In March 538 AD, the Ostrogoths, who had been besieging Rome for over a year, finally retreated northward. The Eastern Roman general, Flavius Belisarius, who had skillfully defended the city, seized the opportunity to strike. As the Gothic army crossed the Salarian Bridge, Belisarius launched a fierce attack, resulting in a decisive victory for the Romans. This marked a significant turning point in the battle for Rome.
Meanwhile, in Constantinople, Emperor Justinian had just completed the construction of the Hagia Sophia, a symbol of divine support for his reign. With this achievement, he set his sights on reclaiming Italy, the heartland of the ancient Roman Empire. However, internal divisions within his own ranks threatened to undermine this grand objective.
In 538, Milan, known as Mediolanum, was Italy’s largest and most prosperous city. Its citizens desired reunification with the Empire, prompting Belisarius to send a small force to support them. They successfully defeated local Gothic forces and entered Milan triumphantly. However, in central Italy, Belisarius faced a dilemma. His trusted general, John, had taken Ariminum with 2,000 elite cavalry but was now at risk of being trapped by the advancing Ostrogoth army led by King Vitigis.
Belisarius ordered reinforcements to relieve John, but John refused to follow orders, choosing instead to fortify his position. This insubordination endangered the entire campaign, as Ariminum was soon under siege. Despite initial success in repelling the Gothic assault, John’s supplies dwindled, putting his troops in jeopardy.
Belisarius faced a tough decision: risk losing valuable troops or leave Gothic garrisons in his rear. He opted for a cautious advance, which initially succeeded as Gothic forces surrendered without resistance. However, the arrival of 7,000 Roman reinforcements led by Narses, a powerful advisor to Justinian, complicated matters. Belisarius convened a council of war to decide the next steps, but disagreements arose, particularly between Narses and Belisarius.
As John’s situation became dire, the council agreed to attempt a rescue. A coordinated operation forced Vitigis to abandon the siege of Ariminum. However, tensions between Belisarius and Narses grew, fueled by John’s loyalty to Narses. This division within the Roman command structure threatened the campaign’s success.
In the north, Milan faced a dire situation. Besieged by the Goths and Burgundians, its citizens were starving. Belisarius ordered a relief force, but internal disagreements delayed action. By the time support was organized, it was too late. Milan fell, its male population slaughtered, and the city was plundered. This tragedy highlighted the consequences of a divided command.
Shocked by the fall of Milan, Justinian recalled Narses, leaving Belisarius in sole command. The war-torn northern Italy faced famine, and the Frankish army, led by King Theodebert, withdrew due to lack of supplies. Belisarius continued his campaign, besieging Gothic strongholds and eventually securing their surrender.
With his rear secured, Belisarius advanced on Ravenna, the Gothic capital. Despite its strong defenses, the Roman forces tightened their grip. A grain shipment was intercepted, and a fire broke out in the city’s granary, weakening the Gothic position. Vitigis, in despair, opened negotiations for surrender.
Belisarius refused a generous treaty offered by imperial envoys, sensing complete victory was near. The Goths, suspicious of the treaty, secretly offered to make Belisarius Emperor of the West. He declined, focusing on ending the war swiftly. Ravenna’s gates were opened, and Belisarius entered the city without violence, ensuring a peaceful transition.
Despite his triumph, Belisarius’s actions left the Goths feeling betrayed. He was recalled to Constantinople, taking with him the Gothic treasury and prisoners. Meanwhile, King Vitigis had sought Persian aid against the Eastern Roman Empire, prompting Justinian to call upon Belisarius once more to defend the empire’s eastern frontier.
Engage in a role-playing debate where you take on the roles of key figures such as Justinian, Belisarius, and Narses. Discuss and argue Justinian’s ambitions to reclaim Italy and the internal strife that threatened these goals. Consider the perspectives and motivations of each character to understand the complexity of leadership and decision-making during this period.
Analyze a detailed map of Italy during the Gothic War. Identify key locations such as Rome, Milan, and Ravenna. Discuss the strategic importance of each site and how Belisarius’s military tactics influenced the outcome of the siege of Rome. Use this exercise to enhance your understanding of military strategy and geography’s role in historical conflicts.
Conduct a case study on the fall of Milan. Examine the factors that led to its downfall, including internal disagreements and delayed actions. Discuss the consequences of divided command and how it impacted the Roman campaign. Reflect on how similar issues can affect modern organizations and leadership.
Write a short story or diary entry from the perspective of Belisarius during a critical moment in the campaign, such as the siege of Ravenna. Focus on his thoughts, emotions, and strategic decisions. This activity will help you explore historical empathy and gain insights into the challenges faced by historical figures.
Participate in a group discussion about the legacy of Belisarius. Consider his military achievements, leadership style, and the impact of his actions on the Eastern Roman Empire. Debate whether his legacy should be viewed as one of triumph or betrayal, and discuss how history judges leaders based on their successes and failures.
**Sanitized Transcript:**
March, 538 AD. Rome. After more than a year, the Ostrogoths have abandoned their siege of the city and are marching north. Eastern Roman general Flavius Belisarius, who has masterminded Rome’s defense, has one parting gift. He waits until half the Gothic army has crossed the Salarian Bridge, then attacks with every man he has. The fighting is desperate. The Gothic rearguard tries to hold back the Romans but they are overwhelmed. Those who cannot cross the bridge are either killed or drown in the river. It’s a final, bloody victory in the battle for Rome.
In Constantinople, the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, Emperor Justinian has just overseen the construction of the magnificent cathedral of Hagia Sophia – Holy Wisdom. Now, with divine backing, he’s poised to complete another great objective – the reconquest of Italy, the Roman Empire’s ancient heartland. However, the Emperor himself will help to sow seeds of division among his own armies, undermining his greatest general and paving the way for the destruction of one of Europe’s great cities.
In 538, Italy’s largest and most prosperous city is not Rome or Ravenna, but Milan, known to the Romans as Mediolanum. Its citizens wish to be reunited with the Empire, and at the Bishop of Milan’s request, Belisarius sends a small force to aid them. They defeat local Gothic forces at Ticinum and enter Milan in triumph. But in central Italy, Belisarius faces a dilemma. One of his best generals, John, nephew of Vitalian, has taken Ariminum with 2,000 elite cavalry. Now King Vitigis and the Ostrogoth army are marching from Rome and will soon trap him in the city.
Belisarius orders two trusted officers to get there first with infantry reinforcements. They are to swap places with John and his valuable cavalry, freeing them up for mobile operations. But when the reinforcements arrive at Ariminum, John refuses to obey Belisarius’s orders. Instead, he adds the infantry to his own force and prepares to hold the city. Within days, John is cut off and under siege. The Goths make their first assault with a giant siege tower. In heavy fighting, the Romans beat them back, but John does not have enough supplies to hold out for long.
John’s insubordination puts Belisarius’s entire campaign in peril. He risks losing some of his best troops if Ariminum falls. However, a dash north risks leaving several strong Gothic garrisons in his rear, including 10,000 experienced Gothic warriors at Auximum. Belisarius’s advance meets with early success, as the Goths at Tudera and Clusium surrender without a fight. As he ponders his next move, news arrives that 7,000 Roman reinforcements have landed near Firmium. Belisarius marches to join them and meet with their commander, Narses the Eunuch, one of the most powerful men in the empire and Justinian’s closest advisor.
Belisarius has military command in Italy, but he cannot simply issue orders to someone as important as Narses. So he convenes a council of war, seeking agreement on the way forward. Belisarius’s officers argue that John has only himself to blame for his fate and that they should not risk the army to save him. But Narses, who is close to John, thinks differently. He argues that if John is captured, it will affect the entire fortune of the war.
As the council meets, a message arrives from John. His men are starving, and unless relieved, he must surrender in seven days. It is agreed that an attempt must be made to rescue John and his troops. In an elaborate operation, 1,000 troops are left to cover the Gothic garrison at Auximum. One force will advance straight up the coastal road, another will move up by sea, and Belisarius and Narses will march inland, approaching from the west. The plan works perfectly. Vitigis receives reports of Roman forces closing in from all directions. Fearing encirclement, he abandons the siege and hurriedly withdraws to his capital, Ravenna.
However, despite their success, all is not well in the Roman camp. When Belisarius invites John to thank those who’ve come to his rescue, John announces that his only debt is to Narses. His words fuel the growing distrust between Belisarius and Narses. The chain of command among Eastern Roman generals is not always clear, and decisions often take months to refer back to the Emperor. This system may hinder overmighty generals who are tempted to challenge Justinian’s rule.
John and other discontented officers begin to encourage Narses to oppose Belisarius. When Belisarius reveals his plan to methodically eliminate the Gothic strongholds in central Italy, Narses objects, proposing an immediate advance into Aemilia to seize more territory from the Goths. Frustrated, Belisarius produces a letter from the Emperor stating that Narses is not to command the army. Narses replies that Belisarius’s strategy is not in the interest of the Republic.
The army splits into two factions, each pursuing its own strategy. Fortunately for the Romans, Vitigis in Ravenna fails to exploit this situation. Belisarius is able to take Urbino when its well unexpectedly fails. Narses sends John to capture Forum Cornelii in Aemilia. But in the north, a storm is brewing. Milan is held by just 300 Roman troops and its citizen militia. The Goths have reacted swiftly to its loss, and the city is now besieged by Uraias, the king’s nephew, supported by a large force of Burgundians sent by Theodebert, King of the Franks.
By winter, Milan is starving. Its people are eating whatever they can find. Belisarius, besieging Urvivento, orders a force to march to the city’s aid. But when its commanders learn of the size of the Burgundian force, they halt at the River Po and refuse to go further without support from John and his troops in Aemilia. By now, John only obeys orders from Narses. By the time Belisarius has written to Narses and persuaded him of the urgency of the situation, it is too late. The garrison of Milan ignores their commander’s plea to die like heroes and negotiates their own surrender, abandoning the civilians to their fate.
The Goths and Burgundians slaughter every male they can find in the city. Women and children are taken as captives. One of the greatest cities in Italy is plundered and destroyed. The destruction of Milan is the direct consequence of a divided Roman high command. Shocked into action, Justinian recalls Narses to Constantinople. Belisarius once more has sole command in Italy. The northern part of the country has now been ravaged by two years of war, with no harvests gathered. Vitigis cannot campaign without supplies and remains in Ravenna.
Roman forces can be supplied by sea, but in the countryside, Italian peasants begin to starve. Procopius estimates that famine claims many lives, with bodies left unburied and rumors of cannibalism. When King Theodebert leads a Frankish army into northern Italy, he finds a wasteland. His army, unable to find supplies and decimated by disease, quickly withdraws. The war continues as Belisarius besieges the Gothic strongholds at Faesulae and Auximum. Eventually, the garrisons of both are starved into surrender, and Belisarius grants them generous terms.
With his rear secure, he begins his advance on Ravenna. Reinforcements from Dalmatia approach from the north. Ravenna is protected by a lagoon and marshes along the coast. It is strongly held, but the Roman noose is tightening. A vital grain shipment is intercepted, and a mysterious fire breaks out in the city’s granary. Vitigis puts hope in his nephew Uraias, approaching with a relief force, but when the troops learn that their strongholds have gone over to the Romans, they leave for home. In despair, Vitigis agrees to open negotiations.
Imperial envoys arrive from Constantinople, but the treaty they offer is so generous that Belisarius refuses to sign it, believing he’s on the cusp of complete victory. Without Belisarius’s endorsement, the Goths regard the treaty with suspicion. Sidelining King Vitigis, Gothic nobles send their own delegation to Belisarius, with a secret offer to make him Emperor of the West if he guarantees their security. Belisarius swears only that no harm will come to the Goths if they surrender.
The gates of the city are opened, and Belisarius marches into Ravenna at the head of his troops. He ensures grain arrives in the city quickly and tells the Gothic warriors to disperse back to their homes. There is no plundering of private property, and no violence. Belisarius has triumphed, but it will soon emerge that he is not playing straight with the Goths.
Days pass, and the Goths await an announcement from Belisarius that he will crown himself Emperor of the West. It never comes. Belisarius has no intention of betraying the Emperor. He’s allowed the Goths to think that he’ll accept their offer, only to end the war as swiftly as possible. The Goths begin to feel they’ve been tricked and betrayed. Suspicions are confirmed when Belisarius is recalled to Constantinople, leaving with the Gothic treasury and his prisoners, including Vitigis.
One of Vitigis’s last acts as king had been to send secret agents to the court of King Khosrow in Persia, pleading for aid against the Eastern Roman Empire. Khosrow, seeing Justinian strip his eastern frontier of troops, now sets his sights on Antioch, the second city of the Empire. Justinian believes only one man can stop him – Belisarius.
Thank you to our video sponsor Fishing Clash. Don’t forget you can download the game using the link in our video description. Thanks to Legendarian for providing our gameplay footage. Check out his YouTube channel for more videos on this period. Thank you also to Professor David Parnell of Indiana University Northwest, our series consultant. You can follow David on Twitter or via the link in our video description. And thank you to all the Epic History TV Patreon supporters, who make this channel possible.
Belisarius – A prominent general of the Byzantine Empire under Emperor Justinian I, known for his successful military campaigns against the Goths and Vandals. – Belisarius played a crucial role in the Byzantine reconquest of Italy, demonstrating his strategic prowess in battles against the Goths.
Goths – A group of East Germanic tribes known for their role in the fall of the Western Roman Empire and their subsequent establishment of kingdoms in Italy and Spain. – The Goths were instrumental in the decline of Roman power, culminating in the sack of Rome in 410 AD.
Milan – A significant city in northern Italy that has historically been a center of political power, culture, and commerce, especially during the Roman Empire and the Renaissance. – During the reign of Emperor Diocletian, Milan became one of the capitals of the Roman Empire, reflecting its strategic importance.
Justinian – Byzantine Emperor from 527 to 565 AD, known for his ambitious efforts to reconquer lost Western Roman territories and his codification of Roman law. – Justinian’s legal reforms, encapsulated in the Corpus Juris Civilis, had a lasting impact on the legal systems of many modern European nations.
Empire – A large political unit or state, usually under a single leader, that controls many peoples or territories. – The Roman Empire at its height encompassed vast territories across Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East, influencing countless cultures and societies.
Ariminum – An ancient city on the Adriatic coast of Italy, known today as Rimini, which was strategically significant during the Roman Empire. – Ariminum served as a crucial military base for Roman legions during their campaigns in the Italian Peninsula.
Siege – A military operation in which forces surround a town or fortress with the aim of compelling the surrender of those inside. – The siege of Constantinople in 1453 marked the end of the Byzantine Empire and the rise of the Ottoman Empire.
Internal – Relating to the inner workings or affairs within a state or organization, often concerning domestic issues. – The internal strife within the Roman Empire, including political corruption and economic instability, contributed to its eventual decline.
Victory – The success in a battle, war, or competition, often leading to a significant change in power or status. – The victory of the Allies in World War II reshaped the global political landscape and led to the establishment of the United Nations.
Tensions – Strained relations between groups or nations, often leading to conflict or war. – The tensions between the Soviet Union and the United States during the Cold War resulted in a prolonged period of geopolitical rivalry and arms buildup.
