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History of the Franks

St Gregory of Tours, tr. Dalton, 1927

Book 3, 32. How Theudebert Went to Italy

Theudebert marched into Italy and made great gain from that country. But as those parts are unhealthy of repute, his army collapsed under divers kinds of fever that attacked it, and many of his followers died in that land. For this reason Theudebert returned to Gaul, bringing, both himself and his men, great booty home. It is said that on this occasion he advanced as far as Pavia, to which place he afterwards sent Buccelin. This leader first took Lesser Italy, and brought it under the sway of the above-named king, then moved to Greater Italy, where, after many an encounter, he was victorious over Belisarius. When the emperor saw the frequent defeats of Belisarius, he removed him, and appointed Narses in his place; and to humiliate Belisarius, he put him once more in his old post of count of the stables. Buccelin fought great battles against Narses, taking all Italy and pushing his conquests to the sea; moreover, he sent great treasures home from Italy to Theudebert. When Narses had reported this to his master, the emperor hired foreign mercenaries, and sent them in support of Narses, who again gave battle, and afterwards retired vanquished. Then Buccelin took Sicily, from which he exacted tribute, sending it to the king. For he had great good fortune in these enterprises.