The New International Encyclopædia/Totila

​TOT′ILA. An Ostrogothic king whose real name was Badvila. He was chosen in 541 to occupy the throne made vacant by the assassination of his uncle Hildibald. He prosecuted the war with the forces of the Eastern Emperor not only with great success, but also with chivalrous generosity and humanity. After reducing Southern Italy, he laid siege to Rome, to relieve which Justinian once more sent out the celebrated Belisarius. The city fell, however, in 546, and after five years of fruitless warfare, in which he was poorly supported by his Government, Belisarius asked to be recalled. Totila thereupon ravaged Sicily, reduced Sardinia and Corsica, and harassed the coasts of Greece, but in 552 was defeated and killed at Taginæ (or Tadinæ) by an army under command of the eunuch Narses.

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