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Procopius of Caesarea - Tyranny, History, and Philosophy at the End of Antiquity (Hardcover)
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Procopius of Caesarea - Tyranny, History, and Philosophy at the End of Antiquity (Hardcover)
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"Important, well argued."--"Choice" Justinian governed the Roman
empire for more than thirty-eight years, and the events of his
reign were recorded by Procopius of Caesarea, secretary of the
general Belisarius. Yet, significantly, Procopius composed a
history, a panegyric, as well as a satire of his own times. Anthony
Kaldellis here offers a new interpretation of these writings of
Procopius, situating him as a major source for the sixth century
and one of the great historians of antiquity and Byzantium.
Breaking from the scholarly tradition that views classicism as an
affected imitation that distorted history, Kaldellis argues that
Procopius was a careful student of the classics who displayed
remarkable literary skill in adapting his models to the purposes of
his own narratives. Classicism was a matter of structure and
meaning, not just vocabulary. Through allusions Procopius revealed
truths that could not be spoken openly; through anecdotes he
exposed the broad themes that governed the history of his age.
Elucidating the political thought of Procopius in light of
classical historiography and political theory, Kaldellis argues
that he owed little to Christianity, finding instead that he
rejected the belief in providence and asserted the supremacy of
chance. By deliberately alluding to Plato's discussions of tyranny,
Procopius developed an artful strategy of intertextuality that
enabled him to comment on contemporary individuals and events.
Kaldellis also uncovers links between Procopius and the
philosophical dissidents of the reign of Justinian. This dimension
of his writing implies that his work is worthy of esteem not only
for the accuracy of its reporting but also for its cultural
polemic, political dissidence, and philosophical sophistication.
"Procopius of Caesarea" has wide implications for the way we should
read ancient historians. Its conclusions also suggest that the
world of Justinian was far from monolithically Christian. Major
writers of that time believed that classical texts were still the
best guides for understanding history, even in the rapidly changing
world of late antiquity. Anthony Kaldellis teaches Greek and Latin
at The Ohio State University. He has translated Genesios's "On the
Reigns of the Emperors" and has written books on Psellos's
"Chronographia" and (in Greek) on the Roman and Byzantine history
of Lesbos.
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