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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Scholarship (and scandal),
By
This review is from: Theodora and the Emperor (Paperback)
Originally published in 1952 (the year I was born), this historical novel appears to stick pretty close to the facts; and, despite the romance-like summation on the back cover, is actually a serious book (with an index!). The author says this:
"All characters in this narrative are taken from the historical record. That applies to such minor figures as Porphyrius the charioteer and the blind dog of the Hippodrome. The events are actual and the incidents taken from sources of the time. Conversations between two persons have been invented for the most part, while based upon known particulars or viewpoints. Communications, letters, and episodes in the court and Hippodrome come from the record established by such scholars as J. B. Bury." The back cover of the book, however, seems to be advertising a Hollywood costume epic: THE HARLOT EMPRESS Theodora-the eerie beauty whose name stands in history beside Helen of Troy and Cleopatra. The daughter of a circus performer, a footloose vagabond and harlot, whose fierce ambition drove her from man to man until she finally married Justinian, one of the greatest emperors of the ancient world. THE PEASANT KING Peter Sabbatius-the weak, indecisive son of a Macedonian peasant who lived to become Justinian the Great, emperor of Byzantium. The shy, lonely scholar who secretly dreamed of uniting the whole world under one church over which he alone would rule supreme. Behind them lay a dying Rome-ahead of them a fantastic age of Byzantine splendor. THEODORA AND THE EMPEROR The magnificent, true story of the shepherd boy and the circus girl who forged the mighty empire of Byzantium from the ruins of barbarian-ravaged Rome. Half the fun, for me, was mentally casting Hollywood legends in all the major roles.
4.0 out of 5 stars
What an interesting surprise of a book,
By
This review is from: Theodora and the Emperor (Paperback)
Don't judge a book by its cover--the cover notes for this one sound like a pulp adventure book, but is actually an informative book about the late Roman Empire. The Emperor and his Empress were pretty extraordinary characters on their own, and went on to try to hold the line on deterioration of the influence and society of the Roman Empire--after it had abandoned Rome itself for Constantinople. They chose competent and interesting characters to help them. There are wars against the rival Persians, as well as the Avars and the Vandals and other barbarians, invasions of Italy, Africa and the Levant, major schisms in early Christian doctrine, expensive building campaigns for now famous churches, revised codes of laws, riots, betrayals and so one--all written in the context of a novel, and a good read. But it is true! It makes you wish that history professors assigned these books, just to give the color background on the period.
0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
I'm reading it now,
By Sakitumi "book hoarder" (Albuquerque, NM, US) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Theodora and the Emperor (Paperback)
I bought this to replace a book entitled "The Woman" which is probably out of print, which I'd had for more than 40 years until it disintegrated. The copy I received shows its age in yellowed pages and obvious shelf wear. However, it's otherwise in good condition. It arrived over-packaged in packaging difficult to open.
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