Procopius of Caesarea (Prokopios)

Procopius of Caesarea; Prokopios, of Caesarea in Palestine, ca. 490-560 years. n. e., the Greek historian and rhetorician. Lawyer, with 527 g. was secretary and adviser Velisariya, accompanied by all the campaigns. With Velisariem he went to conquer the Vandals in Africa, is ready - in Italy and the Persians in the East. From 542 g. P. lived in Constantinople. - Of the three fully preserved works is the largest Military History (Hyper ton polemon; in Russian translation: The war against the Persians) in 8 books, over which P. worked in 545-554 years. Books I-II described the struggle of Byzantium with the Persian Sassanid empire. Books III-IV describe the deeds of Justinian, his battle with the Vandals and the Moors in Africa. Books V-VII contain a description of the war with the Goths and the history of the struggle of the empire for Italy (kn. V and VI, on the acts Velisariya and sometimes called Velisariadoy).

A slightly different from the rest of nature is a book VIII, written three years after the book. VII, containing additions to the description of the three wars. It is replete with various digressions, . geographic and ethnographic digressions, . jokes, . reflections on various topics, . among other things in it a lot of interesting information about the then Slavic tribes, . the myth of the Amazons and the very remote island - Ultima Thule,
. In military history there are references and internal events (eg, description Nika revolt in 532 g.). Other product n. - About buildings (Peri ktismaton) in 6 books, has become known during the life of the author. It P. describes the sacred, secular and military buildings in different regions of the empire. This product is panegyrics in honor of the Emperor. However, it may play a role quite interesting guide, being a valuable source for researchers of geography, an archaeologist and art historian era of Justinian. A third surviving work of P. is The Secret History (Anekdota), written approximately 550 g. n. e.

We do not know when and in what form it became available to readers. The first of its publisher, the Vatican librarian Alemany, called the essay in such a way (1 publication in 1623). This poisonous libel on Justinian and Empress Theodora, full of mocking stories about their life and reign. P. It showed in his excellent knowledge of the customs of the imperial court. In the style of P. took a sample of Herodotus and Thucydides. He wrote a simple and concise Greek language, in which there is the influence of contemporary spoken. P. was a great historian, he has even been called "the last great historian of antiquity". Artworks P. preserved in the Greek version.