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Procopius: The Secret History, Buildings and History of the Wars
History of Wars
History of Wars (De Bellis, Gr. Polemon) is a work divided into eight books on the wars waged by the Roman Empire during the reign of Justinian I, many of whom were Procopius witnesses in person. The first seven books seem to have been completed around 545, but were updated shortly before their publication in 552, as they include references to events from the early 551s. Procopius later added Book VIII, which reports the events that occurred until 552, the year in which General Narses definitively destroyed the Ostrogothic Kingdom during the Gothic War.
About the buildings
On the buildings (lat.De aedificiis; gr.Peri Ktismaton) is a panegyric about the numerous public works performed by the Emperor Justinian. Structured in six books, it was written surely in the second half of the 550s, and published in 561. In this work, Justinian is presented as the prototype Christian ruler who builds churches for the glory of God, fortifies the city for the safeguard of its Subjects and shows a particular concern for water supply.
Secret Story
Procopio's most celebrated work is Secret History. Although it is mentioned in Suda, where it takes the Greek title of Anekdota (unpublished composition), it was only discovered several centuries later, in the Vatican Library, and it was not edited until 1623. It covers the same years that the first seven books of the Wars, and Seems to have been written after the editing of this work. The most accepted theory places the date of its composition around 550, although other authors prefer the date of 562. According to the author, in the work he relates what he was not authorized to write in his official works for fear of reprisals of Justinian and Theodora .
The Secret History constitutes a vitriolic invective against Emperor Justinian and his wife Theodora, not forgetting his old friend Belisario and his wife, Antonina. The statements he makes regarding these characters - especially about Theodora - come to the pornographic. It contrasts sharply with the vision of the emperor Procópio in his On the buildings with the picture given here, to the point of having doubted that he was the true author of the Secret History. The analysis of the text, however, corroborates this attribution in a reliable way.
History of Wars (De Bellis, Gr. Polemon) is a work divided into eight books on the wars waged by the Roman Empire during the reign of Justinian I, many of whom were Procopius witnesses in person. The first seven books seem to have been completed around 545, but were updated shortly before their publication in 552, as they include references to events from the early 551s. Procopius later added Book VIII, which reports the events that occurred until 552, the year in which General Narses definitively destroyed the Ostrogothic Kingdom during the Gothic War.
About the buildings
On the buildings (lat.De aedificiis; gr.Peri Ktismaton) is a panegyric about the numerous public works performed by the Emperor Justinian. Structured in six books, it was written surely in the second half of the 550s, and published in 561. In this work, Justinian is presented as the prototype Christian ruler who builds churches for the glory of God, fortifies the city for the safeguard of its Subjects and shows a particular concern for water supply.
Secret Story
Procopio's most celebrated work is Secret History. Although it is mentioned in Suda, where it takes the Greek title of Anekdota (unpublished composition), it was only discovered several centuries later, in the Vatican Library, and it was not edited until 1623. It covers the same years that the first seven books of the Wars, and Seems to have been written after the editing of this work. The most accepted theory places the date of its composition around 550, although other authors prefer the date of 562. According to the author, in the work he relates what he was not authorized to write in his official works for fear of reprisals of Justinian and Theodora .
The Secret History constitutes a vitriolic invective against Emperor Justinian and his wife Theodora, not forgetting his old friend Belisario and his wife, Antonina. The statements he makes regarding these characters - especially about Theodora - come to the pornographic. It contrasts sharply with the vision of the emperor Procópio in his On the buildings with the picture given here, to the point of having doubted that he was the true author of the Secret History. The analysis of the text, however, corroborates this attribution in a reliable way.
- GenresHistory
748 pages, Paperback
Published January 12, 2017
33 people want to read
About the author
Procopius
222 books82 followersProcopius of Caesarea was born in the latter years of the fifth century at Caesarea in Palestine. He originated from the land-owning provincial upper class and, like Zosimus, became a civil servant. As early as A.D. 527, before the emperor Justin's death, Procopius became counsellor, assessor, and secretary to Belisarius, whose fortunes and campaigns he followed for the next twelve or fifteen years. Small wonder he became very knowledgeable of military affairs through this service. He has long been respected as a historian of the emperor Justinian’s wars, and is reckoned the greatest of the later Greek historians. Procopius was finally raised to the dignity of an illustrius, and died not earlier than A.D. 562.
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