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simonmee's review against another edition
4.0
Written as a semi-historical account, Count Belisarius is perhaps better understood as a love ode to its protagonist, who always does the right thing .
It is not a masterpiece of characterisation, except as to Belisarius' wife Antonina, but the book holds up as still very readable, with notweworthy asides such as letters about elephants and other such diversions:
The breach was sealed up again, but when the Goths came next night to resume work they were confronted by a placard reading: 'Road closed. By Order of Belisarius.'
As to its historical worth, I suggest appreciating Graves' efforts but proceed with caution. The Ostrogothic nation did not exist at the Battle of Adrianople, and the comment:
Compare the fine, simple story contained in the four Gospels, obviously born among illiterate peasants and fishermen who never studied either grammar or rhetoric, which the wearisome philosophic Christianity of our time!
...feels a bit off even for someone writing contemporaneous with the time period - the Gospels are hardly simple. That being said, the breakdown of internal politics and religion serve as useful lodestars.
Still a very good flowing read.
It is not a masterpiece of characterisation, except as to Belisarius' wife Antonina, but the book holds up as still very readable, with notweworthy asides such as letters about elephants and other such diversions:
The breach was sealed up again, but when the Goths came next night to resume work they were confronted by a placard reading: 'Road closed. By Order of Belisarius.'
As to its historical worth, I suggest appreciating Graves' efforts but proceed with caution. The Ostrogothic nation did not exist at the Battle of Adrianople, and the comment:
Compare the fine, simple story contained in the four Gospels, obviously born among illiterate peasants and fishermen who never studied either grammar or rhetoric, which the wearisome philosophic Christianity of our time!
...feels a bit off even for someone writing contemporaneous with the time period - the Gospels are hardly simple. That being said, the breakdown of internal politics and religion serve as useful lodestars.
Still a very good flowing read.
caddysnack's review against another edition
5.0
Re-reading this amazing fictionalized account of one of my favorite periods of history. Graves' narrative is amazingly compelling and fluid. Everyone should read this book!
alex_ellermann's review against another edition
4.0
"Count Belisarius" is a terrific biography and history lesson of and about a man, and an era, often overlooked. Author Robert Graves (famous for "I, Claudius" and "Claudius the God") really knew how to weave fact with speculation to bring the past to life.
The real Count Belisarius was a military genius of the 6th Century. Rome had fallen to the Goths, but a smaller Roman Empire lived on at its new capital, Constantinople. Belisarius, the Emperor's most capable general, retook huge swaths of formerly Roman territory, including the City of Rome itself. He was the last Roman to be named Consul, the last to be granted a Triumph. Here's a Wikipedia article about him; he really was an impressive guy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belisarius
Still, it's possible to write a boring novel about an impressive guy. Graves did not do that. Instead, he put the reader in the shoes of these people who died 1500 years ago. Through his art, we walk the streets of High-Empire Constantinople, besieged Carthage, Palermo and Naples and Rome and Ravenna and on and on. We become enmeshed in the controversies of the day; we pick sides. We care. This is the magic of the historical novel, and Graves was a master of the form.
We all have gaps in our knowledge. Historical fiction is a painless way to fill them. If you're interested in learning about the 6th Century, you cannot go wrong with "Count Belisarius."
The real Count Belisarius was a military genius of the 6th Century. Rome had fallen to the Goths, but a smaller Roman Empire lived on at its new capital, Constantinople. Belisarius, the Emperor's most capable general, retook huge swaths of formerly Roman territory, including the City of Rome itself. He was the last Roman to be named Consul, the last to be granted a Triumph. Here's a Wikipedia article about him; he really was an impressive guy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belisarius
Still, it's possible to write a boring novel about an impressive guy. Graves did not do that. Instead, he put the reader in the shoes of these people who died 1500 years ago. Through his art, we walk the streets of High-Empire Constantinople, besieged Carthage, Palermo and Naples and Rome and Ravenna and on and on. We become enmeshed in the controversies of the day; we pick sides. We care. This is the magic of the historical novel, and Graves was a master of the form.
We all have gaps in our knowledge. Historical fiction is a painless way to fill them. If you're interested in learning about the 6th Century, you cannot go wrong with "Count Belisarius."
blaw139's review against another edition
4.0
Justinian going hard in his attempt to be the worst person to ever live
testpattern's review against another edition
4.0
Although not quite the masterpiece that both of the Claudius novels are, [b: Count Belisarius|324312|Count Belisarius|Robert Graves|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348678970l/324312._SY75_.jpg|315214] is a great read, and brings the period, the 6th century C.E. to vibrant life. The titular Count Belisarius is a devout Orthodox Christian general of the Eastern Roman empire during the reign of Justinian. The book, supposedly written by his wife's eunuch Eugenius, follows his campaigns in Rome and Northern Africa, chronicling the court intrigues and jealousies that prevent him from winning the glories that should have been his. Throughout, Belsarius remains a stoic Christian and loyal to the emperor who disdains him while envying his success.
What might make this book interesting to someone who is not particularly fascinated by late Roman military history (although, who isn't?) is the rich characterization and the wealth of believable period detail, something that Graves is remarkably adept at. These characters are not moderns playing out a historical narrative with some hastily-researched versimilitude tossed in for flavor. They are breathing humans of another era, with a completely different understanding of social order. Massacres are ordered over divergent opinions on the nature of the trinity. The preening, jealous figure of the Emperor Justinian is somehow able to grind the tattered remnants of the Empire into shreds without anyone raising more than a failed assasination attempt as a rebellion. Well, maybe not a completely different understanding of social order.
What might make this book interesting to someone who is not particularly fascinated by late Roman military history (although, who isn't?) is the rich characterization and the wealth of believable period detail, something that Graves is remarkably adept at. These characters are not moderns playing out a historical narrative with some hastily-researched versimilitude tossed in for flavor. They are breathing humans of another era, with a completely different understanding of social order. Massacres are ordered over divergent opinions on the nature of the trinity. The preening, jealous figure of the Emperor Justinian is somehow able to grind the tattered remnants of the Empire into shreds without anyone raising more than a failed assasination attempt as a rebellion. Well, maybe not a completely different understanding of social order.
buras12's review against another edition
2.0
פשוט לא יאמן שזה אותו הסופר שכתב את ספרי קלאודיוס. אצטרך למצוא ספר עיון קריא על בליזריוס
karna's review against another edition
2.0
Very well written, but I'm not really interested in following what Belisarius did.
I may read it in few months.
I may read it in few months.
jvan's review against another edition
3.0
It read like a history, not a novel, which was the point of the book but which I think might be a bit of a chore for most readers, especially as it tries as hard as it can to come off as a classical history; there's mostly references to battles fought and troops movements and imperial scandals, without much development of character. I think it succeeds very well at what it tries to be, but that's not necessarily a good thing.
dkevanstoronto's review against another edition
4.0
Lots of detail, perhaps a little too much. It raises interesting questions but they are lost in the detail of an immense erudition of Graves. He attempts another "I Claudius" but goes overboard in explaining things.
In essence the moral is that you can't turn back the hands of time. Even if the Eastern Empire could have regained the west the fundamental problems of a society so dependent on Slaves (40% of the work force) created a problem of scale. It was broken something else was arising. To some extent this book gives a good grounding in Byzantium and the changes that were fundamental to the period.
Not a bad read, but for those who know some of the history you will find the speculations a bit dated. Also Graves distinction between the Germanic peoples and the others of Europe and the world to be jaded. No doubt it was influenced by the times he lived in which seem totally irrelevant to both modern scholarship and modern tastes.
In essence the moral is that you can't turn back the hands of time. Even if the Eastern Empire could have regained the west the fundamental problems of a society so dependent on Slaves (40% of the work force) created a problem of scale. It was broken something else was arising. To some extent this book gives a good grounding in Byzantium and the changes that were fundamental to the period.
Not a bad read, but for those who know some of the history you will find the speculations a bit dated. Also Graves distinction between the Germanic peoples and the others of Europe and the world to be jaded. No doubt it was influenced by the times he lived in which seem totally irrelevant to both modern scholarship and modern tastes.
jbjcubs's review against another edition
4.0
An interesting read and not difficult to get through, but still a star below I, Claudius and Claudius the God I think. Looking forward to picking up Graves’s autobiography soon.