Details the Roman army of Justinian - equipment, organization,
leadership, strategy and tactics - illustrated with strategic maps and
tactical battle diagrams.
Justinian I was the last great conquering Roman emperor, who
dramatically increased the size of his realm although he never actually
led an army in person. His long reign (527-565) was devoted to the
challenging project of renovatio imperii, that is the renovation of
Empire. His was the will and vision behind campaigns that saw the
reconquest of Rome itself and Italy from the Ostrogoths, North Africa
from the Vandals, and parts of Spain from the Visigoths. These grand
schemes were largely accomplished through the services of two talented
generals, Belisarius and Narses, and in spite of the distractions of
wars against the Persians in the east for most of his reign and the
devastation caused by bubonic plague.
This is the only book available devoted to analyzing all of Justinian's
campaigns on the basis of the full range of sources. Besides narrating
the course and outcome of these wars, Michael Whitby analyses the Roman
army of the period, considering its equipment, organization, leadership,
strategy and tactics, and considers the longer-term impact of
Justinian's military ventures on the stability of the empire.
