Where the Middle Ages Begin
Though the native Italians play a relatively minor role in the Gothic Wars, the essay will suggest, that in Procopius’ mind, the Western Romans’ ‘decision’ to forego their martial roles for less martial forms of male self-fashioning in the fifth century had led, not only to the rise of the ‘barbarian’ Vandals and the Goths, but had separated the Italians from an essential component of Romanitas—masculine martial virtues.
This paper investigates Procopius’ description of two of the most influential men of his era: the Persian emperor Kosrow I (ruled 531-579), and the Byzantine emperor Justinian (ruled 527-565).
In the last few years there has been a huge increase in the work on Procopius. While much of this has focussed, as usual, on the Anecdota or Secret History, there have also been important discussion of the De Aedificiis or Buildings.
Behind the purported facts of Theodora’s career as a common prostitute and later as empress are the hidden details of what we might call feminine pharmacology: what were the drugs used by prostitutes and call-girls in sixth-century Byzan- tium? Were there ordinary pharmaceuticals employed by such professionals to stay in business?
This essay examines the sixth-century Byzantine historian Procopius’ depiction of the Gothic king Totila.
This paper considers historical perspectives on recently discovered archaeological evidence in what was the sixth-century Roman-Persian frontier region.
Like most other writers of late antiquity, what little is known about Procopius comes from his works. Born at the turn of the sixth century in Caesarea, he had the chance to receive education in the traditional Greek fashion, i.e. through the use of classical authors, before Justinian banned pagan teaching in 529
This paper examines Procopius’ descriptions of Roman, Persian and Gothic strategies to control Dara in 530 and Rome in 537-8 by reconciling texts with the landscapes of the areas concerned drawing on satellite imagery, cartography and field visits.
Was Procopius recounting history or simply preserving a legend? Did he compose it originally or was it take from another source and inserted merely as a diversion from his main narrative?
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