f the first region, entered, took the pallium from his shoulders, and led
him into another room, where he was stript of his episcopal vestments, the
dress of a monk was put upon him, and his deposition was announced to the
clergy. He was then banished to Patara in Lycia. All these intrigues had
been unknown to Justinian. Afterwards, the bishop[134] of Patara went to
him, and invoked before the emperor the judgment of God, saying there were
many kings in this world, but not one set over the Church of the whole
world, as was that bishop who had been expelled from his see. Justinian,
hearing this, ordered Silverius to be taken back to Rome, and a true
judgment of his case to be made. But then the Pope fell entirely into the
hands of his rival Vigilius, who in the meantime had, by the help of
Belisarius, got possession of the pontificate. Vigilius caused him to be
deported to the island of Palmaria. There it is only known that he died in
great misery, but with the crown of martyrdom.

This was the first act of that dominion, lasting more than two hundred
years, in which the Byzantine sovereigns were lords of Rome, as part of a
reconquered province, and claimed to confirm the Papal elections, a claim
set up by the Herule Odoacer, continued by Theodorick, inherited by
Justinian.

When Belisarius occupied Rome he had only 5000 soldiers at his command.
Vitiges, the new Gothic king, had gone to Ravenna, and made peace with the
Franks by surrendering to them the southern provinces of France, held by
Theodorick. He then levied the whole fighting force of the Goths, and, in
March, 537, advanced from Umbria upon Rome at the head of 150,000 men.
Belisarius, in the three months, had done his best to repair the walls, the
towers, and the gates of the city. He had also laid up provisions. He dug
trenches round the least defended spots, and had constructed great machines
which shot bolts strong enough to nail an armoured man to a tree. Vitiges
approached from the Anio, and made a desperate attempt to storm the city at
once. Having failed in this, through the great courage and skill of
Belisarius, and being unable, even with his vast host, to surround the
city, he set up six fortified camps from the Flaminian Gate to that of
Proeneste, and a seventh in the Neronian fields on the other side of the
river, the plain which stretches from the Vatican to the Milvian bridge.
The Goth cut off the fourteen aqueducts which supplied Rome with water.