Relazioni pericolose: i rapporti diplomatici tra gli Ostrogoti e i Franchi durante la Guerra Gotica

The relations with the Franks were an important part of Ostrogothic foreign policy throughout the Gothic War. Theodahad tried to secure the neutrality of the Merovingian kings at the very beginning of the conflict by granting them the whole of Provence and a substantial amount of money. The treaty was signed by his successor, Vitiges, who hoped to forge a military alliance. However, the Franks were already allied with Justinian and could not openly help the Ostrogoths. In 538, Theudebert sent to Italy a Burgundian army, ostensibly consisting of “volunteers”, who contributed to the reconquest of Milan, and the following year he came to Italy himself, but only to pillage the country, without offering any active help to either the Ostrogoths or Belisarius. Under Totila, the Franks were able to occupy part of Northern Italy and adhered to a policy of strict neutrality, yet they took advantage of his death in order to further extend their influence. Theia again asked the Franks for help, possibly promising part of the Ostrogothic treasure in return, and a group of warriors led by two Alamannic dukes was sent to Italy. However, they arrived after Theia’s death and his brother Aligern preferred to submit to Justinian, thereby sanctioning the end of both the alliance with the Franks and the Ostrogothic Kingdom itself. The relations between Ostrogoths and Franks in the period of 535-553 show the importance of the observance of treaties and alliances, whose duration was often set by the lifetime of the contracting parties, as well as the frequent recourse to alleged “volunteers” in order to fight against an ally without formally breaking a treaty.