Belisarius, (505-565) a Byzantine general under Justinian, was one of the greatest military commanders of his time and the leader of Byzantium's attempts to reconquire much of the Western Roman Empire.which had been lost just under a century previously.He became a Roman soldier as a young man, serving in the bodyguard of the Emperor Justin (justinian's uncle,emperor before justinian). His successes made him many enemies, because they became envious. He was then accused of taking part in a plot against Justinian and his eyes were poked out on the Emperor's orders in 561 A.D. Later, Belisarius, stripped of all his possessions, was reduced to begging in the streets.