Belisarius
Belisarius was a renowned Byzantine general born in Illyria, now part of Croatia, who served under Emperor Justinian I. He first gained recognition for his military prowess in 530 CE, when he led a significantly outnumbered army to victory against the Sāsānians of Persia. His later military achievements included quelling the Nika Riots, where he played a controversial role in a brutal crackdown on rebels, resulting in significant casualties. Belisarius led successful campaigns that resulted in the conquest of the Vandal kingdom in North Africa and the capture of the Ostrogoth king in Italy. Despite his successes, his military career was marred by political intrigue, leading to his replacement by another general in 548 CE. Although recalled to defend against a Bulgarian invasion in 558 CE, he faced imprisonment in 562 CE and spent his final years in retirement. Belisarius’s military campaigns temporarily restored Byzantine control over various territories, yet they also strained the empire's resources, contributing to its vulnerabilities against future invasions.
Belisarius
Related civilization: Byzantine Empire
Major role/position: General
Life
Born in Illyria, the present-day Dalmatian coast of Croatia, Belisarius (behl-ih-SAR-ee-uhs) achieved his first command under the emperor Justinian I and distinguished himself in battle against the Sāsānians of Persia in 530 c.e., when he defeated an army that outnumbered his own. Two years later, Belisarius was instrumental in putting down the Nika Riots when he led the imperial lifeguards in the slaughter of an alleged 30,000 rebels.
The following year, Justinian sent Belisarius to North Africa, where he conquered the Vandal kingdom there in one year. Belisarius then campaigned in Sicily and Italy, capturing the king of the Ostrogoths at Ravenna in 540 c.e. In 541-542 c.e., he returned east to campaign against the Persians, returning to Italy in 543 c.e. and remaining there until 548 c.e., when he was removed through court intrigues and replaced by the eunuch Narses, also a very capable general. Recalled in 558 c.e. to repel a threatened Bulgarian invasion, Belisarius was briefly imprisoned in 562 c.e. He spent the last three years of his life in retirement.
Influence
Through Belisarius’s campaigns, the Byzantine Empire was able to briefly reestablish its control over Italy, Sicily, much of North Africa, and the Middle Eastern provinces of the Roman Empire. These campaigns bankrupted and exhausted Constantinople, and the Byzantine Empire was unable to hold these lands or withstand the Arab invasion a half century later.
Bibliography
Boss, Roy. Justinian’s Wars: Belisarius, Narses, and the Reconquest of the West. Stockport, England: Montvert, 1993.
Oman, Charles W. The Art of War in the Middle Ages, a.d. 378-1515. Rev. ed. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press, 1953.
Procopius. History of the Wars, Secret History, and Buildings. Edited and translated by Averil Cameron. New York: Twayne, 1967.