322 THE DECLINE AND FALL A reinforcement of sixteen hundred Sclavonians and Huns was led by Martin and Valerian ; and, as they had reposed durina; the winter season in the harbours of Greece, the strength of the men and horses was not impaired by the fatigues of a sea-voyage ; and they distinguished their valour in the first sally against the besiegers. About the time of the summer solstice, Euthalius landed at Terracina with large sums of money for the payment of the troops ; he cautiously proceeded along the Appian way, and this convoy entered Rome through the gate Capena,!"-' while Belisarius, on the other side, diverted the attention of the Goths by a vigorous and successful skirmish. These seasonable aids, the use and reputation of which were dexterously managed by the Roman general, revived the courage, or at least the hopes, of the soldiers and people. The historian Procopius was dis- patched with an important commission, to collect the troops and provisions which Campania could furnish or Constantinople had sent ; and the secretary of Belisarius was soon followed by Antonina herself,^"'^ who boldly traversed the posts of the enemy, and returned with the Oriental succours to the relief of her husband and the besieged city. A fleet of three thousand Isaurians cast anchor in the bay of Naples, and afterwards at Ostia. Above two thousand horse, of whom a part were Tln-acians, landed at Tarentum ; and, after the junction of five hundred soldiers of Campania, and a train of waggons laden with wine and flom', they directed their march on the Appian way, from Capua to the neighbourhood of Rome. The forces that arrived by land and sea were united at the mouth of the Tiber. An- tonina convened a council of war : it was resolved to surmount, with sails and oars, the adverse stream of the river ; and the Goths were apprehensive of disturbing, by any rash hostilities, the negotiation to which Belisarius had craftily listened. They credulously believed that they saw no more than the vanguard of a fleet and army, which already covered the Ionian sea and the plains of Campania ; and the illusion was supported by the haughty language of the Roman general, when he gave audience to the ambassadors of Vitiges. After a specious discourse to vindicate the justice of his cause, they declared that, for the sake 105 The old Capena was removed by Aurelian to, or near, the modern gate of St. Sebastian (see Nolli's plan). That memorable spot has been consecrated by the Egerian grove, the memory of Numa, triumphal arches, the sepulchres of the Scipios, Metelli, &c. i^^The expression of Procopius has an invidious cast — ■tu'xi ^"^ '■<'" acr<t)aKov^ rriv cr<j>C<ri (TU/ajSijo-ufiefij;' xapaSoKeh' (Goth. 1. ii. c. 4). Yet he is speaking of a woman.
