Bibliograph

Justinian II, the Roman emperor who lost his nose and his throne -- and regained both, Peter Crawford

Type

Label

Justinian II, the Roman emperor who lost his nose and his throne -- and regained both, Peter Crawford

Language

eng

Index

no index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

Justinian II

Nature of contents

dictionaries

Responsibility statement

Peter Crawford

Sub title

the Roman emperor who lost his nose and his throne -- and regained both

Summary

Justinian II became Roman emperor at a time when the Empire was beset by external enemies. His forces gained success against the Arabs and Bulgars but his religious and social policies fuelled internal opposition which resulted in him being deposed and mutilated (his nose was cut off) in 695. After a decade in exile, during which he strangled two would-be assassins with his bare hands, he regained power through a coup d'etat with the backing of the erstwhile Bulgar enemy (an alliance sealed by the marriage of his daughter, Anastasia). His second reign was seemingly harsher and again beset by both external and internal threats and dissension over doctrinal matters. An energetic and active ruler, his reign saw developments in various areas, including numismatics, administration, finance and architecture, but he was deposed a second time in 711 and beheaded. Drawing on all the available evidence and the most recent research, Peter Crawford makes a long-overdue re-assessment of Justinian's colorful but troubled career and asks if he fully deserves his poor reputation

Target audience

adult

Classification