Threatened by invaders on all sides, the Roman Empire in the sixth century fought to maintain its borders. Leading its defense was the Byzantine general Belisarius, a man who earned the grudging respect of his enemies, and who rose to become the Emperor Justinians greatest military leader.

Loosely based on Procopius History of the Justinian Wars and Secret History , this novel tells the generals story through the eyes of Eugenius, a eunuch and servant to the generals wife. It presents a ...