Justinian

by John Moorhead

The reign of Justinian (527--65) was a key phase in the transition from the Roman empire of classical times to the Byzantine empire of the Middle Ages. Justinian himself, born of peasant stock in a provincial backwater, was one of the greatest rulers yet, despite prodigious achievements, he remained an outsider in the sophisticated society of Constantinople. Here, John Moorhead reinterprets Justinian as man and monarch, together with his formidable empress, the ex-actress Theodora, and assesses the evidence from their time for the evolution of a distinctively medieval world.

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction

212 pages, Textbook Binding

First published January 12, 1994

Reviews

[Sean Chick · Rating 2 out of 5]

Prose is stilted and analysis is light. Justinian comes off as Louis XIV without the panache.

[Jane]

shockingly easy to read for academic writing. i disagree w moorhead on several points, but lowkey it’s helpful for my thesis anyway. thanks john!

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was disappointed at the end - no mention of the destruction of his tomb. Otherwise good read.