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A review by alex_ellermann
Count Belisarius by Robert Graves
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."