Editing Narses (section)

==Religion==
Narses was reported to be a very pious man with a special devotion to the Virgin Mary. [[Evagrius Scholasticus]] in Ecclesiastica Historia reported that She would tell him the proper time to attack, and Narses would never engage in battle without Her consent.<ref>Scholasticus, Evagrius. Ecclesiastical History. Trans. E. Walford (London: Samuel Bagster and Sons, 1846) Book iv. 214–215.</ref> Narses also was reported to be generous to the poor and zealous when it came to restoring churches. He was so devoted to [[prayer]]s and [[vigil]]s that "he obtained victory more by the supplications he poured forth to [[God]], than by arms of war."<ref>Paul the Deacon. History of the Langobards. Trans. William D. Foulke. (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania, 1907) 56.</ref> Before accepting supreme command of the army, Narses built a church and [[monastery]] in Cappadocia, intent upon going there upon his retirement.<ref>W.G. Holmes, The Age of Justinian and Theodora. (London: Gorgias Press, 1905) Vol II 648.</ref> [[Paul the Deacon]], a late 8th century [[Lombards|Lombard]] writer, insisted that Narses was a [[Catholic]], but [[John of Ephesus]], a [[Monophysite]] contemporary of Narses, wrote that Narses staffed his monastery with exiled Monophysite monks.{{sfn|Martindale|1992|p=927}}