Why is it that when we talk about the greatest Roman generals, we think about Julius Caesar, Augustus etc. but we almost never mention Belisarius even though he reclaimed almost the entire West-Roman empire in service of Emperor Justinian I? Has it anything to do with that he got accused of treason by his former secretary?
He reclaimed Carthage and the surrounding areas, Sicily, and most but not all of the Italian Peninsula. He then fought a loosing war against a resurgent Goth while his North African conquest was in turmoil.
That's hardly "almost the entire West-Roman empire". Britain and Gaul were still far beyond his reach. Western North Africa was left untouched. Justinian was only able to reclaim a strip of the South-Eastern Iberian coast, and it wasn't even done by Belisarius.
Though I'd like to challenge the notion "we almost never mention Belisarius". Certainly he isn't mentioned as much as Julius Caesar or Augustus Caesar who had a large political impact, but his name pops up for people who delve deeper into Roman and/or military history.
"Almost never mentioned" should probably be caveated by your understanding of the scope of "who should be mentioning him." Because if you're talking about late antique Roman military history, he is almost always mentioned.
If you're talking about your public education system, well choices have to be made for the foundational narratives of the country you live in, of which Byzantium takes a back seat in America to the high Roman Empire. But Byzantium is hardly alone. How much would you have learned about Sassanid Persia in your public education, or Great Zimbabwe, or the Seven Years War in Germany?
Typical history courses in the US and Britain cover classical history - Greece and Rome, then move on to the rise of Britain in the early medieval period. The Byzantines are studied quite a bit less than the Roman republic and empire. So his era is not well covered. And while he is an interesting figure, his accomplishments were quickly erased from the map.
Thanks everyone for the great support and information you guys are giving! Once I asked the question I was already not sure if I asked it properly. Actually I wanted to know why Belisarius is never mentioned in the school books. I know that when you're interested in Late Period of the Roman Empire and Eastern Empire you can find a lot about him. I think its strange that a lot of schoolbook makers let the "Roman era" just end at the Fall of Rome instead of telling the story what happened after the Fall of Rome in particular with Italy where the heart of the Roman Empire was located for a very long time. Anyway thanks for making a lot of things clear!