Totila (birth name, Baduila-Badua r. 541-552 CE) was the last great king of the Ostrogoths in Italy. He was the nephew of the Gothic king Ildibad who was succeeded by Eraric the Rugian (d. 541 CE). The Goths of Italy felt that Eraric was a poor king who pursued his own interests at their expense, and this is the accepted view of history as exemplified by the historian Thomas Hodgkin's observation that "Eraric reigned only five months, during which time he performed not a single noteworthy action" (4). He was deposed and assassinated by conspirators who wished to see Totila take the throne.
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Timeline
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541 - 552Reign of Totila, Last King of the Goths.
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542Totila defeats the imperial army at Faenza.
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542Totila defeats the imperial army at Mugello.
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543Totila lays siege to Naples.
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545Totila lays siege to and occupies Rome.
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546 - 548Totila continues to win victories against the empire and his army grows.
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549Second siege and occupation of Rome.
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549Second siege and occupation of Rome.
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550Totila conquers Sicily.
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551General Narses lands in Sicily to lead imperial armies against Totila.
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552The Battle of Taginae, Totila is defeated by Narses and killed.
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Oct 552The remnants of the Gothic army are defeated at The Battle of Mons Lactarius.
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555The last of the Gothic Resistance surrenders; the Eastern Empire reclaims Italy.
