Origins & Early Life

Totila, original name Baduila (died 1 July 552), was the penultimate King of the Ostrogoths, reigning from 541 to 552. A skilled military and political leader, Totila reversed the tide of the Gothic War, recovering by 543 almost all the territories in Italy that the Eastern Roman Empire had captured from the Ostrogothic Kingdom in 540. A grandnephew of Theudis, sword-bearer of Theodoric the Great and king of the Visigoths, Totila was elected king by Ostrogothic nobles in the autumn of 541 after the deaths of two former Ostrogothic kings, Ildibad and Eraric. Both had been killed by the Gothic nobility for attempting to surrender to the Romans.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Totila proved himself both as a military and political leader, winning the support of the lower classes by liberating slaves and distributing land to the peasants. After a successful defence at Verona, Totila pursued and defeated a numerically superior army at the Battle of Faventia in 542. Totila followed these victories by defeating the Romans outside Florence and capturing Naples. By 543, fighting on land and sea, he had reconquered the bulk of Rome's southern territories, but not the capital. Rome still held out, and Totila appealed unsuccessfully...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Romulus Augustulus — Contemporary (Died in 510) (510): The last Western Roman Emperor, whose deposition marked the end of the Western Empire.
• Bumin Qaghan — Contemporary (Died in 552) (552): Founder of the First Turkic Khaganate, a pivotal figure in early nomadic history.
• Clovis I — Contemporary figure (Died in 511) (511): Founder of the Merovingian Dynasty and Uniter of the Frankish Kingdom
• Belisarius — Contemporary figure (Born in 505) (505): Great Byzantine general instrumental in the reconquest of the Western Roman Empire.
• 510 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 510
• 552 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 552