Count Belisarius (Penguin Classics) by Robert Graves (3-Aug-2006) Paperback

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Reviews

[George Purdy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taking inspiration from Procopius’s History of Justinian's Wars and Secret History, Count Belisarius is Robert Graves’s fictionalised account of the life of 6th-century Roman general Belisarius written from the point of view of Eugenius, a eunuch in service to Belisarius’s wife Antonia. As a World War I veteran, it is unsurprising that Graves's narrative revolves around Belisarius's military campaigns in North Africa and Italy under the reign of Justinian. Despite displaying much of Graves’s remarkable ability to breathe life into ancient history through a blend of fiction and historical realism, in my opinion Count Belisarius does not rank with Graves’ more famous novels I, Claudius and Claudius the God. Given that these two books are undoubtedly among the best examples of historical fiction ever written, Count Belisarius's comparative inability to excite the reader is unsurprising. Whilst fictionalised accounts of classical military history may not be my favourite form of historical fiction, I greatly appreciate the craftsmanship of this novel.