An Unforgettable Era: Belisarius and the Struggle to Save the Roman Empire

Chapter 1: Constantinople in Flames 🔥

532 AD, Constantinople—the greatest city in the world—is in flames. But this is no barbarian attack. Citizens of the Eastern Roman Empire are rioting, murdering state officials, and setting buildings on fire. Emperor Justinian, trapped inside his own palace, fears his reign is over. He has already given into the mob’s demands, sacking his most hated officials. However, the crowds acclaim a new emperor, Hypatius. It’s his wife, Empress Theodora, who gives him the courage to act. Justinian turns to his most trusted general, Belisarius, to crush his enemies and save the regime.

After centuries of imperial crisis, Justinian’s reign will witness a Roman fightback that few had dreamed possible: great victories over the barbarians, the reconquest of Rome itself, and the reunification of the empire. Belisarius will be remembered as Rome’s last great general.

Chapter 2: The Resilient Eastern Roman Empire 🌍

527 AD, more than 50 years since the fall of the Western Roman Empire. Rome itself, the Eternal City, is now part of an Ostrogothic Kingdom of Italy. However, the Empire endures. The Eastern Roman Empire remains a force to be reckoned with. An estimated 30 million people live under the rule of the Emperor in Constantinople. His authority stretches from the ravaged Balkans to Egypt, the Arabian desert to Armenia.

This Christian Empire remains unrivaled in administrative sophistication, economic power, and military might. But Justinian faces formidable challenges. He succeeds Justin, his uncle, and becomes the first son to succeed his father as emperor in more than a century. From a tough, peasant background, Justinian sets himself two ambitious goals: restore harmony in the Christian church and reform and rationalize Roman law.

“The imperial majesty should not only be adorned with arms but also be armed with laws,” he later declares. But as for any Roman emperor, the ultimate test of his legitimacy will come in war.

Chapter 3: The Looming Persian Threat 🏹

At first, Justinian maintains good relations with the Vandals in North Africa and the Ostrogoths in Italy. The Balkan frontier requires constant vigilance due to ongoing threats from the successors of Attila’s Hun empire. However, it is in the east that Justinian faces his most immediate challenge— the Persian Sassanid Empire, a rival superpower in the Middle East.

This frontier has been a battleground for centuries. In 525, the Christian king of Iberia in the Caucasus appeals to Romans for aid when the Persian King Kavadh imposes Zoroastrian rituals on his country. Romans send military aid, escalating the conflict. When Romans begin building a new fort at Minduos, Persians attack and rout Roman troops.

One Roman general, Flavius Belisarius, escapes this debacle and is made commander of all Roman troops in the East by 527. Barely 30 years old, Belisarius and Justinian share rural backgrounds in the Balkans. His wife, Antonina, the best friend of Empress Theodora, stands by him.

Chapter 4: Rebuilding Rome’s Military Might ⚔️

The troops that Belisarius commands are far removed from the famous legions with which Rome conquered its empire centuries ago. Hard lessons, learned from fighting Huns and Persians, have helped forge a new Roman army. Now, heavy armored cavalry forms the army’s elite shock units. Roman archers are also armed with more powerful composite bows. Recruits include Goths, Huns, and Heruli, with the military organization overhauled into central field armies and local frontier armies.

The historian Procopius will serve as our key witness for the events of this period. Appointed as Belisarius’s legal advisor, Procopius publishes his great work, History of the Wars, which offers a highly favorable account of Belisarius.

Chapter 5: The Battle of Dara 🛡️

King Kavadh sends an army to capture the Roman frontier fortress at Dara. Belisarius, with only 25,000 troops against 50,000 Persian soldiers, makes a stand outside the city walls. His strategic deployment and innovative tactics lead to a brilliant victory for the Empire, though he experiences a setback the following year at Callinicum. Despite this, Belisarius returns to Constantinople, ready to serve Justinian during major rioting instigated by Hippodrome factions—the Greens and Blues.

The riots escalate, leading to calls for a new emperor. It’s Theodora’s declaration that emboldens Justinian, allowing for Belisarius and general Mundus to crush the revolt. Justinian’s throne is secured, thanks to Theodora and Belisarius.

Chapter 6: The Campaign Against The Vandals 🚢

With peace in the east, Justinian turns westward to reclaim Rome’s lost provinces from the Vandals. Under Belisarius’s command, a multi-faceted army—including Hun and Heruli mercenaries—sails from Constantinople. Upon landing in North Africa, Belisarius enforces strict discipline to win support from local populations. Engaging in modest skirmishes, he quickly routes Vandal forces and takes their capital, Carthage, thanks to strategic military maneuvers and internal dissent among his enemies.

Chapter 7: The Ostrogothic War 💀

Upon the assassination of Amalasuntha, daughter of Theoderic the Great, Justinian finds his justification for war. Belisarius is dispatched to Italy to reclaim former Roman territories from the Ostrogothic Kingdom. Despite initial successes, he faces formidable resistance and treacherous politics within Roman high command, leading to the tragic loss of Milan.

Narses, sent by Justinian to command Roman forces, eventually assumes supreme authority after infighting with Belisarius’s aides. Despite a shaky alliance, they manage to relieve Ariminum and outmaneuver the Goths.

Chapter 8: Belisarius’s Second Italian Campaign 🏰

Belisarius returns to Italy to save Rome under dire conditions. With Totila commanding the Goths, Belisarius finds himself outnumbered and undermined by a lack of supplies. Despite his best efforts, he eventually withdraws due to compounded strategic and health issues. His recall from Italy signifies the end of his illustrious career, overshadowed by the successes of Narses who eventually clinches a Roman victory.

Chapter 9: Belisarius’s Final Stand 🤺

In 559, Belisarius is again summoned to defend Constantinople against the Kutrigurs. With a small force of veterans and volunteers, he successfully repels the invaders, highlighting his enduring strategic prowess. However, his triumph is short-lived as he falls from favor due to alleged involvement in a conspiracy. After a temporary disgrace, his status is restored but without the power he once wielded.

Chapter 10: The Legacy of Belisarius 🏛️

Belisarius lives out his final years as a patrician and advisor until his death in 565. Despite a career marked by military genius and loyalty, he often found himself at odds with his emperor and subjected to political machinations. Justinian’s death follows soon after, leaving behind a temporarily expanded, but unsustainable, empire. The mismanagement by his successors soon leads to the decline foreseen by Justinian’s critics.

In retrospect, Justinian’s reign and Belisarius’s campaigns showcased the apex of Rome’s military and strategic capabilities. Belisarius proved that loyalty, intellect, and dynamic leadership could defy insurmountable odds, earning him the epithet “Last Roman.”

This narrative of Belisarius underscores the transient nature of power and the importance of virtue in the face of adversity. Through strategic acumen and unyielding loyalty, he carved his place in history, exemplifying the resilience of the Roman spirit even in the twilight of its empire.