Belisarius: The Last Roman General (53 page)

547     The Goths leave Rome, after which the city is again occupied by Belisarius. Totila wins battle in Campania. The Byzantines retake Ceuta from the Visigoths.

548     Totila blockades Roscianum and defeats Belisarius’
comitatus
in battle. Death of Theodora wife of Justinian (June 28). Belisarius is recalled to Constantinople. The Visigothic king Theudis is assassinated by
Theudegisel. Death of the Frankish king, Theudibert.

549     Byzantine-Persian War in the east. Totila lays siege to Rome. Sclaveni invade Balkans. The Visigothic king Theudegisel is assassinated and succeeded by Agila.

550     Justinian orders Germanus to Italy, after marriage to Witigis’ widow Matasuintha. En route, Germanus defeats a Slav invasion of the Balkans, but then dies of illness. The unpaid garrison of Rome surrender. Totila invades Sicily, Artabanes retakes Sicily. Bessas lays siege to Petra in Lazica.

551     Narses appointed as commander in Italy. Totila’s fleet raids Greece. Ancona blockaded by the Goths: Byzantines win naval battle off Senigallia and siege raised. Goths capture Sardinia and defeat a Byzantine expedition sent to retake the island. First embassy of the Avars reaches Constantinople.

552     Narses invades Italy: at the Battle of Taginae Totila is defeated and killed. Teias made King of the Goths. Narses besieges Cumae. Byzantine army under Liberius lands in Spain to support the Visigoth rebel Athanagild. Beginning of reconquest of south of Spain for the Empire.

553     Teias defeated and killed by Narses at the Battle of Mons Lactarius. A combined Franco-Alamannic army (under Lothar and Butilin) invades Italy and defeats Narses’ Herul allies. Byzantines take Lucca. Cumae surrenders to Byzantines.

554     Lothar defeated and dies: Narses beats Butilin at Casilinum.

555     Surrender of Gothic force at Campsa. Byzantines capture Cartagena in Spain.

556     Jews and Samaritans riot.

558     Recurrence of plague in Byzantine Empire.

559     Huns invade Balkans: Belisarius defeats Hunnic force at Melantas.

561     Byzantine-Persian peace treaty. Byzantine conquest of Italy complete.

562     Kutrigurs invade Balkans.

563     Narses defeats rebellion of Amingus the Frank and Widin the Goth in North Italy. Moorish revolt in Africa.

565     Sindual the Herul rebels in Italy: hanged by Narses. Death of Belisarius (March). Death of Justinian (November).

568     Lombards invade Italy.

Appendix II

Select Personalities

To list all of the people involved in Belisarius’ wars would take an entire book in itself. This list only includes those whose stories are deemed worthy of inclusion, and also the majority of those called John, in order to help clear any confusion by the repetition of the name.

al-Mundhir
       King of the Lakhmids and ally of the Persians.

Amalasuintha
       ‘Queen’ of the Ostrogoths, daughter of Theoderic the Great. Guardian and regent for her son Athalaric, who succeeded Theoderic. She then attempted to maintain control by allying herself with her cousin Theodahad, the next in line to the throne, but he ignored their agreement and had her imprisoned and killed.

Ammatus
       Brother of Gelimer, king of the Vandals. On Gelimer’s orders he killed Hilderic, whose throne Gelimer had usurped. Killed at the Battle of Ad Decimum.

Antonina
       Wife of Belisarius. Said by Procopius to be of very low birth, at the time of her marriage to Belisarius she already had a son, Photius, and a daughter (who married Ildiger). Antonina and Belisarius had only one daughter, Joannina. She outlived Belisarius though the date of her death is unknown.

Aratius
       An Armenian, brother of Narses and Isaac, with Narses defeated Belisarius in an unnamed battle in the east before defecting to the Byzantines and serving alongside Belisarius.

Arethas
       King of the Ghassanids and ally of the Byzantines, Arethas fought alongside Belisarius in the east before deceiving Belisarius in 541. They never met again.

Artabanes
       An Armenian who served Khusrow before deserting to the Romans. Due to his ability and previous rank, rose quickly within the Byzantine hierarchy. Annoyed with Justinian over his inability to marry Praeiecta, Justinian’s niece, he joined a conspiracy against Justinian. Although the plot was uncovered, Artabanes was later appointed in command of troops in Sicily and under Narses the Eunuch.

Artabazes
       An Armenian who surrendered Sisauranon to Belisarius before being sent to serve in Italy. Led the (failed) attempt on Verona and was later fatally wounded fighting in single combat prior to the Battle of Faventia.

Athalaric
       Grandson of Theoderic the Great, succeeded his grandfather in 526 aged c.8. Seemingly ignored by his mother Amalasuintha (acting as regent), he was the centre of an opposition to her policies. Despite his extreme youth, he took part in epic drinking bouts and died of alcohol abuse in 534, aged c.16.

Belisarius
       Born c.500; died 565.

Bessas
       Served alongside Belisarius in Italy, after being sent into northern Italy, he delayed his return to join Belisarius in Rome and was nearly caught by the Goths at Narnia. Served in the defence of Rome at the Praenestine Gate. Was defeated in battle by the Goths after Belisarius’ recall and thereafter stayed in Rome. He repeatedly failed to sally when outside attempts to raise the siege of Rome were made. He allegedly made money selling food at high prices during the siege, but was forced to leave this behind when the city fell to Totila.

Buzes
       Fought in the Battle of Dara but missed Callinicum due to illness. After 540 shared command in the east with Belisarius until in 542 he and Belisarius were accused of attempting to replace Justinian (who had caught the plague) without reference to Theodora. Remained in prison for two years and four months. Later served as
magister utriusque militum
in the east.

Constantinianus
       Sent by Justinian to defend Salona in Illyricum, took control of Dalmatia and Illyricum and defended it against Gothic attack. His presence forced the Goths to fight a war on at least two fronts.

Constantinus
       General serving under Belisarius in Italy, showed himself a capable commander and was in charge of the Porta Flaminia during the siege. He was unable to control his troops during the Battle of Rome and the ensuing Gothic counter-attack resulted in his defeat. Alleged to have stolen two daggers from a native Italian, contrary to Belisarius’ policy; he refused to surrender them and, in fear of his life, attempted to stab Belisarius. He was arrested and executed, a deed that Procopius claims was the only stain on Belisarius’ reputation.

Cyprian
       Served under Belisarius in Italy. Left behind in Italy after Belisarius’ recall, he was presumably one of the commanders who failed to act as Gothic power revived. In 545 he refused to surrender Perugia to Totila and was murdered by one of his own guards, who had been bribed by Totila.

Dorotheus
       The
magister militum per Armenian.
Twice defeated the Persians in 530, and again in 531, before driving a Sabir Hun attack back through the Caucasus. In 533 was sent under Belisarius to attack the Vandals. His death in Sicily caused mourning throughout the army.

Ebrimuth
       Commander of the Gothic forces in South Italy. Surrendered to Belisarius on his arrival.

Eraric
       Made king of the Goths in 541, he was assassinated after a rule of five months.

Gelimer
       King of the Vandals; usurped the throne from Hilderic after defeating the Moors and gaining an alliance with them. Facing the Byzantine assault under Belisarius, he was defeated at Ad Decimum, then rallied the surviving Goths only to lose again at Tricamerum. Was taken captive to Constantinople and made obeisance to Justinian before retiring to estates in Galatia.

Germanus
       Nephew or cousin of Justinian, he was a capable general who was given irregular commands within the empire, for example to deal with the African mutiny. Following the Gothic recovery after the final departure of Belisarius, he married Witigis’ widow Matasuintha before making preparations for the invasion. He died of an illness before the attack could begin.

Godas
       A (Gothic) slave of King Gelimer who was put in command of Sardinia. Revolted and appealed to Justinian for aid. Killed by Tzazon before the aid could arrive.

Herodian
       Served under Belisarius in Italy. After serving loyally throughout the campaign, he surrendered Spolitium to Totila in 545 – allegedly in fear of reprisals from Belisarius.

Hilderic
       King of the Vandals, deposed by Gelimer and killed by Ammatus.

Ildibadus
       Made king of the Goths in 540 after the defeat and capture of Witigis, he offered the crown to Belisarius. After a promising start, he fell out with Uraias, who he then murdered. He was then killed in turn by one of his own bodyguards.

Ildiger
       Son-in-law of Antonina, wife of Belisarius, travelled to Africa with Belisarius but stayed behind when Belisarius was recalled. Took part in the Battle of Scala Veterae before joining Belisarius in Italy, where, during the siege of Rome, he defeated a Gothic assault on the Porta Pinciana. Accompanied Belisarius on his recall to Constantinople.

Isaac
       Brother of Narses and Aratius. When they renounced Persia and joined Justinian, he negotiated the surrender of Bolum – a fortress he was commanding – to the Byzantines. He joined Belisarius for his second campaign in Italy. Left to guard Portus, he abandoned his post and attacked a nearby Gothic camp. In the ensuing fight he was captured and later executed by Totila.

John the Armenian
       An Armenian, he was sent ahead of the main force to scout prior to the battle of Ad Decimum. Later, he was dispatched with the cavalry and appears to have been in control of the deployment and possibly of the strategy used during the Battle of Tricamerum. Ordered to pursue Gelimer, he was on the verge of capturing the Vandal king when he died after being accidentally shot by one of his own men

John the
Cappadocian
       Promoted by Justinian, he earned the hatred of the citizens of Constantinople, who demanded his removal during the Nika Riots. Reinstated, he continued in power until his enemy Theodora manufactured a plot against Justinian in which he was implicated. Forced into exile, he was recalled by Justinian after the death of Theodora, although not given the same power as previously.

John the Glutton
       One of the officers of Belisarius’ bodyguard, he served under Belisarius in Italy and went with him to the east. In 541 he was sent with Arethas and Trajan on a probe into Persia. Tricked by Arethas, he returned to Byzantine territory with much booty without orders from Belisarius. In 542 he was one of the men who accused Belisarius of complicity in the refusal to accept a candidate for emperor chosen in Constantinople (ie by Theodora) as Justinian had contracted the plague. He later took part in Narses’ expedition against the Goths.

John nephew of
Vitalianus
       A close friend of Narses the eunuch, he was sent to reinforce Belisarius in Italy in 537. Used extensively by Belisarius during and after the siege of Rome, he was sent to garrison Ariminum but later refused to leave despite orders from Belisarius after the arrival in Italy of Narses. The army was forced to relieve the siege and John thanked Narses, rather than Belisarius or Ildiger (who was first to the city). After Belisarius had been recalled, John remained in Italy and was criticised for mounting only passive resistance to Totila. The rift between Belisarius and John was never healed and he later refused to follow Belisarius’ orders in Belisarius’ second campaign in Italy. Later, he accompanied Narses on his successful expedition against the Goths.

Justin
       Byzantine Emperor (518-527).

Justinian
       Byzantine Emperor (527-565).

Kavadh
       Sasanid Persian King (531-579).

Khusrow
       Nicknamed Anushirvan (The Immortal Soul), Sasanid Persian King (531-579).

Marcellus
       High-ranking officer who first served with Belisarius in Africa, fighting at the Battles of Ad Decimum and Tricamerum. He was killed along with Cyril by Stotzas, during the African mutiny.

Martinus
¹
       One of the commanders of
foederati
that served in Africa, he took part in the campaign alongside Belisarius. After victory he remained in Africa during the mutiny before being recalled and sent to Italy with reinforcements for Belisarius, where he took part in the Battle of Rome. He then took an active part in the conquest of Italy, in the later stages being paired with John nephew of Vitalian – possibly in an attempt to control John, who was never comfortable following Belisarius’ orders. Thanks to his loyalty and military ability, after Belisarius was stripped of his rank in 542, Martinus was made
magister
militum per Onentem,
fighting Khusrow in the east. He had varying fortunes but his final victory (allegedly over a 60,000-strong Persian army) helped secure the Peace Treaty of 560/561.