A review by aspiringorakle
The Secret History by Procopius

4.0

What Procopius lacks in consistency and lack of embellishment he makes up for with searing rhetoric and moving "set pieces" detailing the calamities of Justinian and Theodora. I had no idea Justinian and Theodora were even slightly the way Procopius describes them, and it was a jarring read. There are good reasons internal to the text that he's exaggerating to some degree (think demonization quite literally) but it remained a historically enlightening read. Procopius himself is an interesting figure as well--a conservative who clearly cares much for the preservation of tradition, and perhaps not a Christian? Either way, fascinating.