When Belisarius left Italy in 540, he had more or less secured the entire peninsula for his master. The Goths were on the verge of total defeat. It was merely a matter of consolidating the gains and absorbing Italy into the empire. But it seemed like Justinian could not even get this simple task done right. Somehow or other, he sowed the seeds that undid all of Belisarius’s hard earned gains. If Justinian had been more prudent, he would not have created the opportunity for the Goths to rise again. Then he would not have needed to waste lives and money to retake Italy. Read on to learn how Justinian revived Gothic Italy through his folly.
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The road to peace is a bloody one. When two empires of equal strength engage in an inconclusive war, true peace only comes about when both sides have no more will to fight. With the outbreak of the plague, the war between Persia and Byzantium reached a turning point. While the plague did sap the will and strength of both parties, by itself, it wasn’t enough to end the war. What it did do was to begin a chain of events that finally led to peace. Read on to learn how the Persian war ended.
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With the return of Belisarius to the Persian front, it seemed as if he would sweep the enemy away and triumph once more. Unfortunately, good fortune was not on the side of Justinian and the empire. There were a few problems that hampered the effectiveness of the Persian campaign. As a result, Belisarius did not defeat the Persians in a resounding way. In fact, the war continued to go badly for the empire. Read on to find out the problems that hindered the Persian campaign.
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Belisarius enjoyed great prestige and respect throughout the empire for his brilliance in battle. But at the same time he was also the laughing stock of the empire. It was an open secret that his wife was carrying on an affair in public with their adopted son. Time and time again, Antonina had made a fool and a cuckold of her husband. She had brought him nothing but great shame. Although Belisarius loved her deeply, she had gone too far. Find out how he got his revenge on the adulterous couple.
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Belisarius was almost invincible in battle. He was dashing, energetic, cunning, decisive, intelligent and resourceful. Due to his brilliance, he conquered North Africa, Sicily and Italy for the Byzantine Empire. It almost seemed as if he was invincible. But every human being has at least one weakness and the great general was no exception. It was unfortunate that his one crippling weakness had the power to destroy men and ruin empires. That weakness was his deep love for his wife Antonina who did not share his fidelity.
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The Persian Shah Khusrau chose the most opportune time to invade the Byzantine Empire. With the main Byzantine army fighting in Italy, Khusrau knew he would be free to do as he wished. In any war, the final outcome is peace on the victor’s terms. Khusrau would not engage in a war without an end goal in mind. What was his goal and how would he force Justinian to comply with his terms?
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The reforms and expansion of Justinian did not go unnoticed by his enemies. The reason that Justinian could carry out his grand plans of conquest in the West was due to his good fortune. There was no one with the strength or the will to oppose him. But such good fortune would not last forever. While Justinian’s army was engaged in the West, the Shah of Persia, Khusrau, had stabilized his empire in the East. Now that he had to will to attack, all he lacked was a reason and an opportunity. Read on to find out the causes that led Khusrau to invade the Byzantine Empire.
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One of the best generals that the Byzantine Empire produced was Belisarius. Hailing from the Age of Justinian, he was vital to his master’s plans for conquest and expansion. Yet Justinian never used him fully because of jealousy and mistrust. Even so, Belisarius still managed to achieve great success despite the hindrances placed in his way. If I were Justinian, I would have treated Belisarius differently and given him my complete trust. The following are 5 reasons why I would want him to lead my armies.
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Even as an empress who enjoyed the finer things in life, Theodora never forgot her humble roots. Coming from the lowest rung of society, she knew how appalling the conditions could be for the poor and the helpless. Now that she had power, she fought hard to improve the lot of women in the empire. She would go through any lengths to change their lives for the better. Read on to find out how Theodora championed the rights of women.
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Bust of Theodora by Giovanni Dall’Orto

The Empress Theodora was not merely a consort with no real power. She ruled the Byzantine Empire jointly with her husband Justinian. It was a good arrangement because Justinian had many projects on hand which held his attention. He needed to share his power with someone whom he could trust. That person was his beloved wife Theodora, who proved to be able at handling state affairs. While Justinian busied himself with his wars and building, Theodora managed the day to day running of the empire. Find out how she used her power.
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