Justinian and Theodora

Robert Browning's "Justinian and Theodora" is both a biography of two forceful and enigmatic personalities -- the peasant's son who became Emperor and the bear-keeper's daughter who was his Empress -- and a history of one of the key epochs in the formation of modern Europe. Justinian's dream was to re-create the Christian Roman Empire of Constantine; his achievement -- at the price of impoverishment in the East and devastation in the West -- was to regain Africa and Italy from the Germanic tribes that had established their monarchies there. For nearly half a century, Justinian wrestled with a complex of problems posed by the Empire, aided and occasionally frustrated by his passionate and unscrupulous consort. In evaluating Justinian, the author substantiates the conclusion of an early scholar, namely, that Justinian intended his reign to inaugurate a great era while it in fact marked the end of one. The color plates, as well as the numerous black-and-white illustrations, show the persons, places, and works of art that figure in this historical period, providing the visual background to a brilliant and sophisticated age. -- From publisher's description.