In552,theByzantinearmyunderthecommandoftheeunuchNarsesfacedtheinvadingGothsundertheirking,Totila,atTaginae.
Totila,expectingreinforcements,wasinnohurrytobeginthebattleandusedtheopportunitytoimpresshisenemieswithhisskills.Ridingoutaloneintotheareabetweenthetwoarmies,hehadhissteedmakethemostgracefulturnsandleaps.Thenatagallophecasthislancehighintotheair,andasitfellspinning,hecaughtitinthemiddle.Hetosseditinskilfulalternation,fromonehandtotheother,therebyshowinghisagility.Hespentthewholemorningdoingthis.
Narses,over80atthetime,wasunimpressed.Hewonthebattle,andTotila,forallhisaccomplishments,waskilledandhisarmydestroyed.
公元五五二年，拜占庭軍隊由太監納爾西斯指揮，在塔吉納和率軍入侵的哥德王多迪拉對陣。
多迪拉正等待援軍，不急於開戰，這時就向敵軍誇示身手，匹馬走到陣前，策馬轉身、跳躍，矯若游龍，然後往來馳騁，把長矛拋起，待長矛旋轉着掉下來，就一手抓住矛身。他以不同方式把長矛拋來拋去，左右手並用，表示身手敏捷，整個上午都是這樣表演。
但八十多歲的納爾西斯不為所動，最後還打了勝仗。多迪拉雖然身手不凡，卻戰死沙場，全軍一敗塗地。