Siege of Rome (549–550)
| Siege of Rome (549–550) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Gothic War (535–554) | |||||||||
Main army movements during the second phase of the Gothic War | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Byzantine Empire | Ostrogoths | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Diogenes | Totila | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
| 3,000 | Unknown | ||||||||
The siege of Rome in 549–550 AD was the city's third siege during the Gothic War (535–554) where Byzantine forces defended against an Ostrogothic (Goths) army under their King Totila.
After initial failed assaults, Totila imposed a blockade to starve the Byzantine garrison. Discontented defenders, unhappy over years of unpaid wages, accepted promises made by him and opened the gate to the Goths. A massacre followed, and although residents tried to escape, numerous fugitives were killed in ambushes. A Byzantine cavalry unit briefly resisted from the Tomb of Hadrian, but Totila's generous terms persuaded most of them to enter his service. Determined not to lose Rome again, Totila settled Goths in the city and brought the Senate back to reside there.