![]() ![]() Then I found myself reading three books in a row on the endgame in Roman history, that’s where Justinian comes in, and I realized that a portion of southeastern Europe that seemed like the sticks to me, was a center of the action in the faltering empire. I’ve wanted to read this esteemed book, Black Lamb and Grey Falcon, for a long time, except for the doubt of why I would want to read hundreds of pages on the state of Yugoslavia in the late thirties. As things fell apart after his death, I’m sure that there were many citizens of old Constantinople who said on street corners: “This wouldn’t have happened if old Justinian was still alive.” People are capable of being such suckers, whether in a tyranny or a democracy. The emperor Justinian almost singlehandedly wrecked the late Roman Empire, and for all that, he was highly esteemed and reigned for a long time. You have only to consider our politicians who, the more ignorant they are, the more vehemently they express their opinions. Zeal combined with ignorance is a destructive force. …Reading an old book, I find myself on a train in the 1930’s: A Selection from Rebecca West’s Black Lamb and Grey Falcon ![]()
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