History of the Wars: Books 5-6 (Gothic War)

On the following day the Goths destroyed the gates of the tower with no trouble and made the crossing, since no one tried to oppose them. But Belisarius, who had not as yet learned what had happened to the garrison, was bringing up a thousand horsemen to the bridge over the river, in order to look over the ground and decide where it would be best for his forces to make camp. But when they had come rather close, they met the enemy already across the river, and not at all willingly they engaged with some of them.

-from History of the Wars, Book V

The last major ancient historian, Byzantine scholar PROCOPIUS OF CAESAREA (c. 500-565) traveled with the army of Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian I as a military adviser, and chronicled the wars he fought-this is the primary source today of information about the reign of Justinian I.

Here, in Books V and VI of the eight-volume History of the Wars, Procopius tells the first two of three parts of the story of the Gothic War between the Eastern Roman Empire and the Ostrogoths in Sicily and Italy between 536 and 552. Procopius regales us with vivid tales of battle-including the capture of Rhegium and Naples by Justinian's greatest general, Belisarius, and the Gothic siege of Rome-and of the intrigues and power struggles that dogged the emperor.

Far from dry, this is a thrilling read, one that echoes of this still turbulent region today. Students of the history of classical history will be enthralled by this ancient and profoundly important work.