which places under the direction of Indulf, a Byzantine deserter, and seizes the Corsica , the Sardinia (549), of part of the Sicily (550) and Dalmatie, finally Corfou and the Épire are threatened in 551.

For Justinien it in is too much. It sends in Italy its general Narsès with an army mainly made up of “cruel” quotas of mercenaries (Huns, Gépides, Lombards, Hérules…). A battles decisive takes place with '' Taginae '' (Gualdo Tadino in the Apennin close to Urbino in Ombrie) in 552. It is a cuisante demolished for Ostrogoths and Totila is killed in the confrontation. Even if they resist still three years under the direction of a new chief, Theia or Teias, the death of Totila marks the beginning of the end of the domination of Ostrogoths in Italy. In 555, the last Gothic troops capitulate in the fortress of Conza, in the North-East of Salerno.

Legends and posterity

With the the Middle Ages, Totila joined the list of the nefandissimi , monstrous enemies of the Church, who with Alaric and Attila were to become symbols of adversity and figures literary and artistic.

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