The Gates of Carthage

After Roman losses at Callinicum, Belisarius is imprisoned and Varus is left to guide surviving troops away from the Persian frontier. In Constantinople, hostility towards Justinian’s government erupts among the Blues and Greens of the Hippodrome, turning factional unrest into the Nika Riots and placing the emperor, Theodora and the imperial court in immediate danger.

Once the revolt is confronted, Justinian directs attention towards the Vandal Kingdom in North Africa. Belisarius is recalled to command the expedition, while Varus joins preparations for an amphibious campaign intended to seize Carthage and restore Roman rule in a province lost for a century.