NARSES. – General of the Byzantine army under Justinian, born c. 480, died in Rome in 574. He soon entered the imperial court and received important favours and missions. In 532 he foiled a revolt against the emperor, and in 537 he restored peace in Alexandria, disturbed by religious disputes. In 538 he came to Italy to assist Belisarius against the Goths, and in 551, at over 70 years of age, he was given supreme command. In a pitched battle near Taginae he defeated Totila (July 552), who lost his life there.
He easily occupied Rome, and the following year he completely destroyed
NARTECE – Plant of St. Vitalis (6th cent.) with n. – Ravenna.
the Gothic kingdom by defeating Teia, Totila’s successor, on the banks of the Sarno (March 553). For about 20 years Narses dominated Rome with full civil and military powers, holding the title of ex-consul and the dignity of patrician. He had churches and monasteries built, and repaired bridges and other public works. Through his intervention Pope Vigilius was able to leave Constantinople, where he had been held prisoner, and when Narses died (555) he succeeded in securing the acceptance of the election of Pelagius I, thus avoiding a schism in the Roman Church. In the later years of his rule, however, Narses became arrogant and authoritarian and was even accused of collusion with the Lombards. For these reasons Emperor Justin III in 568 ordered him to return to Constantinople, but Narses refused and moved to Naples, whence, at the invitation of Pope John III, he later returned to Rome, but lived as a private citizen until his death.