 Justinian sent another general , Narses , to Italy , but tensions between Narses and Belisarius hampered the progress of the campaign . Milan was taken , but was soon recaptured and razed by the Ostrogoths . Justinian recalled Narses in 539 . By then the military situation had turned in favour of the Romans , and in 540 Belisarius reached the Ostrogothic capital Ravenna . There he was offered the title of Western Roman Emperor by the Ostrogoths at the same time that envoys of Justinian were arriving to negotiate a peace that would leave the region north of the Po River in Gothic hands . Belisarius feigned to accept the offer , entered the city in May 540 , and reclaimed it for the Empire . Then , having been recalled by Justinian , Belisarius returned to Constantinople , taking the captured Vitigis and his wife Matasuntha with him . 
