A peninsula in southern Europe, Italy served as a recurring flashpoint in Byzantine political and military history across several centuries. It passed through the hands of Maxentius, the Ostrogoths, and the Byzantine reconquerors under Belisarius and Narses, with the latter's campaigns proving protracted and costly due to divided command and inadequate reinforcements. Despite its eventual restoration to Byzantine control, a weakened empire could not hold it against the Lombards, whose slow conquest of the peninsula culminated in the fall of Ravenna in 751 and the decisive transfer of papal loyalty from Constantinople to the Franks.
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What each episode says
Episode 2 (1 mention)
“And on top of that, the Germans and the British both rise in revolt, and Italy itself supports”
Episode 3 (4 mentions)
The territory controlled by Maxentius that Constantine shrewdly concluded belonged theoretically to Licinius, so he could seize it for himself. Both Severus and Galerius had previously invaded Italy only to have their armies bribed away by Maxentius.
“Severus, gleefully noting that Maxentius had few troops, descended on Italy virtually unopposed,”
“Official policy ignored him, so Maxentius was safe with his bribes in Italy.”
“So in 312 he crossed the Alps and invaded Italy.”
Episode 5 (2 mentions)
Where Constantine II invaded to confront his youngest brother Constans, only to be ambushed and killed. Also mentioned in the epilogue as the territory that the Western emperor barely controlled in the century after Julian.
“brother Constans and invaded Italy.”
“In less than a century, the Western emperor barely had control over Italy, and the Eastern”
Episode 6 (6 mentions)
The territory that became the focus of the late episode — the barbarian demands for one-third of it triggered the final fall of the Western Empire, and Zeno later resolved his Ostrogothic problem by sending Theodoric to conquer it in his name.
Episode 8 (23 mentions)
Italy was Justinian's primary reconquest objective, held by the Ostrogoths as nominal Byzantine viceroys. Brownworth describes the Italian campaign as long, complex, and ultimately frustrating for Belisarius, with the war dragging on for years due to palace jealousies, divided command, and insufficient reinforcements.
Episode 9 (15 mentions)
The central theater of war throughout the episode. Brownworth tracks Italy's agonizing back-and-forth — nearly recaptured by Totila under the incompetent five-general command, contested during Belisarius' second campaign, and finally restored to Byzantine control by Narses — only to foreshadow that weakened resources made holding it impossible.
Episode 10 (3 mentions)
One of Justinian's reconquests, Italy fell victim to its own intrigues and was gradually lost to the Lombards over many years. Even during Heraclius' reign it was 'just managing to hold out against the Lombards,' and the war was described as long and bitter.
“and Italy fell victim to its own intrigues.”
“He then invited the Lombards into Italy, starting a long and bitter war that over the”
“Italy was just managing to hold out against the Lombards and the Balkans were gone to”
Episode 11 (6 mentions)
A region that received no help from Constantinople as the Lombards slowly overwhelmed the peninsula. The fall of Ravenna in 751 and subsequent events there triggered the decisive shift of papal loyalty from Byzantium to the Franks.
“he took the unorthodox step of moving the capital to Sicily to better protect Italy.”
“Italy received no help from Constantinople as the Lombards slowly overwhelmed the peninsula.”
“Spain, Italy, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, and North Africa were all gone, never to be retaken.”
Episode 12 (1 mention)
“unable to hold either Sicily or the remnant of Italy”
Episode 13 (2 mentions)
Mentioned toward the end of the episode: the southern part of the peninsula had been inundated with Norman and Lombard invaders, and while Basil was busy in Bulgaria his generals in Italy had been driving them out. They suggested the invasion of Sicily as a next step, which Basil was planning before his death.
“and while he had been busy in Bulgaria, his generals in Italy had been busy driving them”
Episode 14 (7 mentions)
“He had arrived in Italy in 1047 with only 35 men, and displaying the cunning which would”
“By 1071, he had taken Bari, the last Byzantine stronghold in Italy, and by the following”
“As master of northern Italy, he was already wary of the growing power in the south, and”
Episode 17 (1 mention)
“Early as the sixth century when Justinian reconquered Italy there were those who pointed out that it felt more like a foreign invasion than a”
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