The Secret History

<p><strong><em>The Secret History</em></strong> by <strong>Procopius</strong> is a scandalous and hostile account of the reign of the Byzantine emperor <strong>Justinian I</strong>. Written in secret to be published after Justinian's death it portrays the emperor as cruel corrupt and tyrannical and his wife <strong>Empress Theodora</strong> as immoral and ruthless. Procopius also attacks the general <strong>Belisarius</strong> and his wife <strong>Antonina</strong> depicting them as weak and manipulative. In sharp contrast to Procopius's official histories the work exposes court intrigue abuse of power and moral decay offering a dark bitter view of Byzantine imperial life.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p>