The sixth century was not a peaceful time for the Roman empire. Invaders threatened on all fronties, but they grew to respect and fear the name of Belisarius, the Emperor Justinian's greatest general. With this book Robert Graves again demonstrates his command of a vast historical subject, creating a startling and vivid picture of a decadent era.

Dramatizes the life of Emperor Justinian's greatest general and the world of sixth-century Rome

A dazzling historical novel set in the sixth century AD, from I, Claudius author Robert Graves, and with a new introduction by novelist Lydia Kiesling. The sixth-century Roman Empire is a dangerous place, threatened on all frontiers by invaders. But soon the attacking armies of Vandals, Goths, and Persians grow to fear and respect the name of one man, Belisarius: horseman, archer, swordsman, and military commander of genius. As Belisarius triumphs in battles from the East to North Africa, his success causes him to become regarded with increasing jealousy and suspicion. In his palace in Constantinople the Emperor Justinian, dominated by his wife Theodora, plots the great general's downfall. Written in the form of a biography by Belisarius's manservant, this epic historical novel portrays him as a lone man of honor in a corrupt world. Seven Stories' Robert Graves Project spans fourteen titles, and includes fiction and nonfiction, adult, young adult, and children's books, in a striking new uniform design, with new introductions and afterwords. Count Belisarius joins our recent re-publication of The Reader Over Your Shoulder, Lawrence and the Arabs, The Golden Fleece, and Homer's Daughter. Among the works still to come are Hebrew Myths, Wife to Mr. Milton, and The Isles of Unwisdom. The online partner for the Robert Graves Project is RosettaBooks.

This “vigorous tale” by the acclaimed author of I, Claudius captures the sixth century fall of the Byzantine Empire as seen through the eyes of a servant (Kirkus Reviews). Threatened by invaders on all sides, the Eastern Roman Empire of the sixth century fought to maintain its borders. Leading its defense was the Byzantine general Belisarius, a man who earned the grudging respect of his enemies, and who rose to become Emperor Justinian’s greatest military leader. Loosely based on Procopius’s History of the Justinian Wars and Secret History, this novel tells the Belisarius’s story through the eyes of Eugenius, a eunuch and servant to the general’s wife. It presents a compelling portrait of a man bound by a strict code of honor and unrelenting loyalty to an emperor who is intelligent but flawed, and whose decisions bring him to a tragic end. Eminent historical novelist and classicist Robert Graves presents a vivid account of a time in history both dissolute and violent, and demonstrates one again his mastery of this historical period. “A brilliant piece of scholarship.” —Kirkus Reviews “The scope of the book is massive—encompassing religious controversy and cultural developments as well as military history—yet, throughout, Graves succeeds in blending historical details with the development of his main characters.” —Historical Novel Society

“One of the really remarkable books of our day”—the story of the Roman emperor on which the award-winning BBC TV series was based (The New York Times). Once a rather bookish young man with a limp and a stammer, a man who spent most of his time trying to stay away from the danger and risk of the line of ascension, Claudius seemed an unlikely candidate for emperor. Yet, on the death of Caligula, Claudius finds himself next in line for the throne, and must stay alive as well as keep control. Drawing on the histories of Plutarch, Suetonius, and Tacitus, noted historian and classicist Robert Graves tells the story of the much-maligned Emperor Claudius with both skill and compassion. Weaving important themes throughout about the nature of freedom and safety possible in a monarchy, Graves’s Claudius is both more effective and more tragic than history typically remembers him. A bestselling novel and one of Graves’ most successful, I, Claudius has been adapted to television, film, theatre, and audio. “[A] legendary tale of Claudius . . . [A] gem of modern literature.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

A military history of the campaigns of Flavius Belisarius, the greatest general of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Emperor Justinian. Back in the 6th century, Belisarius twice defeated the Persians and reconquered North Africa from the Vandals in a single year at the age of 29, before going on to regain Spain and Italy, including Rome (briefly), from the barbarians. This book discusses the evolution from classical Roman to Byzantine armies and systems of warfare, as well as those of their chief enemies: the Persians, Goths, and Vandals. Belisarius: The Last Roman General reassesses Belisarius’s generalship and compares him with the likes of Caesar, Alexander, and Hannibal. It is also illustrated with line drawings and battle plans as well as photographs.

'...A remarkable and fascinating account...' --Phil Carradice, BBC From the author of the celebrated Great War memoir Old Soldiers Never Die, Old Soldier Sahib is Frank Richards' account of his experiences as a Royal Welch Fusilier in India and Burma at the dawn of the 20th century.

In Homer's Daughter Robert Graves recreates the Odyssey. This bold retelling of the ancient epic imagines that its author was not the blind and bearded Homer of legend, but a young woman in Western Sicily who calls herself Nausicaä. In Robert Graves's words, Homer's Daughter is 'the story of a high-spirited and religious-minded Sicilian girl who saves her father's throne from usurpation, herself from a distasteful marriage, and her two younger brothers from butchery by boldly making things happen, instead of sitting still and hoping for the best.'