Table of Contents

Preface 1. The Background of the Story 2. The Scum of Society 3. The Rise to Power 4. The Remarkable Career of the Young Belisarius 5. Antonina in Love 6. Victory and Defeat in the Ecclesiastical Arena 7. Theodora's Riposte 8. The Fall of John the Cappadocian 9. The Theodosius and Antonina Affair Continued 10. Plague and Intrigue 11. Theodora Helps to Found an Anti-Chalcedonian Church 12. The Agony of Italy 13. Postlude: The Ending of the Era of Reconquest Appendix I: Two Contemporary Witnesses Sources Bibliography Index

Promotional Information

Original portrayal of Justinian's reign, its politics and theological disputes, focusing on the lives of two extraordinary women who wielded power and influence.

About the Author

James Allan Evans is Professor Emeritus of Classical Near Eastern and Religious Studies at the University of British Columbia, Canada, and Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.

Reviews

Evans' book brings a fresh perspective to the reign of Justinian by focusing not only on the emperor's wife Theodora, but also on her close associate Antonina. It also offers a gripping account of a turbulent reign and the struggles of court factions.
*Geoffrey Greatrex, Associate Professor in the Department of Classics and Religious Studies, University of Ottawa, Canada*