Aratius Aratius ( , d . 552 ) was an Armenian military commander of the 6th century . He served at first the Sasanian Empire , then defected to the Byzantine Empire . He is primarily known for his activities in the Iberian War and the Gothic War . He was eventually killed in an ambush . Primary sources about him include Choricius of Gaza and Procopius of Caesarea . Biography . Aratius was a native of Persian Armenia . He was a brother of Isaacius ( Isaac ) and Narses . His brother should not be confused with the famous general Narses . Choricius of Gaza describes Aratius as originating from a good family and having distinguished brothers . He does not identify this family . Modern historians suggest that they could be part of the Kamsarakan family , also ancestral to Narses . Iberian War . Aratius and Narses are first mentioned in 527 . They were fighting for the Sassanid Empire in the Iberian War ( 526 - 532 ) . The two of them managed to win a victory over the Byzantine commanders Belisarius and Sittas . The battle is briefly described by Procopius : " And the Romans , under the leadership of Sittas and Belisarius , made an inroad into Persarmenia , a territory subject to the Persians , where they plundered a large tract of country and then withdrew with a great multitude of Armenian captives . These two men were both youths and wearing their first beards , body - guards of the general Justinian , who later shared the empire with his uncle Justin I . But when a second inroad had been made by the Romans into Armenia , Narses and Aratius unexpectedly confronted them and engaged them in battle . These men not long after this came to the Romans as deserters , and made the expedition to Italy with Belisarius ; but on the present occasion they joined battle with the forces of Sittas and Belisarius and gained the advantage over them . " In summer 530 , Aratius and his brothers Narses deserted to the Byzantine Empire . They transported their mother with them . They were welcomed and rewarded by the eunuch Narses , a fellow Persarmenian . At the time this Narses was not yet a general , but a " sacellarius " . They were soon joined by Isaacius . Procopius narrates : " Narses and Aratius who at the beginning of this war , as I have stated above , had an encounter with Sittas and Belisarius in the land of the Persarmenians , came together with their mother as deserters to the Romans ; and the emperor ' s steward , Narses , received them ( for he too happened to be a Persarmenian by birth ) , and he presented them with a large sum of money . When this came to the knowledge of Isaac , their youngest brother , he secretly opened negotiations with the Romans , and delivered over to them the fortress of Bolum , which lies very near the limits of Theodosiopolis . For he directed that soldiers should be concealed somewhere in the vicinity , and he received them into the fort by night , opening stealthily one small gate for them . Thus he too came to Byzantium . " Palestine . Aratius resurfaces in 535 / 536 , as " Dux Palestinae " , when Choricius composed a panegyric for both Aratius and the " archon " Stephen , the governor of Palestina . On 1 July 536 , Stephanus was promoted to proconsul of Palaestina Prima ( First Palestine ) . The panegyric was composed shortly before this promotion . The text includes mentions of Aratius ' activities in the intervening years . He is first credited with ending a revolt of religious dissenters in the vicinity of Caesarea . He was then supposedly able to do so without resorting to force . He is then credited as the " strategos " ( general ) responsible for capturing an enemy fortress , which was considered impregnable . Who the enemy barbarians were is left unclear , though they could have been hostile Arabs . He is thirdly mentioned leading a force of about 20 men in opening a pass which was held closed by Arab attacks . Again supposedly without a battle . He is next mentioning restoring Byzantine control over Iotabe ( Tiran Island ) , previously occupied by neighbouring tribesmen . Aratius was finally able to locate the stronghold of these tribesmen on the mainland , attack it and capture it . He is particularly praised for the revenue brought in by Iotabe , through the customs paid there . Choricius ' flattering description features Aratius as an able man , merciful in administering justice and honest in financial matters . Gothic War . Procopius next mentions Aratius in 538 . He was sent to the Gothic War in the Italian Peninsula , leading a group of reinforcements for Belisarius . His title at the time is not recorded . He might have been a " magister militum " or a " comes rei militaris " . He probably arrived in the spring or summer of the year . He was reportedly ordered by Belisarius to set his camp near Auximum with 1 , 000 men . The town was a stronghold of the Ostrogoths and Aratius ' mission was to keep watch over their activities . Aratius spent the winter of 538 - 539 at Firmum , continuing his watch over nearby Auximum . He took part in the siege of Auximum in 539 . He and his brother Narses were leading a force of Armenians during said siege . In 540 , Aratius , his brother Narses , Bessas , and John fell out of favour with Belisarius and sent away from Ravenna . Belisarius and the eunuch Narses rivaled each other at the time . Belisarius , who chose Ravenna for his seat , suspected them of serving his rival . Belisarius was soon recalled from Italy . Aratius presumably continued fighting the Gothic War , but his activities over the following decade are mostly unrecorded . Later years . His next prominent action was in 549 . Aratius , Bouzes , Constantianus and John were tasked with leading a force of 10 , 000 cavalryman on a mission . They were to assist the Lombards in their conflict with the Gepids . This campaign was short - lived as the two opponents concluded a peace treaty , making the presence of Byzantine forces unnecessary . In early 551 , Aratius was one of the military commanders sent to face the South Slavs who were plundering the Balkans . Scholasticus was the overall leader of the campaign . The Byzantine forces suffered a major defeat in the vicinity of Adrianople . But later regrouped and won a victory . Their opponents departed the area . Later that year , Aratius is again mentioned as strategos . The Cutrigur Huns had invaded Byzantine territories , acting as agents of the Gepids . Justinian I sent Aratius to negotiate their retreat . The Byzantines informed them that the Cutrigur homeland had in turn been invaded by the Utigurs . In 552 , Aratius , Amalafrid , Justin , Justinian and Suartuas were sent on a new mission to the Lombards . They were to assist them against the Gepids . Amalafridas continued on the mission . But the rest were soon recalled by the emperor . Religious strife had broken out in Ulpiana and they were needed to restore order . The Gothic War was still ongoing . In 552 , Ildigisal and Goar invaded the Praetorian prefecture of Illyricum . Aratius , Arimuth , Leonianus and Rhecithangus were tasked with stopping them . All four commanders were ambushed while drinking at a river . They were easily killed .