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A review by simonmee
Count Belisarius by Robert Graves
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.