Procopius, Byzantine Historian

Procopius (b. probably between 490 and 507 [c. 500] in Caesarea, Palestine [now in Israel] - d. c. 565) was a Byzantine historian whose works are an indispensable source for his period and contain much geographical information.

From 527 to 531 he was adviser (consilarius) to the military commander Belisarius on his first Persian campaign. In 533 and 534, he took part in an expedition against the Vandals and was in Africa until 536, when he joined Belisarius in Sicily. He was in Italy on the Gothic campaign until 540, after which he apparently returned to Constantinople, since he describes the great plague of 542 in the capital. Nothing is known with certainty of his subsequent life. He may have been prefect of Constantinople in 562.

Procopius’ writings fall into three divisions: the Polemon (De bellis; Wars), in eight books; Peri Ktismaton (De aedificiis; Buildings), in six books; and the Anecdota (Historia arcana; Secret History), published posthumously.

The Wars consists of: (1) the Persian Wars (two books), on the long struggle of the emperors Justin I and Justinian I against the Persian kings Kavadh and Khosrow I down to 549, (2) the Vandal War (two books), describing the conquest of the Vandal kingdom in Africa and subsequent events from 532 to 548, and (3) the Gothic War (three books), describing the war against the Ostrogoths in Sicily and Italy from 536 to 551. The eighth book contains a further summary of events down to 553.

The Buildings contains an account of the chief public works undertaken during the reign of Justinian down to 560. If not written at the command of Justinian (as some have supposed), it is evidently grounded on official information and is a valuable source of information.

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. It is a vehement invective against these sovereigns, with attacks on Belisarius and his wife, Antonina, and on other noted officials. Owing to the ferocity of the attacks upon Justinian, the authenticity of the Secret History was questioned, but Procopius’ authorship is now generally recognized.

***