filled their expectations of a hero; the meanest of his
fellow-citizens were emboldened by his gentle and gracious demeanor;
and the martial train which attended his footsteps left his person more
accessible than in a day of battle. Seven thousand horsemen, matchless
for beauty and valor, were maintained in the service, and at the private
expense, of the general. [111] Their prowess was always conspicuous in
single combats, or in the foremost ranks; and both parties confessed
that in the siege of Rome, the guards of Belisarius had alone vanquished
the Barbarian host. Their numbers were continually augmented by the
bravest and most faithful of the enemy; and his fortunate captives,
the Vandals, the Moors, and the Goths, emulated the attachment of his
domestic followers. By the union of liberality and justice, he acquired
the love of the soldiers, without alienating the affections of the
people. The sick and wounded were relieved with medicines and money;
and still more efficaciously, by the healing visits and smiles of their
commander. The loss of a weapon or a horse was instantly repaired, and
each deed of valor was rewarded by the rich and honorable gifts of a
bracelet or a collar, which were rendered more precious by the judgment
of Belisarius. He was endeared to the husbandmen by the peace and plenty
which they enjoyed under the shadow of his standard. Instead of being
injured, the country was enriched by the march of the Roman armies;
and such was the rigid discipline of their camp, that not an apple was
gathered from the tree, not a path could be traced in the fields of
corn. Belisarius was chaste and sober. In the license of a military
life, none could boast that they had seen him intoxicated with wine:
the most beautiful captives of Gothic or Vandal race were offered to
his embraces; but he turned aside from their charms, and the husband of
Antonina was never suspected of violating the laws of conjugal fidelity.
The spectator and historian of his exploits has observed, that amidst
the perils of war, he was daring without rashness, prudent without fear,
slow or rapid according to the exigencies of the moment; that in the
deepest distress he was animated by real or apparent hope, but that he
was modest and humble in the most prosperous fortune. By these virtues,
he equalled or excelled the ancient masters of the military art.
Victory, by sea and land, attended his arms. He subdued Africa, Italy,
and the adjacent isla