Belisarius - Epic Byzantine Music

Music by Farya Faraji and Dimitris Athanasopoulos of the One Man’s Noise channel who beautifully performed the tsambouna and mantura in the instrumentation of this piece. Many thanks to Luke Ranieri of the polýMATHY channel for helping transform my grammatically incoherent lyrics into something functional. Please note that this isn’t reconstructed historical music, it’s entirely modern music with a historical theme. Also note that the lyrics use Classical Latin Pronunciation, which has nothing to do with the historical context of Belisarius, at which point the many diverging dialects of Latin had changed immensely from the Classical Latin period; my usage of it is only pragmatic as it’s the one pronunciation I’m used to, and one could make a thematic interpretation of it representing the dream of a restored Roman empire of the glory days, which correspond with Classical Latin’s period. I wanted to write a ballad-like piece about Flavius Belisarius, an Eastern Roman general who would be Justinian the Great’s greatest servant in the Renovatio Imperii of the 6th century, the project that would see the reconquest and retaking of much of the lands previously controlled by the Roman Empire of Antiquity. Each of the verses refers to one of the main campaigns of Belisarius’ career, first his war against Gelimer and the Vandals in North Africa, then his wars in Italy against the Goths, his battles against Khosrow Anushirvan (immortal soul) in the Lazic Wars, his further battles in Italy where he implored Totila to spare the city of Rome in a moving letter, in the chance that Totila were to win, and his final service post-retirement against the Kutrigurs in the Balkans. The instrumentation is mainly based on a tsambouna, a Greek bagpipe very frequently played in the islands like the Cyclades and especially Crete, and a mantoura, a remnant of the Ancient Greek aulos, both expertly played by my collaborator Dimitris Athanasopoulos of the channel One Man’s Noise, who perfectly took my basic melody and breathed into it the authentic rhythms and ornaments of Greek music, which contains echoes of older music of Belisarius’ age, where the bagpipe was frequently used by the Eastern Romans. A mainland Laouto provides the backing chords, and a davul drum and darbuka provide the percussions as is typically the case in traditional Greek music. A low vocal hum supports the melody, inspired by the Ison of Byzantine Chant practice. The point of this was essentially to mix Latin lyrics with Byzantine Chant and a traditional Greek sound centred on the Cycladic-Cretan island sound. Lyrics in Latin: Gladius Rōmae imperī sum, Ubi’st nostrum imperium? Nē plōrā, mater Rōma, Dēnuō flōrēbis, Cīvis Romānus sum, Sed sine imperiō sum, Sanguine barbarōrum, Renāta erit Rōma! Arēnae Āfricānae, Cum sanguis Vandalōrum rubrae factae sunt, Plōrā Gelimer, Rēx sine rēgnō, Gladius Rōmae sum, Belisārius! Hortī Ītaliae lacrimīs Gothicīs fertilēs factī sunt, Plōrāte, Gothicī, barbarī, Gladius Rōmae sum, Belisārius! Montēs, Lazicae, Cum sanguis Sassanidārum, rubrī factae sunt! Vāde, Chosroē, mortālis anime! Gladius Rōmae sum, Belisārius! Urbī ferro flammāque minatus est, Mementō, Totila, Rōmam antīquam esse, Sī rēx bonus es tū, nē nēlē rēgīnam nostram, Gladius Rōmae sum, Belisārius! Glaciēs Dānuviī sanguine Hunnōrum, rubrae factae sunt, Vāde, Zabergan, Attila nōn es tū, Gladius Rōmae sum, Belisārius! English translation: I am Rome’s sword. Where is our empire? Weep not, mother Rome, again shall you prosper. A citizen of Rome I am, yet without an empire I am, In barbarians’ blood shall Rome be reborn! The sands of Africa, with Vandals’ blood, are turned red! Weep Gelimer, king without a kingdom, I am the sword of Rome, Belisarius! The gardens of Italy, with Goth’s tears, are made fertile, Weep Goths, barbarians, I am the sword of Rome, Belisarius! The mountains of Lazica, with Sassanians’ blood are turned red, Away, Khosrow, you mortal soul! I am the sword of Rome, Belisarius! The city is threatened with fire and sword, Remember Totila, how Rome is ancient, If you are a true king, destroy not our queen. The ices of the Danube, with Huns’ blood, are turned red, Away, Zabergan, you are no Attila, I am the sword of Rome, Belisarius!