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BELISARIUS BIOGRAPHY WORKBOOK FOR GRADES 7-12 Belisarius BELISARIUS (505-565 C.E.) Few men have performed Emperor Justinian, was an equally greater achievements than this remarkable personage, capable of general, to whom it was given to be conceiving and accomplishing conqueror again and again over magnificent designs, yet withal of a nations hitherto invincible, and to mean, ungenerous, ungrateful arrest, during his own lifetime, the character. Justinian was responsible disintegration of the Roman Empire. for the codification (under He lived in the early part of the sixth Christianized conditions) of the old century of the Christian era, though Roman law (known as the Justinian the date of his birth is not certainly Code), so as to serve as the foundation known, and he was in the prime of life of jurisprudence to all the European about 530. Belisarius is believed to nations except the English; the have been the son of a peasant of building of the church of St. Sophia Thrace, probably of Slavonian descent, (Hagia Sophia); and the rolling back as his name, stripped of its classical for a time the flood that on all sides form, would belong to that language was overwhelming the ancient Empire and would be Beli-than, or the White of Rome, were all due to this prince. Prince. 2. Who ruled as emperor of the 1. Describe Belisarius’ father. Eastern Roman (Byzantine) ____________________________________ Empire during the life of ____________________________________ Belisarius? ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ For the last two centuries, the Apparently he began life as a Eastern and the Western Roman common soldier, and gradually rose by empires had been separated, though courage and ability. His master, the sometimes coalescing under one head. www.STUDENTHANDOUTS.com Page 2 Belisarius But in 476 C.E., the last titular This was the inheritance to Emperor of the West had been deposed which Justinian succeeded, in right of (Romulus Augustus at the hands of his uncle Justin, a successful soldier. the barbarian Odoacer). Italy had He was forty-five years old at the been the prey of successive swarms of time, in 527 C.E., having had an Teutonic (Germanic) nations. Vandals entirely civil and literary training. and Ostrogoths (or Eastern Goths) had And though warfare continued burst upon Rome. While the Vandals through the thirty-eight years of his proceeded to devastate the great reign, he never once appeared at the Roman province of Northern Africa head of his armies. Yet his foresight and set up a kingdom there, the Goths and ambition were great, and he had had established another in Italy. not long been on the throne before he decided on an endeavor to recover the 3. Who deposed Romulus Augustus in African provinces. 476 CE? ____________________________________ 5. Do you believe that a solely civil ____________________________________ and literary education is adequate ____________________________________ for a future emperor? Why or why ____________________________________ not? ____________________________________ Constantinople still held its ____________________________________ ground as the magnificent capital of ____________________________________ the Eastern Empire, maintaining the ____________________________________ old civilization. But its dominions ____________________________________ were threatened by the vigorous ____________________________________ Persians on the east, and on the north ____________________________________ by the Bulgarians, a nation chiefly ____________________________________ Slavonic and very savage and ____________________________________ formidable. ____________________________________ ____________________________________ 4. What city served as the capital of ____________________________________ the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) ____________________________________ Empire? ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ www.STUDENTHANDOUTS.com Page 3 Belisarius The Vandals were Arian this, as in other respects, to the great heretics, denying the Godhead and English Duke of Marlborough. Eternity of the Christian God. They had cruelly persecuted and constantly 7. Name Belisarius’ wife. oppressed the Catholics, who ____________________________________ entreated the Eastern Empire to ____________________________________ deliver them, so that religious zeal added strength to Justinian's 8. Name Justinian’s wife. ambition. The luxuries of Carthage ____________________________________ and the other African cities had in a ____________________________________ couple of generations done much to destroy the vigor of the Vandals, so Belisarius only took on this that the conjuncture was favorable. expedition 10,000 foot and 6,000 horse, picked men, with carefully 6. What religious sect (of which the selected officers, bred in the old Vandals were part) was considered Roman discipline, for he much heretical? preferred a small army whom he could ____________________________________ trust, to a large and unwieldy host. ____________________________________ His fleet amounted to 500 vessels of ____________________________________ different sizes. The expedition sailed from Belisarius had proved his Heraclea in June, 533, and one of the abilities in a dangerous retreat in the first acts of the general showed his Persian war, but he probably owed his sternness of discipline. A murder was appointment to the African expedition committed in a drunken fit by two to his wife Antonina. Antonina was Huns, and he immediately hung them the daughter of a charioteer in the both. Belisarius silenced the murmurs exhibitions of the hippodrome, which of the rest by a speech in which he were loved to a passionate, almost declared that Roman arms must be incredible degree, by the people of the carried in pure hands, and that no Eastern cities. Theodora, the wife of courage would obtain pardon for the emperor, was likewise the child of violence or insubordination. one of these competitors in the races. Both ladies were devotedly loved by 9. From where did Belisarius’ their husbands, and it was thus that expedition sail in June of 533 CE? Belisarius obtained the opportunity ____________________________________ for his career, a curious parallel in ____________________________________ www.STUDENTHANDOUTS.com Page 4 Belisarius Vocabulary Terms: Match each vocabulary term (found in the text above) with its definition. 10. _____ a distinguished or important person 11. _____ a professed believer whose religious opinions differ from those of his or her church 12. _____ act or process of arranging in a systematic form 13. _____ active, robust, and strong 14. _____ beseeched or implored 15. _____ condition or quality of being defiant to authority 16. _____ incapable of being defeated 17. _____ the act or process of deteriorating or breaking up 18. _____ the philosophy or science of law 19. _____ to grow into one body 20. _____ to make an effort or strive 21. _____ to render desolate Terms (A) coalesce (G) heretic (B) codification (H) insubordination (C) devastate (I) invincible (D) disintegration (J) jurisprudence (E) endeavor (K) personage (F) entreated (L) vigorous Belisarius landed in September violence. Indeed Gelimer, king of the at Caput Vadas, five days' distance Vandal horde, was only like an enemy from Carthage, without opposition and occupying the place. There had been with an eager welcome from the no amalgamation, and persecution natives. The natives rejoiced to be had sown seeds of bitter hatred. delivered from the Vandal oppression, Gelimer, however, marched out to and Belisarius preserved their meet the invaders, and at ten miles goodwill by hindering his soldiers from from Carthage was totally defeated, committing any act of plunder or and his brother and nephew killed. www.STUDENTHANDOUTS.com Page 5 22. Who was king of the Vandals at rival, nor could the scrupulous loyalty this time? of Belisarius disarm him. It is said ____________________________________ that Gelimer marched along, ____________________________________ repeating, "Vanity of vanities, all is ____________________________________ vanity." The next scheme of Justinian Gelimer fled into the deserts of was the recovery of Italy from the Numidia, recalling his brother who Goths. This people had never shown was putting down a revolt in Sardinia, the same savage cruelty as the and leaving the city to Belisarius, who Vandals, but had settled amicably entered on the feast of the great among the Italians, and adopted much Carthaginian martyr, St. Cyprian, of their civilization and learning. They amid the extreme joy of the populace. had recently had a truly great When the brother of Gelimer returned monarch, Theodoric, who deserves to from Sardinia there was still another rank with Alfred or Charlemagne, but battle to fight, but as usual Belisarius he had left only a daughter, conquered. Gelimer submitted and Amalasanta, a noble woman, and an received an estate in Galatia, and ally of Justinian. lived there in honor and prosperity for Amalasanta was stifled in her the
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