THE SILK TREE

DRAMATIS PERSONAE
* indicates fictional character

*Aldar caravan escort soldier

Antonina, Lady wife of Belisarius

*Arif young cameleer

Barsymes, Peter Count of the Sacred Largesse under Justinian

Belisarius Roman general under Justinian

Chang Le, Princess wife of Gokturk Lord Bumin

*Dao Pa mystic

*Grotius Nabatean merchant

Hao chancellor at court of usurper Wen Hsuan of Northern Ch’i

Hsiao Ching Emperor of the Eastern Wei, overthrown by warlord Kao

John the Cappadocian disgraced former tax collector for Justinian

Justinian Justinian I, Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire, ruled 527-565 AD

Kao Yang warlord who usurps emperor, becomes Emperor Wen Hsuan

Kao Yeh Crown Prince of Ch’i

*Khosrau torturer in employ of Marcellus

*Korkut Rouran silk merchant

*Kuo Ying Mei’s uncle in Chang An

*Kuo Ming Lai chancellor and grand chamberlain to Emperor Hsiao Ching

*Kuo Ying Mei, Lady daughter of Kuo Ming Lai, aka Lady P’eng, aka the Ice Queen

*Lai Tai Yi Gold Lily lady-in-waiting to Ying Mei, Ah Lai familiar name

*Liu court eunuch

Lord Bumin the Khagan of the Gokturks

*Mansur caravan master and trader with the barbarians

Marcellus Count of Excubitors at court of Justinian

*Marius Quintus Carus Marius, Roman legionary, aka Brother Matthew, aka Ma Lai Ssu

*Master Feng torturer

*Messalia merchant in Constantinople

Narses grand chamberlain to Justinian

*Nemasus compulsor (tax extraction agent) of Justinian

*Nepos chariot driver for Blues faction

*Nicander Nicodorus of Leptis Magna, Greek incense merchant aka Brother Paul, Ni K’an Ta

Peter the Patrician Master of the Offices, the court of Justinian

*Priscus chariot driver for Greens faction

Procopius Byzantine scholar and court historian at the time

*Su Li Sogdian caravan master based in Chang An

*Sueva Spanish cargo agent in Brundisium

*Taw Vandak Tibetan lama of the oasis kingdoms

Totila leader of Ostrogoths

Ts’ao Fu court poet

*Velch compulsor (tax extraction agent) of Justinian

*Wang chief scribe to Kuo

Wen Hsuan new Emperor of Northern Ch’i; overthrew Hsiao Ching of Eastern Wei

Wu Kuo Chin general of Imperial Bannermen

*Wulfstan northern barbarian guard, John the Cappodician residence

*Ya Uighur commander of caravan escort

*Yi beastmaster at court of Emperor Wen Hsuan

*Yuan court eunuch

*Yulduz caravan master

*Zarina Korkut’s wife