Since both before and afterward, procopius wrote approvingly of the emperor, it was suggested in the past that he was not the author of the work, but it is now generally accepted that procopius wrote it. The history of the church 1965 for penguin classics. Having dutifully written the official war history of justinians reign, procopius turned round and revealed in the secret history the other faces of the leading men and women of byzantium in the sixth century. The secret history was a book written about the behind the scenes life of emperor justinian and his wife empress theodora. He was the author of an account of the persian, vandal, and gothic wars called the history of the wars, and of buildings of justinian. Thank you for checking out this book by theophania publishing. In the secret history, procopius exposes the private lives of byzantine emperor justinian the great and his dancerturnedwife and empress, theodora. Procopius, who also wrote a mainstream military history and a toadying description of the monuments which justinian built, had to keep his most acute writing for posthumous publication. Written around 558, the secret history portrays the emperor and his inner circle as cruel, incompetent, vicious, and corrupt. Secret history by procopius pdf free download ebook. Procopius also documents the exploits of top general belisarus and his quest to rebuild the roman empire on a shoe string budget of course.
Once the official court historian of the emperor and an important member of the byzantine imperial court, procopius wrote the history of the wars of justinian and worked on his great chronicles for decades. The purpose of this book to the secret history by procopius in recording everything that the roman people has experienced in successive wars up to the time of writing i have followed this plan that of arranging all the events described as far as possible in accordance with the actual times and places. Procopius project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks read. Privately printed for the athenian society, 1896 gutenberg text. Procopius, byzantine historian whose works are an indispensable source for his period and contain much geographical information. Scholars and history buffs alike will find procopius the secret history an invaluable historical work from a man who has been referred to as the last major historian of the ancient world. And how theodora, most depraved of all courtesans, won his love. Procopiuss history of the wars in 8 books recounts the persian wars of emperors justinus and justinian down to 550 2 books. Secret history internet history sourcebooks fordham.
It is a vehement invective against these sovereigns, with attacks on belisarius and his wife. The secret historyintroduction wikisource, the free online library. Procopius, the anecdota or secret history loeb classical library. Procopius was the greatest historian of the later roman empire. Procopius was the official historian of belisarius and was a staff member. The secret history, written by the sixthcentury byzantine historian procopius, is one of the most extraordinary and scandalous documents to have survived from the early byzantine period. The novel follows the lives of six dynamic classics students at hampden college in vermont. Harvard university press, 1935, vol vi of the seven volume loeb translation, which includes the buildings and the wars in parallel greek and english texts. Having dutifully written the official war history of justinian. The secret history claims to provide explanations and additions that the author could not insert into his work on the wars for fear of retribution from justinian and theodora. The secret history covers roughly the same years as the first seven books of the history of the wars and appears to have been. Jul 16, 2004 free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. Accompanying the general belisarius in the wars of the emperor justinian i, he became the principal historian of the 6th century, writing the wars of justinian, the buildings of justinian and the celebrated secret history. Nov 01, 2018 the secret history is, according to procopius own introduction, the key to his monumental wars, which provide a classicising account of justinians reign up to ad 553.
Mar 18, 2012 the book in question is an almost unbelievable piece of work and it always used to be a favourite topic amongst my students when i was teaching byzantine history in west london about twelve years ago. Procopius, the anecdota or secret history loeb classical. The book reveals secrets and gives voice to that ages common men. Dec 16, 2015 secret history by procopius in chm, doc, fb2 download e book. It deals with the cruelty and evil of justinian and theodora i gave it a low rating because i really didnt enjoy reading it. The secret history penguin classics by procopius and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Written with passion and personal malice, the secret history of procopius is a scathing indictment of the emperor justinian and his sixthcentury byzantine court. Whether or not the secret history is true, or was written by procopius, it gives a fascinating glimpse into a famous age and provides a fascinating and contrasting view to that given by the other more official sources. Procopius was the author of a history in eight books of the wars fought by justinian i, a panegyric on justinians public works throughout the empire, and a book known as the secret history that claims to report the scandals that procopius could not include in his published history. Other works by procopius are the history of the wars in 8 books here. The anecdotes claim to expose the secret springs of their public actions, as well as the private lives of the emperor, his wife and their entourage. Powerful description complements careful narration. The secret history is a dirt dishing account of the reign of justinian.
The writings of procopius are the primary source of information for the rule of the roman emperor justinian. The secret history by procopius is a story of the roman empire. The secret history of the court of justinian athens. The anecdota or secret history procopius harvard university. The secret history reveals an author who had become deeply disillusioned with the emperor justinian and his wife, empress theodora, as well as belisarius, his former commander and patron, and antonina, belisarius wife. Oct 01, 2014 procopius of caesarea was a prominent byzantine scholar from palestine. He was born in palestine around ad 500 and fought for the byzantine empire in persia, africa and italy. Incidentally, it was only rediscovered in 1623 as it was unearthed from some vatican archive, so that all historians had up to then was procopius wars and his hagiographical. Procopius is just to the empires enemies and boldly criticises emperor justinian. Procopius, the leading official historian of his time, lived during the testing and indulgent time of emperor justinian the great and wrote the official. It was donna tartts the secret history, and i hated it. Procopius, from palaestina prima, or modern day israel, is an important first hand source for the history of the 6th century, especially concerning the emperor justinian. Foulabook download the secret history of procopius pdf.
The main characters described by procopius are the emperor justinian, the emperess theodora, the general belisarius, and. In secret history, the byzantine historian procopius late fifth century to after 558 ce. The story of the three wars against the persians, the vandals and the goths had almost been completed when the author, in seeming disgust, decided to regale a safely removed future age with the backstage gossip that had been current while justinian and theodora had been. Whilst alive, his books were in favour of justinian, but this book, written for posthumous publication and not discovered until centuries later, is not only really critical of. Apr 14, 2012 the secret history of procopius is a strange companion for the histories and the buildings by the same author. The secret history of procopius with translators introduction and glossary. The validity of argument was for me undercut by its hyperbole, its rather like reading the im a bit puzzled by the allegation that the same procopius of caesarea wrote this as wrote history of the wars because the tone is so different. The secret history portrays the great lawgiver justinian as a rampant king of corruption and tyranny, the empress theodora as a sorceress and. The secret history of procopius is a strange companion for the histories and the. In secret history, the byzantine historian procopius late fifth century to after 558 ce attacks the sixth century ce emperor justinian and empress theodora and alleges their ruinous effect on the roman empire. He wrote a number of official histories, including the buildings and on the wars.
The writings of procopius are the primary source of information for the rule of the emperor justinian i. The secret history of the court of justinian by procopius free ebook project gutenberg. He wrote a number of official histories, including on the wars in eight books polemon. Procopius was an incredibly learned man, having received a classical education, possibly from the famed school of gaza. In around ad 500 a man called procopius was born in the city of caesarea on the levantine coast. This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of t. Procopius of caesarea, who accompanied the roman general belisarius in the wars of the emperor justinian, became the principal historian of the 6th century. The secret history of the court of justinian procopius 370 downloads history of the wars, books iii and iv procopius 316 downloads procopius procopius 315 downloads. Download the secret history of procopius pdf by richard atwaterprocopius of caesarea, who accompanied the roman general belisarius in the wars of the emperor justinian, became the principal historian of the 6th century. Incidentally, it was only rediscovered in 1623 as it was unearthed from some vatican archive, so that all historians had up to then was procopius wars and his hagiographical buildings of justinian. The secret history of procopius, free ebook global grey.
Justinian, the great lawgiver, appears as a hateful tyrant, wedded to an exprostitute, theodora. Wars 8 books, buildings 6 books, and secret history. The secret history is, according to procopius own introduction, the key to his monumental wars, which provide a classicising account of justinians reign up to ad 553. He also left a secret history anecdota which was a massive attack on the character of justinian and his wife theodora.
The present translation by richard attwater is the only one to stand as a work of literature in its own right. The secret history mentioned in the suda, a tenth century byzantine encyclopedia, had been lost to history until it was rediscovered in the 17th century in the vatican library. The secret history is the first novel by donna tartt, published by alfred a. It was in procopius best interest to write favorably about. Whilst alive, his books were in favour of justinian, but this book, written for posthumous publication and not discovered until centuries later, is not only really critical of justinian.
The secret history purports to be a supplement to the wars, containing explanations and additions that the author could not insert into the latter work for fear of justinian and theodora. Procopius was the author of a history in eight books on the wars prosecuted by justinian, a panegyric on the emperors public works projects throughout the empire, and a book known as the secret history that claims to report the scandals that procopius could not include in his officially. Texts of procopius complete works, greek text migne patrologia graeca with analytical indexes the secret history, english translation atwater, 1927 at the internet medieval sourcebook the secret history, english translation dewing, 1935 at lacuscurtius the buildings, english translation. Set in new england, it tells the story of a closely knit group of six classics students at hampden college, a small, elite vermont college based upon bennington college, where tartt was a student between 1982 and 1986. The secret historyintroduction wikisource, the free online.
It was also recommended by people who know my taste as well as those who dont, seemingly by the world of book lovers itself, by some of my most literary and wellread friends, by my mother. The secret history, published in 1992, is the first novel by pulitzer prize and andrew carnegie medalwinning author donna tartt, whose other notable books include the little friend 2002 and the goldfinch 20. History of the wars by the byzantine historian procopius late fifth century to after 558 ce consists largely of sixth century ce military history, with much information about peoples, places, and special events. Books by procopius sorted by popularity project gutenberg. A trusted member of the byzantine establishment, procopius was the empires official chronicler, and his history of the wars of justinian proclaimed the strength and wisdom of the emperors reign. This text flays justinian and theodora as corrupt, immoral, and just plain evil. This site transcribes the english translation of procopius work by henry bronson dewing as printed in vol.
The text was written in the 32nd year of justinian, which various scholars translate as between 524 and 550 dewing. All content included on our site, such as text, images, digital downloads and other, is the property of its content suppliers and protected by us and international laws. The secret history portrays the great lawgiver justinian as a rampant king of corruption and tyranny, the empress theodora as a sorceress and whore, and the brilliant general belisarius as the pliable dupe of his scheming wife antonina. Assignment although procopius was a firsthand witness to the events that took place in his works, this does not mean that his work is without bias. The secret history of the court of justinian by procopius. The secret history of procopius tells the tale of three roman wars, one against the persians, one against the vandals, and one against the goths.
The secret history penguin classics 9780140455281 by procopius and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices. It is an essential landmark in the history of individual legal rights. Procopius s pen is particularly sharp in portraying theodoras lewdness, duplicity, cruelty, spite, vanity and pride. And there it was yesterday, in the bargain section of a secondhand bookshop in tunbridge wells. The secret history of procopius by procopius nook book.