The Early Career of Belisarius

As with so many other prominent figures from antiquity, pretty much nothing is known about Belisarius‘ childhood or the earliest stages of his career. We know only that he was born somewhere between 500 – 505 in the town of Germana (in modern Bulgaria).

Though we cannot know for certain, Belisarius likely hailed from a relatively noble family. This would explain his rapid rise in the army, as well as Procopius‘ silence on his upbringing in the Secret History (in contrast to the vitriol directed at the mean origins of Justinian, Theodora, and Belisarius’ wife, Antonina).

Whatever the circumstances of Belisarius’ upbringing, he appears to have enlisted in the military at an early age and risen rapidly through the ranks. By the time we meet up with him in 527 A.D., he is serving as an officer in Justinian’s bodyguard. At that time, the Roman Empire was at war with the neighboring Persian Empire, and Justinian, acting as commander of the eastern campaign, sent Belisarius and Sittas into Persarmenia to plunder the countryside in retaliation to Persian attacks on the regions of Iberia and Lazica. The expedition was a success, and Belisarius and Sittas returned with booty and captives.

Byzantine Factoid

In the Byzantine Empire, there were two paths to fame, fortune, and influence. The first of the these was the military. The second was the civil service – the bureaucracy. Competition for posts was fierce, and individuals employed nearly every tool at their disposal to gain a coveted position. This usually involved family or personal influence, the recommendation of a higher ranking patron, and, of course, bribery.

By the fifth century, bribery had become so common that the emperor, Theodosius II, had it regularized and regulated by law.

Who the #$@* is Belisarius?

If you read the name Belisarius and your first thought is “Beli-who?”, don’t worry, you’re definitely not alone. Belisarius hails from a period of history oft-neglected by teachers and professors – even at the collegiate level.

To put it succinctly:

Belisarius was a general who served under the Byzantine Emperor Justinian in the mid-6th century A.D. He fought wars against Persia and, more famously, spearheaded Justinian’s campaign to reconquer the Western Roman Empire. He is widely regarded as a brilliant tactician and one of the best field commanders of the ancient and early medieval periods. The historical accounts also show that he possessed a rare streak of nobility in an age of rampant intrigue and corruption.

There’s much more to Belisarius’ story, but that will be revealed in good time.

If you’re interested in further reading, I recommend Belisarius’ wikipedia entry and this thoroughly readable account of the Siege of Rome.

A Blog of a Novel of Belisarius

Back in 2003, I embarked on writing my first novel, The Scourge of Rome, a historical set during the early years of the Second Punic War. It was a lonely, frustrating, but ultimately rewarding journey.

Now that I’m gearing up for my second novel, I thought it might be interesting to set up a dedicated blog where I could ramble on about sources, characterization, pacing, and everything else that comes along with the herculean task of writing a novel. If nothing else, it will spare friends and family from having to wade through so many writing posts over on my main blog.

I don’t know if the idea will take hold, but at the very least I think it’s a worthy experiment.