Totila. Expecting the nobles and the remainder of the garrison to flee as soon as the walls were taken, Totila set traps along the roadways to neighboring towns that were not yet under his control. Many Romans were caught by ambush while fleeing Rome. Only a few, including Diogenes, the Roman commander, escaped Totila’s takeover of Rome and his roadside ambush. Aftermath In earlier sieges Totila had intended to destroy Rome, but once he had captured the city, he decided to repopulate and rebuild it, and defend it against all future attacks from Justinian. References Bury, J.B. "History of the Later Roman Empire." Reconquest of Italy (2011): n.pag. Web. 19 Nov 2012. Morris, Charles. "Fall of the Ostrogoths." Wars of the Ostrogoths (2007): n.pag. Web. 19 Nov 2012. Tisi, Claudio. "Vandalic and Gothis Wars." Sardinia (2002): n.pag. Web. 19 Nov 2012. Rome Rome 540s in the Byzantine Empire 550s in the Byzantine Empire Rome Rome 549-550 Gothic War (535–554) Massacres of men Military history of Rome Rome 549-550 Violence against men in Europe