A bold assassin executed their sentence by striking off the head of Hildibald in the midst of a banquet; the Rugians, a foreign tribe, assumed the privilege of election: and Totila, [611] the nephew of the late king, was tempted, by revenge, to deliver himself and the garrison of Trevigo into the hands of the Romans.
But the gallant and accomplished youth was easily persuaded to prefer the Gothic throne before the service of Justinian; and as soon as the palace of Pavia had been purified from the Rugian usurper, he reviewed the national force of five thousand soldiers, and generously undertook the restoration of the kingdom of Italy.
[Footnote 6: In the second (c.

30) and third books, (c.

1--40,) Procopius continues the history of the Gothic war from the fifth to the fifteenth year of Justinian.

As the events are less interesting than in the former period, he allots only half the space to double the time.
Jornandes, and the Chronicle of Marcellinus, afford some collateral hints Sigonius, Pagi, Muratori, Mascou, and De Buat, are useful, and have been used.] [Footnote 611: His real name, as appears by medals, was Baduilla, or Badiula.

Totila signifies immortal: tod (in German) is death.