Res Gestae

The consulship[*](491.) of Olybrius, vir clarissimus. In his consulship King Odoacar sallied forth from Ravenna by night, entered into the Pine Grove with the Heruli, and attacked the fortified camp of the patrician Theodoric. The losses were great on both sides, and Levila, Odoacar’s commander-in-chief, fled and lost his life in the river Bedens[*](Also called Bidens, the modern Bedese, or Ronco.) ; Odoacar was defeated and fled to Ravenna on the 15th of July. Then Odoacar was forced to give his son Thelanes to Theodoric as a hostage, first receiving a pledge that his blood would be spared.[*](See § 43, note 6. Here neither spirit nor letter was kept.)

So Theodoric entered Ravenna, and after several days Odoacar laid a snare for him: but Theodoric discovered him in the palace and forestalled him, then caught him off his guard and with his own hand slew him with a sword as he was coming into the Laurel Grove.[*](Apparently in, or near, Ravenna; cf. Pinetam, and see § 57, below, which implies that Theodoric killed Odoacar in Ravenna. According to A. Sleumer, Kirchenlatein. Wörterbuch (1926), s.v., Lauretum was a city near Ancona, but he does not cite this passage.)

On the same day, all of Odoacar’s army who could be found anywhere were killed by order of Theodoric, as well as all of his family. This same year the emperor Zeno died at Constantinople, and Anastasius was made emperor.

Now Theodoric had sent Faustus Niger as an envoy to Zeno. But when the news of the latter’s

For he was a most brave and warlike man, whose father, Walamir, was called King of the Goths; but Theodoric was his natural son; his mother was called in Gothic Ereriliva,[*](Jordanes calls her Erelieva. With Gothica sc. lingua. ) but being a Catholic received at her baptism the name Eusebia.

Hence Theodoric was a man of great distinction and of good-will towards all men, and he ruled for thirty-three years. In his times Italy for thirty years enjoyed such good fortune that his successors also inherited peace.