Belisarius is that one dude from a TV show that isn't the main character, but is everyone's favorite. Man, the genius of these people, even Theodora, what with her work to help women, it's just incredible that minds can work like that.
It's amazing how brilliant of a general Belisarius was... I never realized just how much of a genius he was until this series. Easily one of the greatest tactical minds of all time.
Sometimes history is way more interesting than fiction. Seriously I can't imagine what rumors came from Belisarius surviving all those arrows. I bet his men talked about it for days if not weeks.
***** Yeah, same goes for other great warriors. Like Guan Yu from the era of the Three Kingdoms Wars. He was said to be able to fight 10.000 men on his own. His sworn brother Zhang Fei apparently scared of an army of 100.000 men by merely shouting at them. Even animals there had their own history. Red Hare was supposed to be a horse that could run the length of China in one day without rest. Hex-Mark was the horse of Liu Bei, but before that belong to several kings and feudal lords that died, so it was believed that this horse brings bad luck and death to it's owner. However during the Chang Ban battle, Hex Mark managed to leap over a river canyon and carry its master, Liu Bei, to safety while archers tried to kill them. History is filled with such amazing legends and even though they seem over-hyped and unbelievable, there is always a piece of truth within these stories. :3
LordBloodySoul I agree completely, it doesn't make sense when someone can defeat 10.000 men on his/her own but (s)he at least had to be an awesome warrior to get that kind of legend. If you just look at history a little and have the talent to write you can write some awesome fictional books based on actual history.
Bulut Güner The bible is the best example. Both Moses and Jesus were actual people, but their powers and background stories were made more out of this world. Also the great flood mentioned in the bible was an actual event in history that submerged lands like Spain and Italy completely.
Oh I have, but here is the thing, Belisarius took the Eternal City,most of the western empire and held it and with less then even hannibal pound for pound. Check a book out by Basil H. Liddell Hart callled Strategy.
shikatsu Hannibal, a general who took a blood oath from his father to never be a friend of Rome, a general who encircled a larger army with a smaller army, a general who scaled the Alps in the winter time, a general who made use of elephants in his army. He could've taken all of Rome if it weren't for the fact that the Carthaginian ruler called him back to the empire.
Belisarius took an unguarded city, from a kingdom that was several times smaller than Rome itself, whereas Hannibal faced the largest city in the world at the time guarded by tens of thousands of men with even more reinforcements capable of being mustered. Also while Belisarius constantly received supplies and reinforcements, the elite back in Carthage never supported Hannibal who had to rely on his own army and had to make diplomacy with Rome's allies and hire mercenaries (who aren't as good compared to regular soldiers). You seem to forget the two faced completely different enemies and circumstances. So you, are wrong.
But all this still doesn't compare to Subutai, who conquered 32 states over the course of 20 campaigns, during which he conquered more land than any other general (granted, large amount of this land were pretty barren, but other areas were still rich), not to mention the nearly supernatural ability to command two armies at once which were hundreds of kilometers apart, the most famous of these instances were when destroyed the Armies of Poland and Hungary in two separate battles two days from each other that were 500 km apart. That's nearly the distance from Southern Italy to Rome.
I think this episode sets Belisarius to the status of "Magnificent Bastard": 25% engineer, 25% civil leader, 25% improviser, 100% balls... and this series should be called Justinian and Belisarius. I mean, damn.
That's debatable whether her major peptalks overshadows his consistently amazing generalship. But many of these episodes are almost entirely about Belisarius and his actions, and it would be a better label to include him.
HeeminGamin After running through dying men and mud, even your mother will not recognize you from the hight of the walls. It's not like you can show an ID card to them or something. He could only prove himself in action.
I almost find myself wanting the series to end here just to end on a happy note for our three main characters. But history doesn't have neat and tidy endings. Bring on more.
Sometimes the endings are neat and tidy in history, but I can't think of one right away. Maybe George Washington? The Chinese pirate lady (I can't recall her name) ended in a neat and tidy ride off into the sunset
Why does someone *not* make a movie outta this? Shit's got all the makings of a summer blockbuster. Of course, then you realize it'd end up like Kingdom of Heaven or Alexander...
Wait wait wait wait wait wait. He marched to take Rome with 7,500 men...AND DID IT!? Jesus effing Christ, I thought that this was when Justinian's rule would peak and start to dip! Freaking hell Belisarius!
Chauzuvoy Are you referencing Isaac Asimov's Foundation? ;-) (If not, please ignore my question.) Seriously speaking, it would depend on the situation. Justinian and Belisarius were friends and trusted each other, so turning on each other wasn't really in the cards. Even if they weren't friends, from what we can tell, Belisarius wasn't that kind of a guy to try to take the throne for himself. Capable? Yes. Ambitious? Not really. For that matter, a strong general will only look inward towards conquering his own empire if the emperor ruling it was weak. But because the particular emperor here- Justinian- is strong, any ambitious general would have to look outwards to have a realistic chance of success at some sort of conquest. TBH, it's complicated. There's ultimately a lot of other things to consider when wondering how the strong emperor/strong general dynamic works. But here, at least, it meant an emperor who could trust his general, a general whose emperor backed him up, with the result being the last great triumph of the Roman Empire.
Man, Belisarius is a freaking boss! This account of events really shows the hard work, determination, courageousness, and intelligence that went into taking Rome back. I daresay that Belisarius is the real protagonist of this story.
***** Yea, he is a bit unbalanced. I mean that luck stat of his is through the roof; I swear, he could have five guys running at him and they'd all end tripping over inconvenient mole hills.
A significant portion of Tolkien's work was based on late classical and early medieval period. Even the battle outside Minas Tirith "Battle of Pelennor Fields" is just too obvious a copy of the "Battle of Catalaunian Field" in Roman history and the deaths of Theoden in Pelennor and Theodoric in Catalaunian is just too obvious.
History truly is greater than fiction, at times. Thank you for these series of videos; as a history buff, from Japan to the British Isles, I truly love these retellings; they're captivating and informative. Belisarius truly was a man greater than men. I believe I've never seen so much agreement on one particular point or man anywhere else on the internet. Belisarius still conquers the minds of men hehe. I can't wait to see what's in store!
Belisarius seeing the siege towers, laughing at his terrified men and then killing the Ostrogothic solders pushing it with his own arrows is a true "hold my beer" moment.
***** Irrelevant, the only city sieged in this video was Rome, and Belisarius didn't have the idea to put a chain in Constantinople, so I'm safe to asume he was refering to the Rome chain, used to protect the mills during the Rome siege.
I like how this series has shown that so much of being a good general is understanding logistics and having an engineers straightforward approach to sticking into the nitty gritty details of problems. The literal "how do my/their men traverse this distance and what can I do about that?"
We should get a sequel/tangent series for all past topics! My suggestions would be: Rome: The Punic Wars --> The Fall of Carthage World War I: The Seminal Tragedy --> Otto von Bismarck Warring States Japan: Sengoku Jidai --> Hideyoshi's Invasion of Korea England: South Sea Bubble --> Prime Minister Walpole Africa: Zulu Empire --> The Boer Wars Make it happen Patreonites (After the Crusade, Yi and Justinian 2.0 series obviously)
You do realize that Admiral Yi’s naval campaigns take up literally 1/3 of the defence of Korea ( the remaining 2/3 is Ming intervention and Korean civilians/the few sane Korean land commanders putting up a resistance)? In that aspect you already got to see a lot of Hideyoshi’s invasion. Granted, the topic does really merit a series, and they really should have shown the recapture of Pyeongyang, the Japanese ambush of the Ming at Byeokjegwan and the truly epic sieges at Jinju (two sieges, actually) and Haengju (very much a case of unstoppable infantry meets immovable artillery)
Justinian & Theodora are back! Continue watching the new series where their general, Belisarius, faces fierce opposition in Italy... but not from the enemies he expected. Watch: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-oUtEJtBeCaQ.html
Every time I play Rome, I always sally out my cavalry to hit the vulnerable units climbing the ladder and those waiting for their turn. I also support them with archers but I usually use my archers to torch down rams and towers. If the enemy tried to counter charge with his cavaly, I'll just let them chase my cavalry beside the towers then my archers will pepper them.
Wait, no autocaptions on this video? How will I get my fix of Ostrogoths referred to as astronauts? Also, I wonder if, by that point, Belisarius was seen as something of a bogeyman among Ostrogoths, as he seemed unstoppable and unkillable.
***** He was. On more than one occasion, his name alone was enough to cause the enemy with a much larger army than his, to retreat at his approach. Not only with the Goths but also with the Persians led by their king himself.
stuka80 So it's not just the Ostrogoths, but with other nearby civilizations as well? Wow, that's pretty impressive. He really WAS larger than life. Were there any cases of someone using Belisarius's name to scare an opposing party without Belisarius actually being involved?
petargrad That comment on his wife xD lol. But yes...martial lord of loyalty, he reminds me of admiral Yi. Incorruptible and ready to die for his country despite questionable suppourt from his superiors. Shinning star of history.
petargrad Yeha that's probably why Theodora didn't like Belisarius, because her mind was being poisoned by his snake-wife. Come to think of it why was an empress friends with a woman who slept with her adopted son just piss off her husband xD
petargrad Yeah I know...Damn it seemed like fate was against Belisarius all the time, really amazing how he almost always came out on top. I kinda get where that 'blind begger' legend comes from. I see it as all the shit he had to put up with when he just wanted to serve his emperor and win wars for the empire, while the soldier recognising him is us today remembering him in a good light.
the seige of rome and the counter attack by Belisarius with the cavalry gave me the idea that this probably inspired Tolkien for the idea of the last charge of the rohan warriors at helms deep. its too familiar sounding not to draw some parallels.
Belasarios was WAY too smart for the era. I mean holy cow. So many times he could have said "Screw it, it's not possible. Send me some freakin' troops or this ain't happening, Justinian!". So many times he was screwed and could have died or given up or failed. And he instead won with genius. Seriously, it's almost like he deserved this series more than Justinian! XD
Seem odd that this would end here. This series is title Justinian and Theodora, but we've barely had any of the latter, and the former seemed to get usurped in the last couple of episodes by Belisarius.
TAEHSAEN The only problem with this is that I think it may be too much for one series. Certainly not that they couldn't do it, but they wouldn't be able to do it with the level of detail we love them for, and I doubt they'd be happy with it either.
PokeZelda6664 They could probably do the time between the escape from Elba to the defeat at Waterloo. A short period of time they can go into super-detail, and they can easily do other parts of Napoleon's life later if it's popular enough.
When a series makes me stop everything else I'm doing in the moment, I see a new episode appear, that series truly is a great one. Thank you Extra Credits for showing me the beauty of history. You truly are worth of supporting!
acuerdox Well yes, but I love the writing style and aesthetic this show has, it makes a sea of knowledge extremely approachable, that's what I love about this channel
labrynianrebel you know, if you like this. I recommend that you watch Dan Carlin's videos. he has a youtube channel and a webpage. check out "thor's Angels" vid
Hi EC guys! I would love to say I love your extrahistory series! I am not a game dev, just a normal person with interest in how things worked. However this extrahistory series really pulled me in since I could watch it and enjoy it without needing to be within the games industry! Thanks for doing it, keep up the good work!
I don't usually like praising military leaders as they are often artificers of massacres, sending young men to die in their stead, but I'm willing to make an exception with Bellisarius. He was willing to fight alongside his men for starters, risking his life and experiencing the same horrors of war as the rest of his troops.
I love Extra History, but nothing else, at least to myself, comes close to how fascinating and captivating the story of Byzantium is. The ambition of Justinian, the honour and genius of Belasarius.. It's all a joy to watch. Great work!
No! I want to know about the inevitable fall! The fall has to be coming soon! Also, Belisarius, certified awesome. Few people could be that great and have the unique combination of brains, wit, and balls to hold Rome with those odds.
aaronman4772 There is no fall, actually - not in the lifetime of the people in this story, anyway. After another 10 years of back-and-forth war with the Ostrogoths, Italy is pacified, and then Italy and North Africa remain in Roman hands for several more generations. Justinian and Belisarius both die peacefully of old age (in the same year, even), having restored the Roman Empire to its former glory - although they never got around to re-conquering Gaul, Britannia, and most of Hispania. Things do start going wrong eventually, and the Roman Empire is shattered, but that happens in the next century, long after everyone in this story is dead.
Veshgard You're putting a hilariously positive spin on what is a rather terrible period of history. The plague makes its debut during Justinian's rule, killing so many it crippled the Empire and changed the very fabric of society. Combined with extreme weather events and a huge earthquake, rumors spread that God had abandoned the Empire. Belisaruis is forced into retirement and humiliated due to political back-stabbing and intrigue--and Theodora did some of that back stabbing! (This actually started during the period this video covered, but I think they wanted to go out on a high note, so they just ignored it completely.) The war in Italy goes on forever with little hope of ending, which is made even worse by Justinian beginning to distrust Belisarius--he begins sending less troops to Italy, and even begins meddling in the great general's affairs. Justinian is so devastated by Theodora's early death, he becomes a shadow of his former self. I could go on and on. I'll admit that people in the Empire centuries later looked fondly onto this era, so he did leave a good legacy. Though this was probably helped by the near constant decline of the Empire from here on.
MrCrazy Alligator That is all true, of course. But what you said doesn't contradict any of what I said. I put a positive spin on it because, compared to everything that started happening in the next century (and everything that happened *before* Justinian, too), this really WAS an extremely positive period of history. Yes, the Roman Empire doesn't really make any more *progress* after the events in this episode, but on the other hand they don't *lose* any of what Belisarius conquered, either. Considering what period of history we're in, I count that stalemate outcome as "huge success".
+MrCrazy Alligator The empire did have a renaissance period starting in the ninth century though, in which they reconquered much lost territory and experienced a thriving economy and blossoming art and philosophy. It wasn't all down hill from here.
There is so much more to cover on Justinian's reign to make it a true shame if it finishes now! That aside, this was a fantastic series and another job well done ^_^
***** Nah hannibal. I mean just because he took the cavalry outside the walls whilst they infantry were climbing the ladders? pfft I do that all the time in rome 2.
I wish I had money to support this series on patreon, Extra History has to be my favourite series on RU-vid right now. What you guys are doing is great, this is amazing.
How TF have I never heard of Belisarius before this series !! When in the first episode you mentioned Belisarius along the likes of Napoleon , Alexander and Caeser I was like " pfff yeah right as if " ...by this episode I am in awe by the seer brilliance of this man , his loyalty and his grit ... He can easily be compared to Caeser considering the nature of his campaigns .
This sure showed how amazing Belisarius was. The guy doesn't get enough credit that's for sure. He won Rome, he battled and fought and he accomplished more than anyone could have expected with what he had. Glad to have heard this story just to see how amazing a general he was.
Wow! Six episodes, and yet, I am left wanting more. It would seem that Justinian very well sounds like the Emperor who almost could have reclaimed the title "Caesar" and finally reuniting Rome, divided. This series has been outstanding from start to finish, and I do hope it gets revisited at some times in i the near future,
MORE OF THIS! I can not stress this enough. This one is by far my favorite of your history series yet. This one particular episode felt a little bit rushed.. I feel I could have enjoyed chewing on the juicy meat for a bit longer before moving on to the next meal. But If there's more to this story, I want to see how it ends.
Wouldn't I be a student with no money, I would support you guys! You do a great job, not just with your History series, but also with the rest of your videos. I hope i can continue my study (which is game design/programming) without problems, so I have the chance to meet you to thank you in reality! Keep it up guys!
Great series guys. Maybe you could tackle some other not well known but awesome guys in history. I have a list here (not in order): 1. Ashoka the Great 2. Khosrow I Anushiruvan (AKA "The immortal soul") 3. Mithridates VI of Pontus 4. Taizong of Tang 5. the great adventures of Zhang He 6. Baldwin IV of Jerusalem 7. Krum the Fearsome of Bulgaria 8. Sundiata 9. Jan Zizka, the Hussite rebellion and the Bohemian Crusade 10. Tran Hung Dao 11. Koxinga 12. Alp Arslan 12. Wladyslav Jagiello, Teutonic Wars, Prussian Crusade and the begining of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
I like this video, but as an aspiring historian who has studied the main sources about this time (Procopius, Cassiodor et al) and many books written by other historians, I have to say that Belisarius is overall portrayed as too positively. It is certainly true that he was an able general, but he made many mistakes that would cost the Romans much. His biggest blunder was refusing to accept the peace treaty of 540 with the Ostrogoths, which would have secured most of Italy for the Romans, instead his actions lead to many more years of war that destroyed what was left of Roman civilization in Italy and wasted the ressources Constantinople would have needed in the East.
Thanks again for all of these Extra History vids. I lament so many of my friends complete ignorance and disinterest in history. Maybe more of these will help. I know you've already done a WW1 series but I'd love to see one on the East African campaign and Colonel Lettow-Vorbeck. Just an almost unbelievable military campaign that only a handful of people have heard about.
every once in a while I'm reading European history and get the moment of clarity of "oooohhhh.... so that's where Tolkien got that idea from" Ostrogoth siege = Pellinor Fields. it's so obvious now.
Yes! More on Justinian's story! Thank you, Extra Credits! I have loved your videos on history. I've loved the series on the Sengoku Jidai, I loved the Punic Wars, and now this. Please keep making more! History is my favorite subject, and it's make better by good story telling (and your fun illustrations). Please keep doing what you're doing. You'll have my views! Thanks again :) If you ever want any suggestions on other histories to talk about, I might have a few ideas to run past you should you want them. I look forward to your next videos with Extra History!
Extra Credits Extra History is so fun to watch. Make series about Alexander the Great. Sure majority knows that part of history but it will be special to watch it made in your style guys!
I'm content to just leave off right here, at the apex of the Roman comeback. Don't need to ruin it by hearing how it all went south, so thanks for just leaving us Rome-lovers the glory we crave, Extra Credits!
