Justinian II: The Roman Emperor Who Lost His Nose and His Throne and Regained Both

by Peter Crawford

Justinian II became Roman emperor at a time when the Empire was beset by external enemies. His forces gained success against the Arabs and Bulgars but his religious and social policies fuelled internal opposition which resulted in him being deposed and mutilated (his nose was cut off) in 695. After a decade in exile, during which he strangled two would-be assassins with his bare hands, he regained power through a coup d’etat with the backing of the erstwhile Bulgar enemy (an alliance sealed by the marriage of his daughter, Anastasia).

His second reign was seemingly harsher and again beset by both external and internal threats and dissension over doctrinal matters. An energetic and active ruler, his reign saw developments in various areas, including numismatics, administration, finance and architecture, but he was deposed a second time in 711 and beheaded. Drawing on all the available evidence and the most recent research, Peter Crawford makes a long-overdue re-assessment of Justinian’s colorful but troubled career and asks if he fully deserves his poor reputation.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

416 pages, Hardcover

Published October 22, 2021

Reviews

[Hamid · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an *extremely* academic tome, so it's thorough but much more so than I'd expected. There are chapters devoted to numismatics and the precise movements and machinations of armies and various political actors across the Byzantine empire, various Muslim power bases and central/eastern European players.

There's a lot here of interest, no doubt. I enjoyed much of Crawford's investigation of his source material. But it requires real focus to power through and while I'm interested in Byzantine history, I think I should have lead in with something softer or briefer on Justinian II before delving into this.

I think there are some incredibly exciting narrative elements, particularly when it comes towards Justinian's mutilated exile in Cherson and his rather daring escapades. I understand why there's not more of it but they were tantalisingly thrilling.

Add a star or two for the scholarship if you're looking for an academic work. It's well-researched and expounded. But wasn't quite as much a match for my headspace as I'd hoped!

[Jessie Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dense and informative. There are only two Emperors with the name Justinian and history hasn’t been kind to the memory of the second, Heraclian Emperor. Part of that, Crawford explains, is that his two chief biographers (Theophanes and Nikephoros) were biased against him due to supporting Justinian’s successors. This covers a lot of ground - his fights with the Avars, Slavs, Bulgars, Umayyads, etc., his domestic and ecumenical dictates (one that drew him into such conflict with Pope Sergius he ordered the Pope arrested), and his unlikely alliances, such as being the first emperor to marry a Barbadian Khazar or trusting Philippikos Bardanes. Can read a little like a textbook but the Emperor with two reigns and no nose makes for an interesting subject.