Justinian's Empire: Triumph and Tragedy

Fall of the Roman Empire Book #4

by Nick Holmes

IN THE REIGN OF JUSTINIAN, THE ROMANS FOUGHT BACK.It was an age of glory. Justinian’s general, Belisarius, recovered North Africa and Italy from the barbarians. An impressive new law code was inaugurated that would endure to this day. Astonishing building projects, like the iconic Hagia Sophia, rivalled the great monuments of Old Rome.

But all that glitters is not gold. Drawing on the contemporary sources, especially those of the chronicler Procopius, Nick Holmes reveals a darker side to Justinian - a ruthless opportunist, whose costly conquests and misguided priorities drained the empire’s wealth and critically weakened its army.

Rather than restoring Rome’s greatness did he in fact pave the way for its catastrophic collapse less than a century after his death?

This is the fourth volume in Nick Holmes’ series on the Fall of the Roman Empire. The first three books trace the empire’s story from the ‘crisis of the third century’, through its reinvention by Constantine as a Christian state, and then onto the fall of its western half. A fifth volume will tell of its rapid demise in the seventh century AD, when the first Islamic Caliphate became the new superpower of western Eurasia.

Praise for Nick Holmes’ Books

‘A riveting account of Rome’s decline’ Kirkus Reviews
‘Clear, succinct and compelling’ AudioFile Magazine
‘Perhaps the best historical story-teller alive’ Amazon Reviewer

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Ancient History

440 pages, Paperback

Published November 25, 2024

About the author

Hello, I'm a British author, podcaster, and historian, and welcome to my series of books on the Fall Of The Roman Empire. My passion is Roman history. I've wandered among the ruins of the Roman Forum and wondered what happened to this great civilisation? I've stared into the dome of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, and reflected on how the Roman Empire lasted for centuries after Rome itself was sacked, even when its capital moved to Constantinople. So, I've embarked on writing the full account of this momentous time.

Immerse yourself in this incredible story. It may surprise you to find that those events so long ago are strangely relevant to our modern times, from the changing climate to religion, and from war to peace. Let us listen to the voices from the past.

And if you like podcasts, try mine "The Fall of the Roman Empire", which accompanies my books, and please check out my website which offers a free book and much more at www.nickholmesauthor.com

Reviews

[Larry (LPosse1) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review: Justinian’s Empire by Nick Holmes – ★★★★☆

I enjoyed Justinian’s Empire far more than the previous entry in the series, Rome and Attila. This book felt more focused, informative, and tightly put together, which made the history flow in a way that kept me engaged throughout. You’ve got to hand it to Nick Holmes—he’s diving into a stretch of Roman history that isn’t nearly as popular with readers or even many historians, and yet he makes it readable, approachable, and full of depth. On top of that, he has a smashing podcast that complements the books wonderfully.

Holmes captures both the brilliance and the contradictions of Justinian’s reign. The emperor accomplished astonishing feats: he recaptured North Africa and Italy, embarked on massive building projects (including Hagia Sophia), and completely revamped the legal system in ways that still echo today. Truly amazing achievements. Yet Holmes also shows the darker side of these triumphs—Justinian nearly bankrupted the empire, left the frontiers exposed, and created a surge of short-term success that ultimately weakened the empire’s long-term stability. A high point for the Roman world that, paradoxically, set the stage for decline.

Overall, this was a very good read. Clear, insightful, and balanced, it reminded me why I enjoy Holmes’ work even when he tackles eras that often get overlooked. Not perfect, but a strong and satisfying installment in his series on Rome’s turbulent centuries. I look forward to his future releases!

[Willy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Justinian’s Empire is a decent book on the reign of Justinian, with particular focus on Belisarius, which I think leans a little too heavily into the author’s opinions of the characters in question.

This book focuses on the period immediately following the fall of the Western Roman Empire. Holmes discusses the following 50-60 years and the reigns of those emperors in this period.

By far my biggest issue with this book was Holmes’s insistence that Justinian was a poor Emperor. I think that whilst I understand his arguments (the fallen west being not worthwhile to revive, his reckless spending and his ignorance of the east) I think that he delves too far into supposition based on his opinion whilst removing any agency from the Eastern Roman Empire. Particular examples are the apparent pointlessness of reconquering much of the fallen Western Roman Empire. I completely understand where he’s coming from with his economic argument, but then why did the Eastern Roman’s fight so hard for this apparently worthless land. Similarly with his failures against the Persians, why did Justinian get blamed so hard for his losses whilst Julian the Apostate gets more than fairly treated the in one of his previous books. The same happens with Christianity; at one point he says that the different denominations don’t matter for the general public but then goes and says that a big reason that Belisarius was welcomed was his position as the head of a Catholic Army, not an Arian one.

I just think that Holmes has a certain opinion that he wants to push and that this comes in the way of reason at certain points. I think that it’s it worst here and it’s put me off of whatever he writes next, to be honest.

[Melodie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent as usual

A good look at the reality of Justinian's reign.
My quibble is, he puts a lot of reliance on the secret history without explaining why he sees it as so valid.

[A M Booth · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is the 4th book in a book series tracing Roman history from the crisis of the 3rd century which saw the end of "classical Rome" to the Arab invasions of the 7th century which ended the Roman empire as the dominant power in the Mediterranean.

as ever this is an excellent book that focuses on the eastern Roman empire from the fall of the west to the death of Justinian. Holmes has a good command of the material and winds back and forth between the effects of mega events such as plague, famine and climate change and the personal.

His ultimate conclusion was that Justinian's conquests in the west were too expensive and weakened the Roman army on its key frontiers of the Danube and with Persia. by the end of his reign, Justinian was paying a lot of gold to his opponents to buy peace. Justinian inherited a compact, well financed and well defended empire but left a bloated, bankrupt and broken empire.

[Xavier Ruiz Trullols · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! Nick Holmes has once again proven that he’s one of the most engaging historical storytellers of our time. Justinian’s Empire is not just a dry recounting of facts; it’s a vivid, compelling narrative that brings to life one of the most fascinating and polarizing reigns in history.

Holmes captures both the grandeur and the contradictions of Justinian’s rule. On the one hand, Justinian rebuilt and expanded the Eastern Roman Empire in spectacular ways> militarily, architecturally (the Hagia Sophia!) and legally (the Corpus Juris Civilis). On the other hand, the empire came dangerously close to breaking under the weight of his ambitions. Holmes doesn’t shy away from showing how many of the emperor’s bold moves planted the seeds of future instability and he makes a convincing case for how Justinian’s legacy shaped the challenges his successors faced.

What I appreciated most was Holmes’ ability to present different historical theories with clarity and accessibility. He doesn’t just explain what happened, he explores why it may have happened, weighing various perspectives and offering his own thoughtful interpretations. It’s history written with both depth and energy.

This series has been a real gem for anyone interested in Late Antiquity. I’m eagerly looking forward to the final book and I sincerely hope Holmes takes on a new subject soon, his talent is not to be missed.

[John marks · Rating 4 out of 5]

The overall opinion on justinians reign was negative, however to reign for as long as he did ,beset by enemies on all sides from within and outside the empire was impressive. He cemented his legacy with the great building works in Constantinople but ultimately ushered in the demise of the empire through appeasement.i can't help seeing similarity with chamberlains appeasement of Hitler, a great empire overstretched and not ready for war...
I wish we knew more.

[Liviu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall I am quite enjoying this series and this installment was definitely better than the Attila one - energetic and page turning, reads like a novel but is grounded in research and the author doesn't shy about offering his interpretations and the reasons for such.

[Paige McLoughlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fills in a lacuna in my knowledge of the early Byzantine Empire and the lost opportunity of restoring the Roman Empire in the West. This is a chapter of history that should get a little more attention because it was pivotal in both the East and the West's future development.

[Castlehill · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Great Read

The Book is a great insight into the Eastern Roman Empire during the mid 500's, explaining the reasons for it's zenith and road towards it's eventual decline.