 In the end, Elipidos, who had been contemplating writing his own history, hides the book as he believes he could not properly separate the good from the evil in Justinian's life.In an author's note, Turtledove, who has a doctorate in Byzantine history, discusses the historical accuracy of the books.He notes that the reconstructive surgery which he describes Justinian undergoing is one which Indian surgeons were actually performing at the time and is one speculation about how the exiled emperor may have restored his nose.