Strategos
Belisarius, Volume One
Rome has fallen in the West. In the East, one general sets out to win it back.
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Belisarius, volume one of two. 102 pages, full colour.
About the book
Constantinople, the sixth century. From the frontier fortress of Dara to the burning streets of the Nika revolt, across the sands of Africa to the walls of Ravenna, Belisarius becomes the greatest soldier of his age.
Beside him stands his wife, Antonina, his fiercest ally and keeper of secrets the histories only half record. Above them both sits Justinian, an emperor whose favour is never certain and whose empire is bought in blood.
A story of ambition, faith and the cost of loyalty, in a painterly ink-and-watercolour style. The first of two volumes. One history was written for the emperor. The other was written in secret.
What is in the book
- Four chapters: Dara, the Nika revolt, Africa and Ravenna
- Opening maps for the campaigns
- Illustrated plates at the end of each chapter, from the trenches of Dara to Gothic Italy
Sources
Procopius of Caesarea, History of the Wars, in the Dewing translation. Every caption traces back to it.
Look inside
Chapter one opens: Belisarius at Dara
The battle of Dara, 530
The Nika revolt begins in the Hippodrome
Africa
Italy: two empires
Read the opening pages free, in any browser, with no Kindle needed.
Trailer
Questions
Where should I start?
With Strategos. Martys covers the same years from Antonina's side and is written to be read second.
How closely does it follow the sources?
Every caption traces to Procopius's History of the Wars in the Dewing translation.
Is there an ebook?
Yes. The Kindle edition is in full colour, and the opening can be read free in any browser.
How was the book made?
The artwork is made with AI image tools under the author's direction, and the book says so. How these books are made
Hear when the next book is out
One email when a new book is out. Between books, now and then a short letter about one thing from the sources: a coin, a map, a passage, an experiment. Never more than once a month.