The Ostrogoths entered Italy from the
north-east in 489, under the lead of Theodoric, the first and last statesman of
their race. They came from the Middle Danube, where they had settled, with the
leave of the Empire, after the death of Attila and the dissolution of his army.
They were now in search of a more kindly habitation, and brought with them
their wives, their children, and their household stuff on waggons. Their way was
barred by Odoacer the Patrician - general of the Italian army and King of Italy
in all but name. It cost them four years of hard fighting to overthrow this
self-constituted representative of the Empire. After that they had no overt
opposition to fear. To the Italians there was little difference between Odoacer
and Theodoric.
The change of rulers did not affect their material interests,
since Theodoric merely appropriated that proportion of the cultivated land
(one-third) which Odoacer had claimed for his followers. Nor was submission
inconsistent with the loyalty demanded by the Eastern Empire; since for the
moment it suited imperial policy to accept the Visigothic King as the successor
of Odoacer. Theodoric reigned over Italy for thirty-three years (493-526). A
tolerant and enlightened ruler, he spared no effort to give his rule a legal
character, and to protect the Italians against oppression. Two eminent Romans,
Liberius and Cassiodorus, acted successively as his confidential advisers and
interpreted his policy to their countrymen. No attempt was made to fuse the
Ostrogoths with the Italians. The invaders remained, an army quartered on the
soil, subject for most purposes to their own law. But the law of the Italians
was similarly respected;
