There is the phrase Date Obolum Bellisario which roughly translates to "Give a penny to Belisarius". This is followed by an explanation of Belisarius:
Belisarius, a famous Roman general during the reign of Justinian,
achieved notable victories over the barbarians, but in his old age
incurred the envy of the emperor and for a time was imprisoned and
reduced to penury.
But I've never heard the expression "Give a penny to X" before and don't understand it in this context. The context of the phrase would be around 1766.
Best Answer
Belisarius supposedly was condemned to life as a blind beggar (i.e., penury) by order of Justinian to have Belisarius' eyes put out. Thus, the phrase Give a penny to Belisarius was what this once great man was reduced to asking anyone who came nearby in an effort to gain sympathetic support. It would be similar to the piteous cry for a handout Alms for the poor. However, Belisarius' fate was more relevant to injustice than poverty, though both were certainly the case.
As to use of this phrase in modern times, it is so archaic that it might not be fully comprehended out of context. Of course, we use phrases that some know little if anything of the historical origin, and yet get the intention to apply a phrase of this type to unrelated matters (e.g., Remember the Maine, Don't Tread on Me, Live Free or Die, Attica).