Procopius facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Procopius
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| Born | c. 500 CE Caesarea Maritima, Palaestina Prima, Eastern Roman Empire |
| Died | c. 565 CE |
| Occupation | Legal adviser |
| Subject | Secular history |
| Notable works |
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Procopius of Caesarea (born around 500 CE, died around 565 CE) was an important Greek writer from Caesarea Maritima. He lived during a time called late antiquity. Procopius worked with a famous Roman general named Belisarius. He joined Belisarius during the wars of Emperor Justinian. Because of this, Procopius became the main Roman historian of the 6th century. He wrote three important books: History of the Wars, Buildings, and Secret History.
Contents
Life of Procopius
Most of what we know about Procopius comes from his own writings. We also learn about him from an old encyclopedia called the Suda. This book was written long after Procopius lived.
Procopius was born in Caesarea Maritima, a city in the Roman province of Palaestina Prima. He likely received a good education, learning about Greek literature and public speaking. He might have studied law in cities like Beirut or Istanbul. After his studies, he became a lawyer. He also knew Latin, which was normal for someone with legal training.
In 527, Emperor Justinian I began his rule. Procopius became a legal adviser (called an adsessor) to General Belisarius. Justinian wanted Belisarius to lead a big effort to take back lost parts of the Roman Empire.
Procopius stayed with Belisarius on the eastern border until 531. He saw the Nika riots in 532 in Constantinople. Belisarius and another general stopped these riots. In 533, Procopius went with Belisarius to North Africa. They won a big victory against the Vandal Kingdom. Procopius stayed in Africa for a while. He later joined Belisarius again for a war in Italy. He saw the long siege of Rome that lasted over a year. He also saw Belisarius enter Ravenna, the Gothic capital, in 540.
After 540, it seems Procopius and Belisarius were not as close. When Belisarius went back to Italy in 544, Procopius was likely not part of his team anymore.
Procopius was a respected person in society. Some sources even say he was a very important official (an illustris). This would mean he had a seat in the senate of Constantinople. He also wrote that a large Christian church for the Virgin Mary was built on the Temple Mount in 560.
We are not sure when Procopius died. Some historians think he died around 554. However, there was a city official in Constantinople named Procopius in 562. This official was involved when Belisarius faced a problem. Some scholars believe Procopius lived past 565. This is because he wrote that he planned to publish his Secret History after Justinian died. But most scholars think the Secret History was written in 550 and was not published while Procopius was alive.
Procopius's Writings
Procopius's books are our main source of information about Emperor Justinian I's rule. Procopius wrote a history in eight books about Justinian's wars. He also wrote a book praising the emperor's building projects. His third book, the Secret History, claimed to share hidden details. Procopius said he could not include these details in his official history. He feared angering the emperor, his wife, and Belisarius.
History of the Wars
Procopius's History of the Wars is his most important work. It is also known as De Bellis. The first seven books were mostly finished by 545. They were later updated to include events up to 551. The eighth and final book covers history until 553.
The Persian War
The first two books are often called The Persian War. They describe the fighting between the Romans and the Persians. This war took place in areas like Mesopotamia and Syria. These books also talk about the Nika riots of 532. They mention the Plague of Justinian, a terrible sickness that spread in 542. The Persian War also covers the early career of General Belisarius.
The Vandal War
The next two books are called The Vandal War. They describe Belisarius's successful war against the Vandal Kingdom. The Vandals had taken over Roman lands in North Africa for about 100 years.
The Gothic War
The last four books are known as The Gothic War. They tell the story of the wars in Italy. Belisarius and other generals fought against the Ostrogoths. Procopius describes several sieges of cities like Naples and Rome. The last book talks about how the general Narses finished the war in Italy. It also mentions some fighting on the empire's eastern borders.
The Wars greatly influenced later historians in the Byzantine Empire. Another historian, Agathias, continued Procopius's work in a similar style.
Secret History
Procopius's Secret History is also known as Anecdota. It was found many centuries later in the Vatican Library. It was published in 1623. People knew about this book from the Suda, which called it Procopius's "unpublished works." The Suda said it contained "comedy" and "criticism" of Justinian, his wife Theodora, Belisarius, and his wife Antonina.
The Secret History covers roughly the same years as the first seven books of The History of the Wars. It seems to have been written after those books were published, likely around 550.
In this book, Procopius shows that he was very unhappy with Emperor Justinian, Empress Theodora, General Belisarius, and his wife Antonina. The book claims to reveal the hidden reasons behind their public actions. It also describes their private lives. Justinian is shown as a harsh, greedy, and not very good ruler. Theodora is painted as a very unpleasant person who was selfish and mean.
The Secret History also says that Belisarius was weak and controlled by his wife, Antonina. Antonina is described in a similar way to Theodora. Procopius claimed that Antonina worked against Belisarius for Theodora.
Some scholars think Procopius wrote the Secret History in an exaggerated way. He might have feared that Justinian's government would be overthrown. As a historian for the court, he might have been in danger. So, the unpublished book could have been a kind of insurance. It could be offered to a new ruler to avoid punishment. If this idea is true, the Secret History does not necessarily mean Procopius truly hated Justinian or Theodora.
The Buildings
The Buildings is a book that praises Justinian's building projects across the empire. It is also known as De Aedificiis. The first part of the book might have been written before the main dome of Hagia Sophia fell in 557. Some scholars think the book was written after the Sangarius Bridge was built in the late 550s. Historians believe Buildings is not a complete work.
Buildings was probably written because Justinian asked for it. It is doubtful that Procopius truly felt all the praise he wrote. This book does not tell us more about Belisarius. It also shows a very different view of Justinian. Here, Justinian is shown as a perfect Christian emperor. He built churches to honor God and defenses to keep his people safe. He is shown caring a lot about water supply, building new aqueducts and fixing old ones. Theodora, who had died when this book was written, is only mentioned briefly. But Procopius praises her beauty a lot.
Because The Buildings is a book of praise, historians have found some differences between Procopius's claims and other old records. For example, Procopius says Justinian's rule started in 518. But that was actually when his uncle, Justin I, began to rule. By including his uncle's rule, Procopius could give Justinian credit for buildings started or finished under Justin. This includes fixing the walls of Edessa after a flood in 525. He also falsely gave Justinian credit for fixing up cities like Tomis and Histria. This work was actually done by Anastasius I, who ruled before Justin.
Procopius's Writing Style
Procopius was part of a group of historians from late antiquity. They followed the traditions of earlier Greek writers. They wrote in a classical form of Greek called Attic Greek. They looked up to writers like Herodotus, Polybius, and especially Thucydides. They wrote about everyday history, not religious history. They tried to avoid new words and would explain them if they had to use them. For example, Procopius explained what monks were. He also explained what churches were, because these ideas were new compared to ancient Athens.
These historians did not write about the history of the Christian church. That was a different type of writing. However, some historians believe Procopius's works show the challenges between old Greek and Christian ways of writing history. This is supported by how Procopius described Constantinople and its main church, Hagia Sophia. Procopius seemed to show Justinian as God's helper on Earth. He made the case that buildings were mainly for religious praise. Procopius said he planned to write a church history himself, but it was never written.
Some historians have criticized how Procopius described certain groups of people. For example, he described the Moors in a way that was not polite. However, this was common for writers in the Byzantine Empire at that time.
Procopius's Legacy
Many historical novels have been written based on Procopius's works. Count Belisarius was written by Robert Graves in 1938. Procopius himself appears as a small character in A Struggle for Rome by Felix Dahn. He also appears in L. Sprague de Camp's novel Lest Darkness Fall. In that book, the main character learns a lot about history from the Secret History.
In Herman Melville's famous novel Moby-Dick, the narrator mentions Procopius. He uses Procopius's description of a captured sea monster to show that his own story could be true.
See also
In Spanish: Procopio de Cesarea para niños
