Italy was in this unstable state when, on the 2nd October 534, Athalaric died in his eighteenth year.  This apparently upset Amalasuntha’s plans.  At any rate, we see her suddenly face quite about and sending for Theodahad, the son of Amalafrida, upon whom she had but lately pronounced a humiliating sentence, she offered to make him her official colleague upon the Gothic throne.  This man was an ambitious villain.  Of course he accepted Amalasuntha’s foolish offer and swore to observe the agreement made between them.  But before many weeks had passed he had made her a prisoner and had her securely hidden upon an island in the Lake of Bolsena in Umbria.  But Theodahad appears to have been a fool as well as a villain.  Having disposed of Amalasuntha, he sent an embassy to Constantinople to explain his conduct and to attempt to come to terms with Caesar.  For his ambassadors he chose not Gothic nobles, who might have found his actions to their advantage, but Roman senators all but one of whom told a plain tale.  Justinian immediately despatched his ambassador Peter to reassure Amalasuntha of his protection and to threaten Theodahad that if she were hurt it would be at the price of his own head.  Peter however, had scarcely landed in Italy when he had news of Amalasuntha’s murder in her island prison.  He continued at once on his way to Ravenna, and there in the court before all the Gothic nobles not only denounced the murderer, but declared “truceless war” upon the Goths.[1]

[Footnote 1:  Cf.  Procopius, De Bello Gotico, 25.  The murder of Amalasuntha served the interests of the imperialists so well that public opinion at Constantinople attributed it to Peter the ambassador and to Theodora, the wife of Justinian.  It remains, however, extremely doubtful whether there is any truth in this accusation, although it is certain that Theodora was in communication with Theodahad.]

The truth was that Justinian was ready, the hour had struck, and with the hour had appeared the man who with his great master was ready to attempt the reconquest of the West for civilisation.

We shall see the true state of affairs from the point of view of Constantinople if we retrace our steps a little.

Justinian had succeeded Justin upon the imperial throne in 527.  This great man had early set before himself the real recovery of the West for the empire.  Circumstances, which he was not slow to use, caused him to attempt first the reconquest of Africa from the Vandals, and the true state of affairs is disclosed by the causes which brought about this great campaign.

Hilderic, who had succeeded Thrasamund on the Vandal throne in Africa, had put Amalafrida, the queen dowager, the sister of Theodoric, to death.  In June 531, he was deposed.  Now Hilderic favoured the Catholics, was the ally of the empire, and was descended on his mother’s side from the great Theodosius.  Justinian determined to avenge him, and in avenging him to reconquer Africa for the empire.  The hour had struck as I say, and the man had appeared with the hour.  That man was the great soldier Belisarius, the instrument of Justinian in all his heroic design.