Count Belisarius by Robert Graves - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages... Graves relives the period which wasn’t a peaceful time for the Roman Empire; it was a time of struggle where they were threatened from all sides. They lived in fear and danger of being attacked or invaded at any time. But there was one man who fought through all the adversities and earned legendary status amongst his clan, his name was Belisarius, he was a well respected man in the community and considered a “great” by many. He was actually the Emperor Justinian's greatest general, a soldier on all fronts, always ready to fight for his people and willing to protect them at any cost.
Belisarius is renowned for his work as one of the most successful generals produced by the Byzantine army, he played a key role in the Emperor Justinian's reconstitution of the empire. Despite little or no support from his emperor he still managed to be a success and many historians consider him to be among the last Romans, initially he started his military career as a bodyguard to the emperor but later progressed through the ranks. He participated in many battles including Mesopotamia; he later travelled to Africa and defeated the rival army, then he was ordered to conquer Italy and slowly but convincingly he entered city after city with assuring results. However he wasn’t at the peak of his powers by then, largely because of the lack of trust by the emperor who feared a military coup, however he continued to serve his emperor with fierce loyalty. ...Download file to see next pagesRead More