533–554 CEReputable sourceWell documented
Belisarius and the Reconquest
On the timeline · around 533–554 CE ·
What happened
Justinian's brilliant general Belisarius carried out the emperor's dream of reconquest. In 533–534 he destroyed the Vandal kingdom of North Africa, and from 535 he led the long, grinding Gothic War to retake Italy, capturing Rome and Ravenna. Byzantine armies also won a foothold in southern Spain.
Why it matters
Belisarius restored much of the old Western empire to Roman rule, if only briefly, and ranks among the greatest generals of late antiquity. But the wars devastated Italy and drained the treasury, and the gains proved impossible to hold.
Sources
- World History Encyclopedia. Belisarius · Reputable source