Theodatus' Pigs of Destiny.

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The besieged, hidden from their enemies' gazes, sent a message to Rome for beg to Theodatus from him to deliver them as quickly as he could do. Theodatus, in spite of his nature, which made him not dauntless, called to himself soldiers and horsemen, and made preparations for war.


It is said that a most peculiar event happened, for overcome his craven nature for go boldly to war. To be honest, I do not think it is credible thing but, for the sake of chronicling, I shall refear it. Theodatus already didn't neglect to inquire on the topic with the ones claiming to be able to divine events, and at the time worried about the happenings, something that usually brings men to divination, went to ask to a Jew famous for practicing it, what was going to be the outcome of the war. He said to contain three sets of ten pigs, each ten in a room, and, after calling one “Goths,” one “Imperial Soldiers” and one “Romans,” wait for the fateful day to come.


And Theodatus did that.


The day arrived, both of them faring in the pig's chambers, they examined the pigs and they unearthed that the pigs with the name of Imperial Soldiers had all died out save for two; the ones with the name of Romans were all alive but most of them had lost all their bristles; and the ones with the name of Goths were left in seven but still had their bristles.


Theodatus had seen these things and deduced an omen for that war, they said that he was taken by a fit of raging bravery, because he understood well that the emperor had the loss of many of his men n war looming over his war; that the Goths, his kind, with little loss, were going to triumph; and that the Romans were going to survive, but not without great toil and loss of belongings.


The above happenings are said to be the reason for his decision to call the troops and fight Belisarius.


-Procopius, “The Gothic War”- Chapter IX





July of 536 DC: King Theodatus of the Goths sends a 15.000-strong army in aid to the city of Naples, which is begin sieged by Belisarius and his army. In the following battle of Agnano's Lake, Belisarius' army is defeated once the besieged city's army, guided by the local noble Pastore, marches out and attacks while the Byzantines are still engaged against Theodatus' army, thusly trapping them. In the battle, Belisarius, Procopius and many others are captured and brought to Rome in display. Most of the cities in southern Italy that passed ot the Byzantines switched back in fear of retaliation, but some resisted to Theodatus' attempts to reocver the lost areas.


August of 536 DC: A plot hatched by nobles for assassinate Theodatus is uncovered by Atta, Vitige's nephew, due to Atta's change of heart due to the latest actions of Theodatus against the Byzantines' invasion. Many plotters are arrested and Vitige is executed for treason, while Atta receives a prize of twenty libbers of gold. Meanwhile, in Bale, Constantianus, after the morale-dropping news of Belisarius' defeat due to the Goths, he decides to camp near the village of Bale in today's Istria and wait for his army to recover there.


September-October of 536 DC: Theodatus assembles the navy, divides his army in three, gives a part eahc to Atta and Leutari, Rome's Captain of the Garrison; Theodatus plans to move his own army towards Sicily; Leutari's towards Saridina, and Atta's towards Malta.


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Situation by Semptember 536.


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So, this is it, my very first work of this kind, and I guess it shows. I swear I've done my best for do my homeworks in finding the informations needed for a decently- accurate TL. However, due to the scarcity of source, it is easy I may be mistaken, so, feel free to point everything out.

Also, I will try to take it as realistic and pleasing as possible, but, due to my tendencies, there may traces of wank and screw around. So, again, point them out, if you see them.


 
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