"It becomes, therefore, important to have a clear record as to what Justinian did, not only in Palestine but in other countries, so as to be able to judge to some extent, by well-authenticated examples, of the founders of those edifices whose history is involved in doubt. Of the writers who can give us this record, none has such authority as Procopius, or gives so much detailed information; and he has, for that reason, been largely quoted by Gibbon and by well-nigh every other writer on Byzantine history; and he gives such definite information as to the dates of many of Justinian's buildings which remain to us, as to form a standard by which to recognise the general characteristics in outline and detail adopted by his architects in his greatest works, and which characterize the style now well known as Byzantine." source

By exposing the perversion, repression, corruption, and injustice at the heart of Justinian's regime, Prokopios' The Secret History destroyed forever that emperor's reputation as the great and benevolent ruler of a vast Byzantine state. Faithfully rendered here in blunt and idiomatic English, Prokopios' tell-all is as shocking today as it was in the sixth century. Kaldellis' substantial Introduction addresses, among other topics, the historical background to The Secret History; Prokopios' literary style and major themes; and the relationships between Prokopios, Justinian, and Empress Theodora. Maps, genealogies, a glossary, and a selection of related texts (including excerpts from Prokopios' Wars and Buildings and several contemporary documents) enhance and support the reading of this scandalous and suspenseful book.

A fully-outfitted edition of Prokopios' late Antique masterpiece of military history and ethnography--for the 21st-century reader. "At last . . . the translation that we have needed for so long: a fresh, lively, readable, and faithful rendering of Prokopios' Wars, which in a single volume will make this fundamental work of late ancient history-writing accessible to a whole new generation of students." --Jonathan Conant, Brown University

This book offers an extensive introduction to 6th-century Byzantine historian Procopius of Caesarea, widely regarded as one of the last great historians of Antiquity.

Originally published by Duckworth and the University of California Press, Procopius is now available for the first time in paperback. Professor Cameron emphasises the essential unity of Procopius' three works and, starting from the `minor' ones, demonstrates their intimate connection with the Wars. Procopius' writings are seen to comprise a subtle whole; only if they are understood in this way can their historical value be properly appreciated. The result is a new evaluation of Procopius which will be central to any future history of the sixth century.

History of WarsHistory 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 buildingsOn 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 StoryProcopio'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 Proc�pio 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.