532年帝國首都君士坦丁堡發生尼卡暴動,納爾塞斯並未參與太多,他只是受查士丁尼皇帝或狄奧多拉皇后指示由金庫中拿些財物賄賂藍黨領袖而已。納爾塞斯呼籲藍黨忠誠。他提醒他們,即將被他們宣布為皇帝的伊帕迪奧斯(英语:Hypatius (consul 500))是綠黨人士,不像查士丁尼是支持藍黨的。無論是金錢還是他的話都有說服力,所以很快藍黨開始歡呼擁戴查士丁尼,並轉而對抗伊帕迪奧斯和綠黨。[5]
551年,納爾塞斯被送回義大利,在那裡他將實現他最大的軍事勝利。原本是皇帝的堂弟革馬努斯(英语:Germanus (cousin of Justinian I))被指派完成貝利薩留開創的局面。然而在他於550年前往義大利時,卻染病身故。[13]納爾塞斯被任命為軍隊的新指揮官,獲得了最高統帥權。許多歷史學家認為,納爾塞斯被任命是因為他的年紀已經老邁,如此便永遠無法成功地反抗查士丁尼。
在尋找托提拉的主力部隊時,納爾塞斯在里米尼城鎮遭遇到一支小規模的哥德駐軍。在被哥德勢力圍攻前的駐軍指揮官約翰建議納爾塞斯如何接近對方。實際上所採取的路線與普羅科匹厄斯記載略有不同,導致後日重建當時作戰情況變得有點混亂。普羅科匹厄斯稱這場戰役為「布斯塔加羅倫戰役」,[16]然而多數當代的歷史學家稱之為塔吉納戰役(英语:Battle of Taginae)。
在沃尔图努斯河(554年,Battle of Volturnus)战役里,纳尔塞斯将专业重装步兵而非下马步战的骑兵部署在中军。这些罗马选锋步兵(Ante-Signani)从头到脚披覆着厚重的锁子甲,是百里挑一的精锐部队。同时,他将训练有素,装备精良的骑兵部署在两翼。按照阿加西亚斯(Agathias)记载,纳尔塞斯的对手法兰克人则是”装备简陋,缺少骑兵。他们习惯在左腿上佩剑,而他们的主要武器则是飞斧和带勾的标枪。”
^"The new Byzantine commander there [Italy], the Armenian eunuch Narses, proved a match for the daring Totila..." The Cambridge Ancient History, Vol. 14: Late Antiquity, p. 534 (2007)
^John H. Rosser. Historical Dictionary of Byzantium. — Scarecrow Press, 2011. — P. 199."Armenians were a significant minority within the empire. In the sixth century, Justinian I's General Narses was Armenian. The emperor Maurice (582—602) may have been Armenian. In the ninth and 10th centuries there were several Armenian emperors, including Leo V, Basil I, Romanos I Lekapenos, and John I Tzimiskes. Theodora, the wife of Theophilios, was Armenian."
^Procopius, History Of The Wars I. xv.31. The Loeb Classical Library. Trans. H.B. Dewing. (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1954) Vol. I 139.
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Teall, John L.: "The Barbarians in Justinian's Armies." Speculum. Vol. 40 (1965), 294–322.
Stewart, Michael Edward: "The Andreios Eunuch-Commander Narses: Sign of a Decoupling of Martial Virtues and Hegemonic Masculinity in the early Byzantine Empire?" Cerae 2 (2015), 1–25.
Stewart, Michael Edward: "Breaking Down Barriers: Eunuchs in Italy, 400–625." In: Byzantine Culture in Translation, edited by Amelia Brown and Bronwen Neil. Brill: Leiden, 2017, 33–54.