them and their things. He had also an army of sixty thousand brave
soldiers.

It was a long and weary journey from the shores of the Black Sea
overland to the foot of the Alps Mountains and across the Alps
into Italy. Here and there on the way they met savage tribes that
tried to stop them, but Theodoric defeated the savages and took a
great many of them prisoners. He made these prisoners, women as
well as men, help carry the baggage and do other work.

The journey took months, but at last the Ostrogoths reached the
top of the Alps. Then they could see, stretched out before them,
the beautiful land of Italy. They were all delighted. They shouted
and danced with joy, and Theodoric cried out:

"There is the country which shall be our home. Let us march on.
It certainly shall be ours."

Then they passed quickly down, and soon they were in Italy. Odoacer
had heard of their coming and he got ready an army to drive them
away. Theodoric also got his fighting men ready. The two armies
met, and there was a great battle near the town of Aquileia. Odoacer
was defeated. Then he tried to get Theodoric to leave Italy by
offering him a large sum of money.

"I will give you," said he, "thousands of pounds of gold and silver
if you agree to go back to your own country."

But Theodoric would not go. He said he had as good a right to
be king of Italy as Odoacer, and he would remain and conquer the