The History Aspect:

Belisarius was a Roman general reduced to begging on the street, and in this painting he was recognized begging on the street by a Roman soldier.

 

Actually, Belisarius was the leading general under Justinian I, emperor of the Byzantine Roman Empire. Belisarius under Justinian almost took back the western Roman empire from the gothic tribes which sacked Rome almost a century earlier. Collectively this is referred to as the Gothic War (535–554). Historically Belisarius is ranked second to only Alexander the Great in terms of military prowess in antiquity.

The original painting I used as reference material was created by François-André Vincent, a French neoclassical painter. Most subject matter in paintings during the neoclassical era dealt with virtues and morality and the topic of the great general after years of faithful service being reduced to begging was a popular theme during this era.