It contrasts sharply with Procopius’ previous “History in Eight Books,” often known as the “Wars,” which covered the Vandal, Persian, and Gothic wars (Mark, 2020).

More free nonfiction ebooksĬontent produced by or for Standard Ebooks L 3C is dedicated to the public domain via the CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.Ĭontent not produced by or for Standard Ebooks L 3C but displayed on this website may be subject to copyright.Moreover, “The Secret History” reads as a tabloid as opposed to a historical book due to its depictions of Empress Theodora’s sexual exploits to Justinian’s metamorphosis into a demon. You can also donate to Standard Ebooks to help fund continuing improvement of this and other ebooks. If youâre comfortable with technology and want to contribute directly, check out this ebookâs GitHub repository and our contributors section. To report typos, typography errors, or other corrections, see how to report errors. More detailsĪnyone can contribute to make a Standard Ebook better for everyone! Read about which file to download and how to transfer them to your ereader. You may also be interested in our Kobo FAQ.Īdvanced epub â An advanced format that uses the latest technology not yet fully supported by most ereaders. Also download the Kindle cover thumbnail to see the cover in your Kindleâs library. Nevertheless, the Secret History continues to be an object of study by classicists, and Procopiusâs purpose for composing such a scathing text remains an object of speculation.Ĭompatible epub â All devices and apps except Kindles and Kobos.Īzw3 â Kindle devices and apps. that Justinian was a demon in human form with a vanishing head) puts it in an unclear position between fiction and history. Although considered an authentic text, its invective tone against Justinian and Theodora and its sometimes extravagant accusations (e.g. In his Secret History, which was lost for centuries before it resurfaced at the Vatican Library in Rome in the 17th century, Procopius purports to unveil the celebrated Byzantine monarchs Justinian and Theodora for who they really are: corrupt, arbitrary, and literally demonic tyrants. In addition to writing a conventional history of Justinianâs wars titled History of the Wars and a panegyric to Justinianâs construction projects titled The Buildings, Procopius composed a Secret History supposedly consisting of the incidents he withheld from his previous books. Standard EbooksĤ0,944 words (2 hours 29 minutes) with a reading ease of 51.11 (fairly difficult)Ī military official and chronicler under the Eastern Roman emperor Justinian, Procopius is a key primary source for historians studying Justinianâs reign.

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The Secret History by Procopius