5 – Narses (478 AD? – 573 AD?) [Justinian I]
When discussing great Byzantine generals, Belisarius is often the first name to crop up, and with good reason. However, few ever consider the brilliant eunuch Narses who was a general at the same time as his more illustrious compatriot. There is little information about his early life other than the fact that he was a member of the Kamsarakan Armenian noble family which explains how he managed to become a commander in the Byzantine army.
No one knows precisely when or how Narses arrived in Constantinople; the first mention of him in the famous city was by Procopius in 530 AD. He had a small level of involvement in suppressing the Nika Riots of 532, and he clearly made an impression because Emperor Justinian sent him to Italy to help Belisarius in 538. The two men did not trust one another, and soon, the army was split into two camps. To avoid trouble, Justinian recalled Narses to Constantinople.
After Belisarius had enjoyed victory and then suffered defeat in Italy, the Emperor sent Narses in 551. He was originally second-in-command behind Germanus, but when the original leader died, Narses was given the role. Historians believe he received command because he was too old to rebel successfully against Justinian. Narses’ army was comprised of men from different regions and included Huns, Lombards, Persians, and Heruli. Narses was able to keep them disciplined and won a great victory over the Ostrogoths at the Battle of Sena Gallica in 551.
The following year, Narses crushed the Ostrogoths at the Battle of Taginae and soon took Rome after a short siege. He had further success at the Battle of Monte Lettere in 553 and followed it up with arguably his greatest win at the Battle of the Volturnus in 554 when he annihilated a combined Alemanni and Franks army which outnumbered his own. That autumn, he was possibly the last general to receive an official Roman triumph in Rome.
He spent the next 13 years in charge of Italy although his administration was apparently not very popular. He returned to Constantinople in 567 before retiring to Naples. Narses was persuaded to return to Rome by Pope John III and died there in around 573. Narses’ body was returned to Constantinople.