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Justinian

Written by: Peter Sarris
Narrated by: Mark Elstob
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Publisher's Summary

A definitive new biography of the Byzantine emperor Justinian

Justinian is a radical reassessment of an emperor and his times. In the sixth century CE, the emperor Justinian presided over nearly four decades of remarkable change, in an era of geopolitical threats, climate change, and plague. From the eastern Roman—or Byzantine—capital of Constantinople, Justinian’s armies reconquered lost territory in Africa, Italy, and Spain. But these military exploits, historian Peter Sarris shows, were just one part of a larger program of imperial renewal. From his dramatic overhaul of Roman law, to his lavish building projects, to his fierce persecution of dissenters from Orthodox Christianity, Justinian’s vigorous statecraft—and his energetic efforts at self-glorification—not only set the course of Byzantium but also laid the foundations for the world of the Middle Ages.

Even as Justinian sought to recapture Rome’s past greatness, he paved the way for what would follow.

©2023 Peter Sarris (P)2023 Basic Books

What the critics say

“In this comprehensive account…Sarris brings his subject’s world to vivid life. The result is a clear-eyed view of a complex historical figure and his times.”—Publishers Weekly

“A majestic, sparkling account of one of the most important rulers in history. Meticulously researched, beautifully written, filled with insights, this is modern history writing at its finest.”—Peter Frankopan, New York Times-bestselling author of The Silk Roads

“Superb and gripping. Epic historical biography that brings the emperor to life with analysis and empathy and a work of scholarship filled with new ideas and revelations.”—Simon Sebag Montefiore, New York Times-bestselling author of The World

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