, as they had been long ago. Thus
they held Gaul and Spain by their own right and so
defended them that no other race won the mastery there.

[Sidenote: THIUDIMER IN MACEDONIA]

But Thiudimer, the elder brother, crossed the river 285
Savus with his men, threatening the Sarmatians and their
soldiers with war if any should resist him. From fear of
this they kept quiet; moreover they were powerless in the
face of so great a host. Thiudimer, seeing prosperity
everywhere awaiting him, invaded Naissus, the first city
of Illyricum. He was joined by his son Theodoric and
the Counts Astat and Invilia, and sent them to Ulpiana
by way of Castrum Herculis. Upon their arrival the 286
town surrendered, as did Stobi later; and several places
of Illyricum, inaccessible to them at first, were thus made
easy of approach. For they first plundered and then
ruled by right of war Heraclea and Larissa, cities of
Thessaly. But Thiudimer the king, perceiving his own
good fortune and that of his son, was not content with
this alone, but set forth from the city of Naissus, leaving
only a few men behind as a guard. He himself advanced
to Thessalonica, where Hilarianus the Patrician, appointed
by the Emperor, was stationed with his army.
When Hilarianus beheld Thessalonica surrounded by an 287
entrenchment and saw that he could not resist attack, he
sent an embassy to Thiudimer the king and by the offer
of gifts turned him aside from destroying the city. Then
the Roman general entered upon a truce with the Goths
and of his own accord handed over to them those places
they inhabited, namely Cyrrhus, Pella, Europus, Methone,
Pydna, Beroea, and another which is called Dium.
So the Goths and their king laid aside their arms, consented 288
to peace and became quiet. Soon after these
events, King Thiudimer was seized with a mortal illness
in the city of Cyrrhus. He called the Goths to himself,
appointed Theodoric his son as heir of his kingdom and
presently departed this life.

[Sidenote: Zeno 491]

[Sidenote: Theodoric the Great 526]

[Sidenote: THEODORIC HONORED BY ZENO 528]

LVII When the Emperor Zeno heard that Theodoric 289
had been appointed king over his own people, he received
the news with pleasure and invited him to come and visit
him in the city, appointing an escort of honor. Receiving
Theodoric with all due respect, he placed him among the
princes of his palace. After some time Zeno increased
his dignity by