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Hardcover. Condizione: Near Fine. Condizione sovraccoperta: Near Fine. First Edition. 1990. iv,239pp. Black and white illustrations. "The sixth century in Italy, with its lengthening shadows of the Dark Ages, could still claim such enlightened names as Theodoric the Great, Boethius and, at its end, Pope Gregory the Great. The East Roman Empire at Constantinople was ruled by the Emperor Justinian I, with his consort Theodora, ably served by the minister of justice, Tribonia, and the great general Belisarius who had retaken North Africa from the Vandals and attempted the reconquest of Italy. On a par with all these, and serving as a link, was a small Armenian who has largely been forgotten by later historians. Narses the Eunuch served as a court official in Constantinople for most of his life, rising to the position of Grand Chamberlain and trusted confidant of the Emperor. His survival for so long in such a hot-bed of intrigue as the Byzantine Court is unusual enough, but in 551 AD, when he was well into his seventies, Narses was chosen as Supreme Commander for Justinian's final attempt to reconquer Italy. Where Belisarius had failed, Narses succeeded. The powerful Ostrogothic Kingdom of Italy was destroyed and the Goths were driven from the history books. Narses then defeated an invasion by the Franks and Alammani. These feats alone should have marked him for greatness but, despite ruling as Regent over the newly unified Italy for a further twelve years, Narses has slipped from his rightful place among the great personalities who stand at this cross-roads in the development of post-Roman Europe." Both book and unclipped dust jacket are in excellent condition with no inscriptions. All contents are tight and clean. Dust jacket is wrapped in a removable protective plastic.