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Belisarius

Flavius
Belisarius
Belisarius mosaic.jpg
Belisarius may be this bearded figure on the right of Emperor Justinian I in the mosaic in the Church of San Vitale, Ravenna, which celebrates the reconquest of Italy by the Byzantine army. Compare Lillington-Martin (2009) page 16
Native name Βελισάριος
Born c. 505
Germane, modern-day Sapareva Banya
Died c. March 565 (age 59/60)
Rufinianae, Chalcedon
Buried at Saints Peter and Paul
Allegiance  Byzantine Empire
Service/branch Byzantine army
Rank General
Commands held Roman army in the east, land and sea expedition against the Vandal Kingdom, Roman army
Battles/wars Battle of Dara, Battle of Callinicum
Spouse(s) Antonina

Flavius Belisarius (Greek: Βελισάριος, c. 505 – 565) was a general of the Byzantine Empire. He was instrumental to Emperor Justinian's ambitious project of reconquering much of the Mediterranean territory of the former Western Roman Empire, which had been lost less than a century previously.

One of the defining features of Belisarius' career was his success despite varying levels of support from Justinian. His name is frequently given as one of the so-called "Last of the Romans".

Belisarius was probably born in Germane or Germania, a fortified town (some archaeological remains exist) on the site of present-day Sapareva Banya in south-west Bulgaria, in the borders of Thrace and Paeonia or in Germen a town in Thrace near Adrianople, nowadays in Greece. Born into an Illyrian or Thracian family of possible Gothic ancestry, he spoke Latin as a mother tongue and became a Roman soldier as a young man, serving as bodyguard of Emperor Justin I.

He came to the attention of Justin and his nephew, Justinian, as a promising and innovative officer. He was given permission by the emperor to form a bodyguard regiment (bucellarii), of heavy cavalry, which he later expanded into a personal household regiment, 1,500 strong. Belisarius' bucellarii were the nucleus around which all the armies he would later command were organized. Armed with a lance, (possibly Hunnish style) composite bow, and broadsword, they were fully armoured to the standard of heavy cavalry of the day. A multi-purpose unit, they were capable of skirmishing at a distance with bow, like the Huns; or could act as heavy shock cavalry, charging an enemy with lance and sword. In essence, they combined the best and most dangerous aspects of both of Rome's greatest enemies, the Huns and the Goths.


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