Talk:Teia

Stub Label Removed

Article improved, stub label no longer applies.--Obenritter (talk) 17:49, 28 April 2019 (UTC)

Reviewed and fixed. Kierzek (talk) 20:06, 29 April 2019 (UTC)

GA review

The following discussion is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

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This review is transcluded from Talk:Teia/GA1. The edit link for this section can be used to add comments to the review.

Nominator: A.Cython (talk · contribs) 17:00, 19 June 2026 (UTC)

Reviewer: Gommeh (talk · contribs) 13:32, 22 June 2026 (UTC)

@A.Cython and Obenritter: I'll get started on this in the next day or so. Gommeh ^{(talk! sign!)} 13:32, 22 June 2026 (UTC)

Thank you for reviewing. Please let me know how I can help with the verification process (provide quotes and point to online sources).A.Cython(talk) 13:39, 22 June 2026 (UTC)

Good Article review progress box

Criteria: 1a. prose () 1b. MoS () 2a. ref layout () 2b. cites WP:RS () 2c. no WP:OR () 2d. no WP:CV () 3a. broadness () 3b. focus () 4. neutral () 5. stable () 6a. free or tagged images () 6b. pics relevant () Note: this represents where the article stands relative to the Good Article criteria. Criteria marked are unassessed

GA criteria commentary

• Images look fine.
  • Y noted
• Article looks very stable.
  • Y noted
• References appear to be reliable.
  • Y noted
• Earwig returned a 0.0% likelihood of a copyvio. Well done!
  • Y noted

Article commentary

• Ideally, you should try and get rid of the white background in the picture in the infobox. Otherwise it looks fine. Same with the other images.
  •  Done
• I'm a little concerned that there's only a "Life" section in between the lead and the "see also" section. Is there much information on Teia's legacy or impact? I would assume there's a decent chance, seeing as he was a king after all.
  • Comment: He was a king for only a few months, from July to October 552, so not much time to do. It is though remarkable that despite the defeat of his predecessor at Taginae, he was able to reorganize the remaining Gothic forces and resist the Byzantines. The trouble is that we have only a single primary source (that of Procopius) about the events of the Gothic War, so we have to rely on what he decided to record. Historian Wolfram described it as with the end of Teja, whose kingship lasted not even three months. (note also the name's spelling).
  •  Done Added the "Aftermath" section
• Franks should be wikilinked.
  •  Done
• Narses should be wikilinked in the lead.
  •  Done
• Who is Fredigernus? Is he important to the subject, other than being his father? If not, this should be removed; otherwise, it needs to be explained.
  •  Done He was just his father, I saw that WP:SECONDARY sources mentioned it so I felt that it should be included. However, he did not held a title or being prominent as far as I know, so I removed it.
• This is optional, but I think the proper possessive form for Narses is Narses' and not Narses's. I could be wrong though.
  •  Done Both are correct as far as I know, but changed per your suggestion.
• At the time, Narses did not have a fleet to confront the Gothic navy or prevent the resupply of the Gothic army I'm honestly torn about whether or not the word Gothic needs to be repeated twice here.
  •  Done Replaced one with "opposing"
• I can see people potentially mispronouncing the name "Teia" as "TYE-uh" or "TAY-uh". If there is a correct vs. incorrect pronunciation of the name, then a guide should be added with the relevant {{IPAc}} (or similar) template.
  • Comment: Not that I am aware of. The trouble is that the language is dead with very few written records that would allow its reconstruction. The closest that we have is how the contemporary historian Procopius spelled the name in Greek (Τεῒας → TEH-ee-as). However, the preference of modern historians to go with Teia (dropping the "s") makes me to suspect that they would prefer "TAY-ah" (or something similar) which would be closer to its Germanic roots. Of course, it is not the only spelling, see above for an example with "Teja". Unfortunately, in none of the books that I am aware provide a pronunciation, marking all that I mentioned speculative. So unless I find it in a WP:RS, I dare not to include any of this per WP:OR. I hope this is ok with you.
• I personally think the information contained in footnote A could be stated in the article somewhere.
  •  Done Incorporated into the main body

Ping me when these have been addressed and I can move on to a source spot check. Gommeh ^{(talk! sign!)} 16:38, 24 June 2026 (UTC)

@Gommeh: Thank you for your insightful comments. I believe I have addressed your concerns. If I missed something please let me know. A.Cython(talk) 22:24, 24 June 2026 (UTC)

Source spot check

@A.Cython: and/or @Obenritter:: I'll be using this revision for the spot check. Accordingly, please provide the relevant quotes for citations 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, and 19. Gommeh ^{(talk! sign!)} 13:30, 26 June 2026 (UTC)

@Gommeh: Sure here are the quotes:

• #1 Son of Fredigernus; Agath. I, prooem. 31, I 20.1. Elder brother of Aligernus; Agath. I 8.6, 20.1
• #3 is based on 4 pages... so I provided only the quotes related to Teia and the death of Totila: There was also the problem that Teias with the best of Gothic forces was stationed at Verona and he had built obstacles to prevent the easy crossing of the Po, so he was nearby with his forces to attack when the Romans attempted to cross the river.... When Totila heard that Narses had reached Ravenna he was forced to recall Teias and his men to engage him. When all but 2,000 soldiers had returned he moved his forces towards Narses and pitched his camp at Taginae. ... The disorderly rout of the Gothic cavalry caused the rout of their infantry. In the carnage of the battle and in the ensuing pursuit, 6,000 Goths were killed and many others were made prisoners, only to be massacred later. Only darkness put a stop to the killing. Totila perished in this encounter, either during the retreat or from an arrow wound.
• #5 Meanwhile, the surviving Goths had retreated to Ticinum where they chose Teias as their new king.
• #7 In 552, following a major Gothic defeat at the battle of Busta Gallorum, the retreating Goths slaughtered all the Romans they met and King Teja ordered the death of all the senators in Campania, including Flavius Maximus, exiled by the suspicious Belasarius. Shortly thereafter, Teja massacred 300 Roman children Totila had selected as hostages.
• #9 As Teias might expect that the land approaches to Cumae, north of Naples, would be guarded, his plan probably was to embark his troops near Sorrento and reach Cumae by sea.
• #11 The armies remained for weeks facing each other on either bank of the narrow stream, which neither infantry nor cavalry could ford on account of the steepness of the banks, ... Teias succeeded in getting into touch with his fleet and it was able to supply him with provisions. The situation was changed when Imperial warships which Narses summoned began to come in great numbers from Sicily and other places. The Gothic naval commander, anticipating their arrival, surrendered his fleet. The food-supply of the army was thus cut off, ... Teias broke up his camp and retreated to the shelter of the mountain which overlooks the valley. This mountain, belonging to the St. Angelo range, was known as Mons Lactarius...
• #13 Two months, acc. to Procopius, iv.35.11. This must be a considerable exaggeration if Agnellus is right in his dating of the battle to Oct. 1 (in Kal. Octobris, c. 79). Teias could not at the earliest have reached Campania before the middle of August; it seems more likely that he arrived at the end of the month. If Procopius is accurate the date of Agnellus is wrong.
• #15 Later that year, his successor Teias faced Narses in the last, cataclysmic showdown of the wars.
• #17 After another fierce fight, Teias died breathing defiance, and most of the remaining Goths negotiated an armistice.
  • I added a minor clarification, the added citation provides the following info
  • Syvänne, Ilkka (2021). p.346 Finally, the Goths sent negotiators to ask permission to withdraw with their own money as travelling funds. John the nephew of Vitalian advised Narses to agree because it was dangerous to continue to fight against such desperate enemies. So Narses agreed on condition that the Goths leave Italy (Procopius) or stay in Italy as loyal subjects (Agathias).
• #19 By 554 the Ostrogothic Kingdom was gone. A few Gothic garrisons held out in the north for almost seven years. Finally in 561, the garrisons at Verona and Brixia capitulated. For the most part the Ostrogoths quietly merged into the population o f Italy as the synthesis begun under Theodoric continued without direction and with­ out official notice.

The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

Did you know nomination

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• Comment or view
• Article history

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• ... that contemporary historian Procopius described Teia's heroism in his last battle as worthy of the "heroes of legend"?

• Source: Procopius , see source

• • Reviewed: Template:Did you know nominations/Isabella Feltria della Rovere

Improved to Good Article status by A.Cython (talk). Number of QPQs required: 1. Nominator has 26 past nominations.

A.Cython(talk) 12:51, 3 July 2026 (UTC).

General: Article is new enough and long enough
New enough: Long enough:

Policy: Article is sourced, neutral, and free of copyright problems
Adequate sourcing: Neutral: Free of copyright violations, plagiarism, and close paraphrasing:

Hook: Hook has been verified by provided inline citation
Cited: Interesting:

QPQ: Done.

Overall: Min968 (talk) 05:04, 5 July 2026 (UTC)