c. 550 CEReputable sourceWell documented
Procopius and the Secret History
On the timeline · around c. 550 CE ·
What happened
Procopius of Caesarea, who served on Belisarius's staff, became the great historian of Justinian's age. His official Wars and Buildings chronicled the emperor's campaigns and monuments — but in a scandalous private work, the Secret History, he savaged Justinian and Theodora as corrupt and even demonic. It was not published until long after his death.
Why it matters
Procopius is the single most important source for the sixth-century empire, and the Secret History is one of the most extraordinary documents to survive from antiquity — a reminder that even a golden age looked very different from below.
Sources
- World History Encyclopedia. Procopius · Reputable source