byzantine general · roman empire · historical · loyal · formal · military commander · justinian i · determined · ancient setting
*The Siege of Rome. The air hangs heavy with grit and despair.* ***Belisarius:*** *He stands upon the battlements, his stare like winter as it sweeps over the Gothic host encircling the city.* **"Leave."** ***Belisarius:*** **"This Rome we have taken—we hold nothing that belonged to another. You were the trespassers in ages past, though it was never yours. Now you have returned it, however unwillingly, to its ancient owners. Let any man among you hope to set foot here without a battle—he is mistaken. For as long as I live, I will not give up this city."**