Difference between revisions of "Procopius"

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Other than his own writings, the main source for Procopius' life is an entry in the ''[[Suda]]'', a [[10th century]] [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] encyclopedia that tells nothing about his early life. We know, however, that he received an education in the [[Greece|Greek]] classics, attended law school, possibly at Berytus (modern Beirut), and became a ''rhetor'' (barrister). In [[527]], the first year of [[Byzantine Emperor]] [[Justinian I]]'s reign, he became the ''assessor'' (legal adviser) for [[Belisarius]], Justinian's chief military commander who was then beginning a brilliant career.
 
Other than his own writings, the main source for Procopius' life is an entry in the ''[[Suda]]'', a [[10th century]] [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] encyclopedia that tells nothing about his early life. We know, however, that he received an education in the [[Greece|Greek]] classics, attended law school, possibly at Berytus (modern Beirut), and became a ''rhetor'' (barrister). In [[527]], the first year of [[Byzantine Emperor]] [[Justinian I]]'s reign, he became the ''assessor'' (legal adviser) for [[Belisarius]], Justinian's chief military commander who was then beginning a brilliant career.
  
Procopius was with Belisarius on the eastern front until Belisarius and, after his defeat at the [[Battle of Callinicum]] in [[531]], was recalled to [[Constantinople]]. Procopius witnessed the [[Nika riots]] of January, [[532]], which Belisarius and his fellow general [[Mundo]] repressed with a massacre in the [[Hippodrome of Constantinople|Hippodrome]]. In [[533]], he accompanied Belisarius on his victorious expedition against the Vandal kingdom in North Africa, took part in the capture of [[Carthage]], and remained in Africa with Belisarius' successor [[Solomon (general)|Solomon]] when Belisarius returned to Constantinople. But he rejoined Belisarius for his campaign against the Ostrogothic kingdom in Italy and experienced the Gothic siege of Rome that lasted a year and nine days, ending in mid-March, [[538]]. He witnessed Belisarius' entry into the Gothic capital, Ravenna, in [[540]]. Book eight of the wars, and the ''Secret History'', suggest that his relationship with Belisarius seems to have cooled thereafter. When Belisarius was sent back to Italy in [[544]] to cope with a renewal of the war with the Goths, now led by the able king Totila, Procopius appears to have no longer been on Belisarius' staff.
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Procopius was with Belisarius on the eastern front until the latter was defeated at the [[Battle of Callinicum]], in [[531]], and was recalled to [[Constantinople]]. Procopius witnessed the [[Nika riots]] of January, [[532]], which Belisarius and his fellow general [[Mundo]] repressed with a massacre in the [[Hippodrome of Constantinople|Hippodrome]]. In [[533]], he accompanied Belisarius on his victorious expedition against the Vandal kingdom in North Africa, took part in the capture of [[Carthage]], and remained in Africa with Belisarius' successor [[Solomon (general)|Solomon]] when Belisarius returned to Constantinople. But he rejoined Belisarius for his campaign against the Ostrogothic kingdom in Italy and experienced the Gothic siege of Rome that lasted a year and nine days, ending in mid-March, [[538]]. He witnessed Belisarius' entry into the Gothic capital, Ravenna, in [[540]]. Book eight of the wars, and the ''Secret History'', suggest that his relationship with Belisarius seems to have cooled thereafter. When Belisarius was sent back to Italy in [[544]] to cope with a renewal of the war with the Goths, now led by the able king Totila, Procopius appears to have no longer been on Belisarius' staff.
  
 
We do not know when Procopius himself died, and the pre-eminent historian James Howard-Johnson dates his death to [[554]], but in [[562]] there was an urban prefect of [[Constantinople]] who happened to be called Procopius. In that year, Belisarius was implicated in a conspiracy and was brought before this urban prefect.
 
We do not know when Procopius himself died, and the pre-eminent historian James Howard-Johnson dates his death to [[554]], but in [[562]] there was an urban prefect of [[Constantinople]] who happened to be called Procopius. In that year, Belisarius was implicated in a conspiracy and was brought before this urban prefect.

Latest revision as of 10:50, April 29, 2008

Procopius was a prominent Byzantine scholar of the family Procopius. He is often held to be the last historian of Late Antiquity (500?-565?).

Life

Other than his own writings, the main source for Procopius' life is an entry in the Suda, a 10th century Byzantine encyclopedia that tells nothing about his early life. We know, however, that he received an education in the Greek classics, attended law school, possibly at Berytus (modern Beirut), and became a rhetor (barrister). In 527, the first year of Byzantine Emperor Justinian I's reign, he became the assessor (legal adviser) for Belisarius, Justinian's chief military commander who was then beginning a brilliant career.

Procopius was with Belisarius on the eastern front until the latter was defeated at the Battle of Callinicum, in 531, and was recalled to Constantinople. Procopius witnessed the Nika riots of January, 532, which Belisarius and his fellow general Mundo repressed with a massacre in the Hippodrome. In 533, he accompanied Belisarius on his victorious expedition against the Vandal kingdom in North Africa, took part in the capture of Carthage, and remained in Africa with Belisarius' successor Solomon when Belisarius returned to Constantinople. But he rejoined Belisarius for his campaign against the Ostrogothic kingdom in Italy and experienced the Gothic siege of Rome that lasted a year and nine days, ending in mid-March, 538. He witnessed Belisarius' entry into the Gothic capital, Ravenna, in 540. Book eight of the wars, and the Secret History, suggest that his relationship with Belisarius seems to have cooled thereafter. When Belisarius was sent back to Italy in 544 to cope with a renewal of the war with the Goths, now led by the able king Totila, Procopius appears to have no longer been on Belisarius' staff.

We do not know when Procopius himself died, and the pre-eminent historian James Howard-Johnson dates his death to 554, but in 562 there was an urban prefect of Constantinople who happened to be called Procopius. In that year, Belisarius was implicated in a conspiracy and was brought before this urban prefect.

Writings

Rule of Justinian I

The writings of Procopius of Caesarea in Palestine, are the primary source of information for the rule of the emperor Justinian. Procopius was the author of a history in eight books of the wars fought by Justinian I, a panegyric on Justinian's public works throughout the empire, and a book known as the Secret History (Greek: Anekdota) that claims to report the scandals that Procopius could not include in his published history.

The first seven books of his History of Justinian's Wars, which were published as a unit, seem to have been largely completed by 545, but were updated to mid-century before publication, for the latest event mentioned belongs to early 551. Later, Procopius added an eighth book which brings the history to 552, when a Byzantine army led by the eunuch Narses finally destroyed the Ostrogothic kingdom. The first book of Procopius' De Aedificiis ("On Buildings") a panegyric of Justinian's building activity in the empire, may date to before the collapse of the first dome of Hagia Sophia in 557, but it is possible that the work postdates the building of the bridge over the Sangarius in the late 550s.

Secret History

The Secret History was discovered centuries later in the Vatican Library and published in 1623, but its existence was already known from the Suda, which referred to it as the Anekdota ("the unpublished composition"). The Secret History covers the same years as the seven books of the History of Justinian's Wars and purports to have been written after they were published. The view that is generally accepted dates its composition to 550, although the work may date from as late as 562.

The Secret History potentially reveals a man who had become deeply disillusioned with the emperor Justinian and his wife, Theodora, as well as Belisarius, his old commander, and Antonina, Belisarius' wife, although it may reflect Procopius' adoption of the genre of invective. The De Aedificiis tells us nothing further about Belisarius but it takes a sharply different attitude towards Justinian. He is presented as an idealised Christian emperor who built churches for the glory of God and defenses for the safety of his subjects and who showed particular concern for the water supply. Theodora, who was dead when this panegyric was written, is mentioned only briefly but Procopius' praise of her beauty is fulsome. The panegyric was likely written at Justinian's behest, however, and we may doubt if its sentiments are sincere.

Context

Procopius belongs to the school of late antique secular historians who continued the traditions of the Second Sophistic; they wrote in Attic Greek, their models were Herodotus and especially Thucydides, and their subject matter was secular history. They avoided vocabulary unknown to Attic Greek and would insert an explanation when they had to use contemporary words. Thus Procopius explains to his readers that ekklesia, meaning a Christian church, is the equivalent of a temple or shrine and that monks are "the most temperate of Christians...whom men are accustomed to call monks." (Wars 2.9.14; 1.7.22) In classical Athens, monks were unknown and an ekklesia was the assembly of Athenian citizens which passed the laws.

The secular historians eschewed the history of the Christian church, which they left to ecclesiastical history—a genre that was founded by Eusebius of Caesarea. However, Averil Cameron has argued convincingly that Procopius' works reflect the tensions between the classical and Christian models of history in 6th century Byzantium. Procopius indicated (Secret History 26.18) that he planned to write an ecclesiastical history himself and, if he had, he would probably have followed the rules of that genre. But, as far as we know, the ecclesiastical history remained unwritten.

Further reading

  • Evans, J. A. S. Procopius. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1972.
  • Cameron, Averil. Procopius and the Sixth Century. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1985.
  • Greatrex, G. The dates of Procopius' works. Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies 18 (1994): 101-114.
  • Kaldellis, Anthony. Procopius of Caesarea: Tyranny, History and Philosophy at the End of Antiquity. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2004.

List of selected works

  • Procopii Caesariensis opera omnia. Edited by J. Haury; revised by G. Wirth. 3 vols. Leipzig: Teubner, 1976-64. Greek text.
  • Procopius. Edited by H. B. Dewing. 7 vols. Loeb Classical Library. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press and London, Hutchinson, 1914-40. Greek text and English translation.

External links

This article is based on an earlier version by James Allan Evans, originally posted at Nupedia.

A portion of content for this article is credited to Wikipedia. Content under GNU Free Documentation License(GFDL)