Justinian's era is suddenly becoming more accessible with translations of key contemporary documents presenting new opportunities for students, teachers and scholars. The verbatim Acts of the Council of Constantinople of 553 are now available and the Novels of Justinian are awaited. Especially welcome is this indispensable translation by Peter Bell of three lesser known, and far less available, voices from Constantinople: the Advice of Agapetus (a deacon, possibly associated with the ‘sleepless monks’, written early 530s); the anonymus Dialogue on political science (extant only in part of bk iv on the military and bk v on the ideal commonwealth, set in the 530s, written in the 560s); and the Description of Hagia Sophia of Paul the Silentiary (imperial courtier, written January 563). The annotated translation of the texts is preceded by a general introduction covering the date, sources, method and thought of each author plus their textual history and status. Bell's book marks a new starting point for exploring these texts. He has succeeded in producing a clear and readable translation of some notoriously opaque documents including the first English translation of the Dialogue and the first modern English translation of both Agapetus and Paul. The translations would be valuable enough service but the introduction and substantial notes to each text are a real bonus, made even more usable by the separate ‘subject index’. Bell teases out how divine inspiration for the political order is justified with Agapetus seeing Justinian as the imitator of God, but for the Neoplatonic Dialogue writer the focus is on how the emperor can ascend to the intellectual world above. As an encomium commissioned by the court, and recited in the presence of emperor and patriarch, Paul's work is rather different in ideology and tone. These texts demonstrate especially the influence of the Platonic philosophical tradition (Agapetus, Dialogue) and Cicero's political ideals (Dialogue) but tempered by current military and political realities. Overall, as Bell's detailed commentary shows, these texts are situated in an era of pronounced religious, social and political conflict. They provide insight into how the emperor Justinian cast his role as God's earthly representative with responsibility for ensuring doctrinal unity and purity in a world where the state could regulate social order and the lives of clergy, as well as supporting the poor and victimised. There are especially valuable discussions on the attitude of Agapetus and the Dialogue writer to Justinian's political legitimacy (pp. 46–8, 62–4) but there remains the interesting question whether the emperor knew and took lessons from Agapetus and the Dialogue.