A huge welcome to Elias Belhaddad who will take us through the rise of a new force.  The world will never be the same again!

Phocas's reign comes to an end in a brutal manner. His successor proves to be just what the Empire needs.

The Empire successfully keeps its enemies at bay for more than 20 years. And then...?

Justinian was certainly a great man; a man of drive, vision and courage. His achievements were many... but at what cost?

I'm off on a family holiday so there will be a slight delay before the next chapter.

Justinian sends his best general, the great Belisarius, to North Africa to evict the Vandals. If successful he will plough on and have a go at the big one: the reconquest of Rome.

Justin is the Emperor but he's not really in charge. His nephew, Peter Sabbatius, gains a new name and a lot of power. Not only that, Peter has the ambition and drive to exercise his power.

The Eastern Empire is healthy and flourishing but the Western Empire is gone. It's time to reflect on the reasons why.

Have a great holiday!

The fact that the Roman Empire used to contain a city called Rome quickly becomes a distant memory. Constantinople has its own problems. Stability is provided by an old man who proves that age is no barrier to imperial success.