Belisarius: The Last Roman General

Hughes has written a lively and detailed account of Belisariuss remarkable career. - Adrian Goldsworthy author of The Complete Roman Army Belisarius (c. 505565 AD) was the greatest general of the Eastern Roman Empire and is among historys most notable military personalities. At the age of 29 he twice defeated the Persians and reconquered North Africa from the Vandals before going on to regain the Italian peninsula from the Ostrogoths including the Eternal City Rome. Fighting in the name of Justinian I Belisarius recaptured large portions of the original territory of the ancient Roman Empire. However Byzantium was both unwilling and incapable of retaining much of Belisariuss hard-won advances and soon after his death the empire once again retracted. In Belisarius: The Last Roman General historian Ian Hughes recounts the life of this great soldier. In addition he explains the evolution of classical Roman armies and systems of warfare into those of the Byzantine Empire as well as those of their chief enemies the Persians Goths and Vandals. Based on ancient source and drawing on a wealth of modern research Belisariuss career is set in the context of the turbulent times in which he lived and his reputation is reassessed to give a balanced portrait of this neglected giant among ancient commanders.