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Justinian: Emperor, Soldier, Saint Hardcover – October 24, 2023

by Peter Sarris (Author)

4.6 38 ratings

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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. 

Print length

544 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Basic Books
Publication date

October 24, 2023
Dimensions

6.45 x 1.75 x 9.6 inches
ISBN-10

1541601335
ISBN-13

978-1541601338
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From the Publisher

Editorial Reviews

Review

“A wonderfully vivid and fluent study.”―Wall Street Journal

“An expert, readable and thought-provoking biography of Justinian…This book is essential reading for anyone curious about later antiquity, and it will give profit and pleasure to those with broader interests.”―London Review of Books

"Teases out…tensions and more in his new biography of Justinian, illuminating a central figure in a signal period in the history of the West.”―New Criterion

“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

“Effortlessly erudite, lucidly written, with a sharp eye for the telling detail, Peter Sarris has written the great biography of the greatest of the Byzantine emperors.”

―Rory Stewart, New York Times–bestselling author of The Places in Between

“Justinian’s long life mirrored that of ancient Rome itself: Both rose from lowly origins to supreme power, survived revolt and conquered rivals, crafted laws, and erected mighty monuments, only to be worn down by insurgents, invaders, and plagues. In a stunning tour de force, Peter Sarris brings one of history’s most momentous dramas back to life.”
―Walter Scheidel, author of The Great Leveler

“Justinian looms so large in the landscape of the ancient Mediterranean that it is almost impossible to take his measure. Yet Sarris has done so convincingly, offering a lucid and persuasive account of a ruler as invested in the mechanics of government as in waging wars of conquest. A remarkable achievement.”
―Kate Cooper, author of Queens of a Fallen World

“Sarris’s Justinian is magnificent. A vivid and authoritative biography of one of Rome’s most fascinating rulers, Justinian is also a vibrant portrait of an entire world—a resurgent Roman Empire suddenly devastated by tragedy.”
―Kyle Harper, author of The Fate of Rome

“Spectacularly good: a wonderfully colorful biography of the man who remade the Roman Empire. Sarris plunges us deep into a world of imperial conflict, religious paranoia, pandemics, and climate change while never losing sight of the extraordinary character at its heart. Based on decades of scholarship, this is the definitive history of the emperor and his times and a thrilling testament to the glories of Byzantium.”
―Dominic Sandbrook, cohost of The Rest is History

About the Author

Peter Sarris is professor of late antique, medieval, and Byzantine studies at the University of Cambridge. He is author or editor of eight books on the history of late antiquity, the early Middle Ages, and Byzantium, including Byzantium: A Very Short Introduction. He lives in Shepreth, UK. 

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Basic Books (October 24, 2023)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 544 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1541601335
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1541601338
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.75 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.45 x 1.75 x 9.6 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #108,478 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #36 in Ancient Rome Biographies
- #68 in Historical Middle East Biographies
- #159 in Ancient Roman History (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.6 38 ratings

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P. A. Grillet

A very great book

Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2024

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So well written it is very hard to put down. If all historians wrote this well nobody would read novels.

2 people found this helpful

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Glen Anderson

Excellent biography

Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2024

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One of the best biographies I’ve ever read.

2 people found this helpful

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Davis Hurt

Great book, terrible reading

Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2024

The book is very interesting and well written, but the reading is so atrocious, I almost had to stop listening. The reader uses a falsetto voice for quotations and mispronounces so many words, it's hard to concentrate. Sorry to be negative, but the author deserves better than this.

4 people found this helpful

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GeoffDantes09

Interesting view into the Byzantine Empire

Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2024

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For those interested in the Byzantine empire and their relation to Rome, Persia, the Catholic Church, and their own people this was a great take. As the Roman Empire progresses there reaches a point where there are just a bunch of emperors with a couple of the rockstars. Constantine and Justinian are two of the personalities that really mark the switch from Rome to Constantinople as the heart of the people who considered themselves Roman. The extensive use of Procopius who wrote well of and negatively of Justinian makes this super enjoyable.

6 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

A good read

Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2023

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Justinian is a major figure in the transition from late antiquity to the medieval. This monogram stress not only the military but also the religious. That is what makes Justinian such an important symbol of both the Roman (Byzantium) and the the age of faith. Although focused on the general reader it does proves insights to the non-specialist reader.

3 people found this helpful

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Monica Green

The synthetic account we've been needing of a transformative moment in history.

Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2023

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The Emperor Justinian's long reign in the 6th century (527 to 565 AD) saw warfare, legal transformations, climate change, and the beginning of an extended plague pandemic. Sarris captures it all in this superb biography.

11 people found this helpful

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NinthWard

Megalomaniac

Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2023

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Rapacious egomaniac

One person found this helpful

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A Reader

Exceptional!

Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2024

Outstanding! This biography of one of history's most consequential leaders provides a focused look at the many different aspects of Emperor Justinian's reign. The wars he sent such amazing generals as Belisarius and Narses to fight, his tax and financial policies (oddly interesting), the Nika riots, the famine and plague years, his construction of some of the most memorable sites in Constantinople (especially the groundbrearking Hagia Sophia), his legal code which persists in modern laws even today.

The author, a professor at Cambridge University, wrote this book for a general audience so it is thankfully free of the academic jargon that too often infects many books on Byzantine history. In fact, this book was a complete pleasure to read! I can only recommend to other academics that they follow this model. Byzantine history is too important to keep hidden in musty ivy-covered ivory towers of academia!

2 people found this helpful

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