The Secret History - Softcover

Procopius Of Caesarea

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1162707925 ISBN 13: 9781162707921

Publisher: Kessinger Publishing, 2010

Synopsis

The Secret History is a historical work written by Procopius of Caesarea in the 6th century AD. It is a scathing critique of the reign of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I and his wife, Empress Theodora. The book was not published during Procopius' lifetime and was only discovered in the 17th century.In The Secret History, Procopius reveals the true nature of Justinian and Theodora, painting them as cruel, manipulative, and immoral rulers who were responsible for the downfall of the Byzantine Empire. He describes their personal lives in detail, including their sexual exploits and corrupt practices.The book is divided into seven chapters and begins with a preface in which Procopius explains why he felt compelled to write the book. He then goes on to describe the reign of Justinian, including his military campaigns, building projects, and legal reforms. However, the focus of the book is on the private lives of Justinian and Theodora, and the ways in which they abused their power.The Secret History is a fascinating glimpse into the Byzantine Empire and the lives of its rulers. It is also an important work of historical criticism, as it challenges the traditional view of Justinian and Theodora as great rulers and instead portrays them as corrupt and immoral.So Justinian and Theodora ascended the imperial throne three days before Easter, a time, indeed, when even making visits or greeting one's friends is forbidden. And not many days later Justin died of an illness, after a reign of nine years. Justinian was now sole monarch, together, of course, with Theodora.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

About this title

From the Back Cover

The last major ancient historian, Byzantine scholar PROCOPIUS OF CAESAREA (c. 500-565) traveled with the army of Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian I as a military adviser, and published his accounts of the wars the emperor fought in his eight-volume History of the Wars.

But what was the real story of life with Justinian, his wife, Theodora, and Justinian's greatest general, Belisarius? Procopius' Secret History was so scandalous that he withheld it during his lifetime, and in fact, it was not published until 1623. In this 1927 translation by RICHARD ATWATER (1892-1998), considered the best available, Procopius gives us all the scoop on:

* how the great general Belisarius was hoodwinked by his wife * how Theodora humiliated the conqueror of Africa and Italy * how Justinian created a new law permitting him to marry a courtesan * Justinian and Theodora: fiends in human form * the deceptive affability and piety of a tyrant * what happened to those who fell out of favor with Theodora * and much more.

An enthralling read, this curio of ancient history will fascinate anyone interested in tales of royal intrigue.

About the Author

Procopius was born in Palestine around AD 500 and fought for the Byzantine Empire in Persia, Africa and Italy. Very little is known about him.

G.A. Williamson (1895-1982) was a Classical Exhibitioner at Worcester College, Oxford, graduating with a First Class Honours degree. He was Senior Classics Master at Norwich School from 1922 to 1960. He translated Josephus: The Jewish War (1959) and Procopius: The Secret History (1966) for the Penguin Classics. He died in 1982.

Edition details

• Publisher: Kessinger Publishing
• Publication date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1162707925
• ISBN 13: 9781162707921
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 94