Count Belisarius
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Historical novel | |
Publisher | Random House (US) Cassell (UK) |
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Count Belisarius is a
historical novel by Robert Graves, first published in 1938, recounting the life of the Byzantine general Belisarius
(AD 500–565).
Just as Graves's Claudius novels (I, Claudius and Claudius the God and His Wife Messalina) were based on The Twelve Caesars of Suetonius and other Roman sources, Count Belisarius is largely based on Procopius's History of Justinian's Wars and Secret History. However, Graves's treatment of his sources has been criticized by the historian Anthony Kaldellis, who writes that "There are many historical novels set in the early sixth century, but none can be recommended that are both historically accurate and well-written. R. Graves's Count Belisarius... is at least well-written."[1]
Count Belisarius purports to be a biography written by Eugenius, a
Theodora
to incorporate political intrigue and other information into the story of Belisarius' military exploits.
Notes
- ISBN 1-60384-180-6, p. lxxix.
Further reading
- Graves, Robert; Count Belisarius, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, (1982 paperback) ISBN 978-0-374-51739-7