The Secret History
Penguin Publishing Group · Paperback · December 18, 2007
A trusted member of the Byzantine establishment, Procopius was the Empire's official chronicler, and his History of the Wars of Justinian proclaimed the strength and wisdom of the Emperor's reign.
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- Who it’s for
- A dutiful imperial chronicler turns sharply against the rulers he once praised.
- Themes
- Imperial corruption and tyranny, Court intrigue, Murder and misrule
- Genres
- Ancient Rome, Ancient Warfare, Historiography
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A trusted member of the Byzantine establishment, Procopius was the Empire's official chronicler, and his History of the Wars of Justinian proclaimed the strength and wisdom of the Emperor's reign. Yet all the while the dutiful scribe was working on a very different—and dangerous—history to be published only once its author was safely in his grave.
Continue reading
The Secret History portrays the 'great lawgiver' Justinian as a rampant king of corruption and tyranny, the Empress Theodora as a sorceress and whore, and the brilliant general Belisarius as the pliable dupe of his scheming wife Antonina. Magnificently hyperbolic and highly opinionated, The Secret History is a work of explosive energy, depicting holy Byzantium as a hell of murder and misrule. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
History With Teeth
A dutiful imperial chronicler turns sharply against the rulers he once praised.
Come here for
- A view of Justinian’s reign from the empire’s uneasy inner circle
- A vivid collision of official praise and private accusation
Expect
- Hyperbolic, fiercely opinionated portraits of power
- A darker counterpoint to the emperor’s public history
Where it sits
| Ancient Rome | 55% |
|---|---|
| Historiography | 42% |
| Ancient Warfare | 25% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Ancient History
- Ancient Warfare
- Turkey & the Ottoman Era
- Authors
- Procopius
- Publisher
- Penguin Publishing Group
- Published
- December 18, 2007
- Format
- Paperback
- Theme
- Imperial corruption and tyranny · Court intrigue · Murder and misrule
- Reading lane
- Ancient History