A large number of these Armenian officers achieved high rankings in the Byzantine army and the list of Armenian commanders is long.Moreover, it was from these commanders that Byzantine selected it governor generals for Armenia Minor, which was an integral part of the Byzantine Empire.
It was from the 6th century onwards, i.e. the glorious period of the reign of Emperor Justinianus, in which several of the major Armenian commanders served in the Byzantine army, including Artabane, Aratios, Artavazd, Jean de Patrice, Pierre Arazeni, Hamazasp Mamikonian and Arshak (who led the garrison in Sura). 47
However, the most famous of these commanders was Nerses (Narses), "the Eunuch"; he and Belisaire are considered the two greatest military leaders during the Justinian dynasty.
Nerses, who was born around 473 in Armenia, left the country at that time under Persian occupation and began serving in the Byzantine army. He rose rapidly in the army, due part to the fondness for him of Empress Theodoras, the wife of Emperor Justinianus. The empress was a lady with a mysterious background, but a warm heart. Her proud reply to her husband, Emperor Justinianus, has gone down in history. In 532 the Emperor, because of a coup d'état in the empire, wanted to flee the country for a short time, and when he ordered his wife to follow him, she answered: "If the Emperor wishes to flee, he is free to do so, since he has money and the ship is ready to sail. But be aware that your action is worthy of servants and thieves. I will stand firm and die here. I like what they say about royal purple being the perfect colour the funeral cerements."
Nerses, by the side of Belisaire (whose secretary was the famous historian Procopius) played a decisive role in striking down the uprising.
Belisaire, after conquering North Africa, was sent to conquer Italy, which was in the hands of barbarians. He was victorious in Sicily, Naples and then Rome and Ravenna, but during the second campaign (554.548) he lost the battle against the Goths who were led by their competent leader Totila. It was then that Nerses took over and averted the imminent threat against the empire, surpassing even Belisaire, not through greater courage or bravery, but through his boldness and decisiveness. Nerses defeated the Goths, first in Taginae (552) and later in Campany. Then he took back the whole of Italy, which was in the hands of the Franks 55. In this way, he resurrected the Roman Empire for the last time.
During the reign of Emperor Justinianus, the Roman Empire stretched from the Alps to the Armenian plateau. Nerses ruled as Patriarch until 568 in the headquarters in Rome of the reclaimed west. All fought all his battles with only a small Byzantine army numbering 25,000 men.
In the following centuries Armenia continued to supply great military leaders to the Byzantine Empire. During the end of the 6th century appears another Nerses, who led the Byzantine forces against the Persians. 56 In the 7th century we find a number of Bagratouni commanders, including Moushegh Mamikonian, who led an Armenian unit which drove back the Avars to the Danube River. In addition we can mention Méjég Gnouni who was very close to sitting on the Byzantine throne; Isak (from the Kamsarakan principality) who was governor in Ravenna (625-643); and also Theodosius Rshtouni, who on his return to Armenia led the defence of Armenia against the attacks of the Arabs.
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