Flavius Belisarius (500-565 A.D.) was a general of the Byzantine Empire. He was instrumental to Emperor Justinian's ambitious project of reconquering much of the Mediterranean territory of the former Western Roman Empire, which had been lost less than a century previously.
One of the defining features of Belisarius' career was his success despite the little or no support he received from Justinian. He is also among a select group of men considered by historians to be the "Last of the Romans".
In the spring of 528 A.D., Belisarius and his wife Antonina were awoken by Belisarius's friend Anthony Cassian, Bishop of Aleppo, who introduced him to Michael of Macedonia. The two men presented Belisarius with a strange, seemingly magical crystal-like object, discovered by Michael in a cave in a desert. Michael explained that the object gave him indescribably horrible vision. Nonetheless, Michael concluced that the object was a sign from God rather than of Satanic origins. Michael brought the object to Cassian the previous night; Cassian experienced the same visions, and saw it as a omen of catastrophe. For some inexplicable reason, both Michael and Cassian felt that the object was meant for Belisarius, who they believed could somehow avert this disaster. Belisarius touched the object and experienced a vision: Constantinople was overrun and conquered by the forces of the Malwa Empire.
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