Before the fall of the Roman Empire, it split into 2 different empires, the Western Roman Empire and the Eastern Roman empire, which would become known as the Byzantine Empire. The Byzantine empire is generally overshadowed by the Roman Empire, and Crusades, but the Byzantine empire greatly changed the rest of history.
Byzantine is located in the Balkan’s, from lower Greece to the Danube, to Asia Minor, which is modern day Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Egypt, North Africa, and Iran. Due to this position it was nearly always at war with its neighbors, the terrain in the Balkans was rough mountainous and filled with forests, making defense easier. Byzantine Emperors would have to carefully use diplomacy to avoid being …show more content…
At the beginning of Justinian’s reign reformed and reorganized the military, this would increase as cavalry played more important role in battles. The army was still mostly made out of Infantry, using traditional Roman tactics. Justinian then launched campaigns in North Africa and Italy, to drive out the Ostrogoths, a Germinic barbarian tribe that invaded Italy, and conquer lost territories.
The Battle of Dara was soon fought in 530 AD, and was the first victories of general Belisarius. Dara was a fortress built by Anastasius in modern Turkish Oguz, and these are the events leading to it.
During the last year of Justin I’s reign, war broke out betwean teh Sassanid Persian kingdom and the Byzantine Empire, there were several reasons why, the greatest being that the Persian king Kavad forced Zoroastrianism on the Christian Kingdom of Iberia. This aggression would lead to a series of Religious wars that are still going on today. During the war Justin died and Justinian rose to power and tried to offer peace treaties to the Persians, they rejected and the Byzantine army moved closer to Nisibis, but were defeated and withdrew. Byzantine was losing the war, until Belisarius was appointed