By Paolo Belzoni

The year is AD 504. The all-powerful Roman Empire lies in tatters, its western provinces dismembered into a patchwork of new kingdoms ruled by barbarians. Britain has been abandoned by the Romans for almost 100 years. Gaul, conquered by Caesar, is ruled by a Frankish king. Spain, which produced the Roman emperors Trajan and Theodosius the Great is now the seat of the Visigoths. North Africa, birthplace of St. Augustine, groans under the overlordship of the Vandals. Even Italy and the Eternal City of Rome herself are under the rule of a powerful Ostrogothic king.

In Constantinople, the New Rome, the Eastern Roman emperor is beset by problems. New and dangerous barbarian hordes appear on the frontier year after year. The powerful king of Persia demands tribute and threatens Roman Mesopotamia and Syria. Religious controversies spawn catastrophic military uprisings.

But unbeknownst to all, in that same year was born Belisarius, the greatest Roman general of them all. At a time when Roman power was thought to be practically extinct, Belisarius did what no sane Roman thought possible. He went toe-to-toe with the empire's most powerful enemies.

Belisarius: The First Shall Be Last is a historical novel that recreates the early life of this amazing hero. Filled with action and intrigue, the book is replete with historical and religious detail drawn from ancient historians such as Procopius, Agathias, John Malalas, and many others. The novel is a fascinating introduction to the Justinianic period—the last gasp of the Roman Empire and the infancy of Christendom in both the East and West.

• Binding: Paperback
• Pages: 248

Paolo A. Belzoni is a writer residing in New Jersey. He has published several works of short fiction and his interests include Roman and Byzantine military history, art, architecture, and archaeology, as well as early Church history. Belisarius: Book I: The First Shall Be Last is his first novel.