BELISARIUS.
533-563.
The Teutonic nations soon lost their spirit when they had settled in the
luxurious Roman cities, and as they were as fierce as ever, their kings
tore one another to pieces. A very able Emperor, named Justinian, had
come to the throne in the East, and in his armies there had grown up a
Thracian who was one of the greatest and best generals the world has
ever seen. His name was Belisarius, and strange to say, both he and the
Emperor had married the daughters of two charioteers in the circus
races. The Empress was named Theodora, the general's wife Antonina, and
their acquaintance first made Belisarius known to Justinian, who, by his
means, ended by winning back great part of the Western Empire.
He began with Africa, where Genseric's grandson was reigning over the
Vandals, and paying so little heed to his defences that Belisarius
landed without any warning, and called all the multitudes of old Roman
inhabitants to join him, which they joyfully did. He defeated the
Vandals in battle, entered Carthage, and restored the power of the
empire. He brought away the golden candlestick and treasures of the
Temple, and the cross believed to be the true one, and carried them to
Constantinople, whence the Emperor sent them back to the Church of the
Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem.
Just as Belisarius had returned to Constantinople, a piteous entreaty
came to Justinian from Amalosontha, the daughter of Theodoric, who had
been made prisoner by Theodotus, the husband she had chosen. It seemed
to be opening a way for getting back Italy, and Justinian sent off
Belisarius; but before he had sailed, the poor Gothic queen had been
strangled in her bath. Belisarius, however, with 4500 horse and 3000
foot soldiers, landed in Sicily and soon conquered the whole island, all
the people rejoicing in his coming. He then crossed to Rhegium, and laid
siege to Naples. As usual, the inhabitants were his friends, and one of
them showed him the way to enter the city through an old aqueduct which
opened into an old woman's garden.
[Illustration: NAPLES.]
Theodotus was a coward as well as a murderer, and fled away, while a
brave warrior named Vitiges was proclaimed king by the Goths at Rome.
But with the broken walls and all the Roman citizens against him,
Vitiges thought it best not to try to hold out against Belisarius, and
retreated to Ravenna, while Rome welcomed the Eastern army as
deliverers. But Vitiges was collecting an army at Ravenna, and in three
months was besieging Rome again. Never had there been greater bravery
and patience than Vitiges showed outside the walls of Rome, and
Belisarius inside, during the summer of 536. There was a terrible famine
within; all kinds of strange food were used in scanty measure, and the
Romans were so impatient of suffering, that Belisarius was forced to
watch them day and night to prevent them betraying him to the enemy.
Indeed, while the siege lasted a whole year, nearly all the people of
Rome died of hunger and wretchedness; and the Goths, in the unhealthy
Campagna around, died of fevers and agues, until they, too, had all
perished except a small band, which Vitiges led back to Ravenna, whither
Belisarius followed him, besieged him, made him prisoner, and carried
him to Constantinople. Justinian gave him an estate where he could live
in peace.
[Illustration: CONSTANTINOPLE.]
The Moors in Africa revolted, and Belisarius next went to subdue them.
While he was there, the Goths in Italy began to recover from the blow he
had given them, and chose a brave young man named Totila to be their
king. In a very short time he had won back almost all Italy, for there
really were hardly any men left, and even Justinian had only two small
armies to dispose of, and those made up of Thracians and Isaurians from
the shores of the Black Sea. One of these was sent with Belisarius to
attack the Goths, but was not strong enough to do more than just hold
Totila in check, and Justinian would not even send him all the help
possible, because he dreaded the love the army bore to him. After four
years of fighting with Totila he was recalled, and a slave named Narces,
who had always lived in the women's apartment in the palace, was sent to
take the command. He was really able and skilled, and being better
supported, he gained a great victory near Rome, in which Totila was
killed, and another near Naples, which quite overcame the Ostrogoths, so
that they never became a power again. Italy was restored to the Empire,
and was governed by an officer from Constantinople, who lived at
Ravenna, and was called the Exarch.
Belisarius, in the meantime, was sent to fight with the king of Persia,
Chosroës, a very warlike prince, who had overrun Syria and carried off
many prisoners from Antioch. Belisarius gained victory after victory
over him, and had just driven him back over the rivers, when again came
a recall, and Narses was sent out to finish the war. Theodora, the
Empress, wanted to reign after her husband, and had heard that, on a
report coming to the army of his death, Belisarius had said that he
should give his vote for Justin, the right heir. So she worked on the
fears all Emperors had--that their troops might proclaim a successful
general as Emperor, and again Belisarius was ordered home, while Narses
was sent to finish what he had begun.
There was one more war for this great man when the wild Bulgarians
invaded Thrace, and though his soldiers were little better than timid
peasants, he drove them back and saved the country. But Justinian grew
more and more jealous of him, and, fancying untruly that he was in a
plot for placing Justin on the throne, caused him to be thrown into
prison, and sent him out from thence stripped of everything, and with
his eyes torn out. He found a little child to lead him to a church door,
where he used to sit with a wooden dish before him for alms. When it was
known who the blind beggar was, there was such an uproar among the
people that Justinian was obliged to give him back his palace and some
of his riches; but he did not live much longer.
Though Justinian behaved so unjustly and ungratefully to this great man
and faithful servant, he is noted for better things, namely, for making
the Church of St. Sophia, or the Holy Wisdom, which Constantine had
built at Constantinople, the most splendid of all buildings, and for
having the whole body of Roman laws thoroughly overlooked and put into
order. Many even of the old heathen laws were very good ones, but there
were others connected with idolatry that needed to be done away with;
and in the course of years so many laws and alterations had been made,
that it was the study of a lifetime even to know what they were, or how
to act on them. Justinian set his best lawyers to put them all in order,
so that it might be more easy to work by them. The Roman citizens in
Greece, Italy, and all the lands overrun by the Teutonic nations were
still judged by their own laws, so that this was a very useful work; and
it was so well done that the conquerors took them up in time, and the
Roman law was the great model studied everywhere by those who wished to
understand the rules of jurisprudence, that is, of law and justice. Thus
in another way Rome conquered her conquerors.
Justinian died in 563, and was succeeded by his nephew Justin, whose
wife Sophia behaved almost as ill to Narses as Theodora had done to
Belisarius, for while he was doing his best to defend Italy from the
savage tribes who were ready at any moment to come over the Alps, she
sent him a distaff, and ordered him back to his old slavery in the
palace.