Belisarius Reclaims Rome for Byzantine Empire
By the early sixth century, the Western Roman Empire had collapsed decades earlier, leaving Italy under Ostrogothic control as nominal viceroys for the Eastern emperor in Constantinople. Byzantine general Belisarius had already secured North Africa and Sicily in Justinian's campaigns to restore Roman authority. In late 536, after capturing Naples, Belisarius advanced northward with roughly 5,000 troops while the Ostrogothic garrison, facing hostile Roman citizens wary of further sacks, chose to withdraw rather than defend the city. On December 9, Belisarius entered Rome unopposed through the Asinarian Gate as the Goths departed via the Flaminian Gate, restoring imperial control after sixty years. The peaceful handover avoided immediate bloodshed but set the stage for a prolonged Gothic siege beginning the following year.
Why it matters: The recovery briefly returned the ancient capital to Eastern Roman administration, symbolizing Justinian's ambitious reconquest efforts across the Mediterranean. It strengthened Byzantine presence in Italy for decades until Lombard invasions eroded gains, influencing the cultural and political divide between East and West that persisted into the Middle Ages.