Edward Gibbon, an English historian, published The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire in six volumes between 1776 and 1788. This is Chapter 41 of that work. He follows Rome from the prosperous age of Trajan and the Antonines, around the year 100, through the fall of the West and on to the Ottoman capture of Constantinople in 1453.

Chapter 41 takes up conquests of Justinian in the West—Character and first campaigns of Belisarius—He invades and subdues the Vandal kingdom of Africa—His triumph—The Gothic War—He recovers Sicily, Naples, and Rome—Siege of Rome by the Goths—Their retreat and losses—Surrender of Ravenna—Glory of Belisarius—His domestic shame and misfortunes. The footnotes are not in this reading; what you have is the narrative.