[1] The commanders Belisarius, Mundus and Constantinianus had made swift gains, conquering southern Italy,[1][3] Sicily,[1][3] Dalmatia[1] and Illyria.

[1] The Goths, having paid the Franks for assistance, then moved against the Byzantine force in Rome with superior numbers.

[1][3][4][5] While the Goths with the help of Burgundian personnel send by the Franks were able to somewhat stabilise the situation the Byzantines were still gaining territory.

[1] When the commander Narses was sent to Belisarius assistance with reinforcements political intrigue began taking hold of the campaign.

[1] The garrison had been reduced in the summer of 538, when Vacimus borrowed troops from it for his attack on Ancona, defended by the Byzantine general Konon.

[7] The king of the Ostrogoths, Witigis, had seen the importance of the town and sent them there to delay the attack on Ravenna which was why it had such a strong garrison.

[1] Seeing them in disorder the Goths sallied out somewhere in the late afternoon but after heavy fighting they were forced back into the city.

[1] By now the foraging Goths who had been sent out of the city the previous day returned, some managed to sneak through the Byzantine lines but most were killed.

[1] Eventually the Franks retreated because of threats from the Byzantines, a supply shortage and disease which killed up to one third of their force.

[1] The Persian shah, Khosrow, began intentionally deteriorating Byzantine-Sassanian relations in order to start war.

[1] Recognising these treats the Byzantines tried to make peace with the Goths, their military position in Italy lost priority.

[1] The Byzantines attack uphill and suffered gigantic losses until 7 men from Narses’ command broke through the Gothic lines, possibly fighting harder as to repair their image after the messaging affair.

[1] The Isaurians also retreated, because of superior building techniques used in ancient times the cistern leading water into the city remained intact.

[1] Lazic War Now the Byzantine commanders Cyprian and Justinus were victorious in the siege of Fisula and moved to reinforce Belisarius at Auximus.