Narses

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Narses

Narses (närˈsēz), c.478–c.573, Byzantine official and general, one of the eunuchs of the palace. He assisted in the suppression of the Nika riot (532) by bribing the Blues of the Circus (see Blues and Greens) to return their allegiance to Justinian I. In 538 he was sent to Italy to cooperate with Belisarius; their dissensions delayed the campaign, and he was recalled. After the recall of Belisarius, Narses returned to Italy and completed the conquest, defeating (552) Totila. He defeated (554) an army of Franks and Alemanni at Capua. He was subsequently appointed prefect of Italy, but his administration was extremely unpopular and finally Justinian's successor, Justin II, recalled him.

The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Narses

Born circa A.D. 478; died 568 in Rome. Byzantine military leader and political figure. Of Armenian descent.

Narses was a eunuch and a retainer of Emperor Justinian I. He helped suppress the Nika revolt in 532. In 538 he was sent to Italy to assist the Byzantine commander Belisarius, who was fighting the Ostrogoths, but in 539, Narses was recalled. He was sent to Italy again in 551 as commander of the Byzantine Army and in the summer of 552 crushed the forces of the Ostrogoth king Totila in the Apennines near the little town of Taginae (now Gualdo Tadino). He conquered central Italy, took Rome, and in late 552 routed the Ostrogoths near the Sarno River. In 554 he repulsed an attack on Italy by hordes of Franks and Alemanni. In 555, Narses was appointed ruler of the part of Italy conquered by the Byzantines; he followed a policy of restoring slave ownership and the Roman tax system. Court intrigues on the one hand and growing discontent among the Italian population on the other led to Narses’ retirement in 567.

REFERENCES

Udal’tsova, Z. V. Italiia i Vizantiia ν VI v. Moscow, 1959.

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References in classic literature ?

For he that cannot possibly mend his own case, will do what he can, to impair another's; except these defects light upon a very brave, and heroical nature, which thinketh to make his natural wants part of his honor; in that it should be said, that an eunuch, or a lame man, did such great matters; affecting the honor of a miracle; as it was in Narses the eunuch, and Agesilaus and Tamberlanes, that were lame men.

View in context

Another component of the Barangayan is the Nanay Community Workers and the 'Narses sa Nayon,' who were tasked to assist the indigent people in need of medical attention.

'Barangayan' kicks off in Floridablanca, Pampanga

Individuals come and go in the historical narrative, and some of them of exceptional character and accomplishment (Emperor Julian, Justinian's generals Belisarius and Narses, Charlemagne, Consul Rienzi) seem temporarily to halt or cancel the decline, but the process of falling is inexorable and irreversible.

Prospects and Living Pictures

There is an inscription beside the bas relief, which originally bore the name of Bahram, although his name was later erased by King Narses.

Work starts with Italians on Sassanian ghost town

The first is a long-standing aversion to the Byzantine court eunuch Narses. His accomplishments have been downplayed for centuries simply because of his condition.

Text and transmission in medieval Europe

Claire had two rides on the second day and enjoyed a victory on Narses, trained by Philippe Cottin, in the 4,250 metres (2m6f) steeplechase.