author
Procopius
A sharp-eyed Byzantine historian, this 6th-century writer left some of the most vivid accounts of Emperor Justinian’s age. His books mix war reporting, court politics, and biting insider gossip, which is why they still fascinate readers today.
5 Audiobooks
History of the Wars, Books I and II: The Persian War
by Procopius
History of the Wars, Books V and VI: The Gothic War
by Procopius
The Secret History of the Court of Justinian
by Procopius
Of the Buildings of Justinian
by Procopius
About the author
Born in Caesarea in Palestine, Procopius wrote in Greek and became the leading historian of the reign of Justinian I. He is best known for following the great general Belisarius and recording the empire’s wars, giving later readers a detailed picture of the Byzantine world in the 500s.
His major works are usually grouped into three very different books: Wars, a long history of Justinian’s military campaigns; Buildings, a more favorable account of the emperor’s construction projects; and the Secret History, a fiercely critical work that presents a much darker view of the imperial court. Taken together, these writings make him one of the most important and complicated voices from late antiquity.
Very little is known for certain about his personal life, and no clearly identified portrait of him could be confirmed from the sources reviewed here. Even so, his writing survives as an essential window into the politics, personalities, and ambitions of the early Byzantine Empire.