See buying choices for this item to see if it's one of the millions that are eligible for Amazon Prime.

Ready to Buy?
woodys-uk
Price: £7.15
In stock
35 used & new from £0.53
See All Buying Options
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
The Secret History (Classics)
 
 
Share your own customer images
Search inside this book

The Secret History (Classics) (Paperback)

by Procopius (Author), G.A. Williamson (Translator) "BELISARIUS was married to a woman of whom I had something to say in the preceding books ..." (more)
4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)

Available from these sellers.


9 new from £2.73 25 used from £0.53 1 collectible from £3.50
Other Editions: RRP: Our Price: Other Offers:
Hardcover 13 used & new from £3.25
Paperback (New Ed. /) £9.99 £6.99 32 used & new from £3.50
Unknown Binding Order it used

Customers Viewing This Page May Be Interested in These Sponsored Links

  (What is this?)
The Secret
   www.CanfieldCoaching.com    Apply The Secret to Your Life by Working With a Jack Canfield Coach 
Want To Know The Secret?
   TransformationTechnologies.com    Change Your Life With A Few Simple Tweaks Revealed In This Free Video! 
The Secret Doesn't work
   sixminutestosuccess.com    This does Free 18 minute video 
  
 

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

The Alexiad (Penguin Classics)

The Alexiad (Penguin Classics)

by Anna Comnena
4.2 out of 5 stars (4)  £8.79
Fourteen Byzantine Rulers: The Chronographia of Michael Psellus (Classics)

Fourteen Byzantine Rulers: The Chronographia of Michael Psellus (Classics)

by Michael Psellus
5.0 out of 5 stars (3)  £10.49
Count Belisarius (Penguin Classics)

Count Belisarius (Penguin Classics)

by Robert Graves
4.8 out of 5 stars (4)  £9.09
The Later Roman Empire: AD 354-378: (A.D. 354-378) (Classics)

The Later Roman Empire: AD 354-378: (A.D. 354-378) (Classics)

by Ammianus Marcellinus
4.2 out of 5 stars (4)  £8.39
The World of Late Antiquity: AD 150-750 (Library of European Civilization)

The World of Late Antiquity: AD 150-750 (Library of European Civilization)

by Peter Brown
4.4 out of 5 stars (5)  £6.99
› Explore similar items

Product details

  • Paperback: 208 pages
  • Publisher: Penguin Classics; New impression edition (27 Aug 1981)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0140441824
  • ISBN-13: 978-0140441826
  • Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.4 x 1.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 266,614 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Product Description

Product Description
A first century Byzantine historian offers portraits of the emperor Justinian, the empress Theodora, and the brilliant general Belisarius, describing the injustices of Justinian's reign.
Inside This Book (Learn More)
First Sentence
BELISARIUS was married to a woman of whom I had something to say in the preceding books. Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Search inside this book:

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
Check the boxes next to the tags you consider relevant or enter your own tags in the field below
(1)
See all 4 tags...

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

The Secret History (Classics)
82% buy the item featured on this page:
The Secret History (Classics) 4.4 out of 5 stars (5)
Count Belisarius (Penguin Classics)
5% buy
Count Belisarius (Penguin Classics) 4.8 out of 5 stars (4)
£9.09
The Alexiad (Penguin Classics)
5% buy
The Alexiad (Penguin Classics) 4.2 out of 5 stars (4)
£8.79
The Spiritual Meadow (Cistercian Studies Series)
5% buy
The Spiritual Meadow (Cistercian Studies Series)
£17.99
Explore similar items
 

Customer Reviews

5 Reviews
5 star:
 (4)
4 star:    (0)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.4 out of 5 stars (5 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars NOT SO HOLY AN EMPEROR............, 16 Feb 2003
By Luciano Lupini (Caracas Venezuela) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
A review by Luciano Lupini. This is a good translation of Procopius most controversial opus, by G.A.Williamson, Senior Master of Classics at Norwich School (from 1922 to 1960). Whilst The Histories and Buildings are recognized as Procopius politically correct works, The Secret History tells a stunning tale of greed, corruption and destruction under Justinian and Theodora's empire.
Undoubtedly Procopius (A.D. 500?-565) was a qualified witness (having been private secretary to the greatest of Byzantium generals, Belisarius), although modern historians are at odds with the contradictions between what he wrote before and after this History, and still wonder what true motivations lie at the bottom of this work. But in my opinion, for anyone interested in a different , more private, assessment of Justinian and Theodora's deeds and character, this is a book that requires to be read. With caution, but with interest.
The architect of the Corpus Juris Civilis, the Codex Constructionum and the Digest, normally viewed as a "great conqueror, a great lawgiver, a great diplomat, and a great builder" (J.B. Bury) is screened in its defects by the author. The History mainly revolves around Justinian, Theodora, Belisarius and Antonina, their deeds, defects and personal motivations.
Justinian is portraited as a man of infinite greed and vicious cruelty. Theodora is exposed as a harlot, with a mind perpetually fixed upon inhumanity, constantly meddling in the affairs of the state.........
But let's not spoil the juicy tidbits. Let me just say that after one sorts out the mess created by this book, a more clear picture of the causes of the demise of the Roman Empire, the workings of the Imperial Court under Justinian and corruption of the mores will remain.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The Kitty Kelly of Byzantium, 10 Jan 2003
By Bruce Kendall "BEK" (Southern Pines, NC) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
OK, so maybe that's an exaggeration. Procopius' penchant for dishing out the dirt is one of the reasons, however, that this is probably the most "readable" of Byzantine texts for modern audiences. He absolutely skewers Theodora, recounting her rise from child prostitute, circus performer and all-around besotted, depraved, licentious harlot to Empress of the Roman Empire. This is the primary reason this is the SECRET history, else Procopius would have ended up like Boethius.

Though Theodora was Procopius's primary target for vitriol, none of the personages who graced Justinian's court come off smelling so great. Justinian's most celebrated general, Belisarius (whom Procopius accompanied in several campaigns), comes across as kind of a good natured boob, whom Theodora easily tricks. Justinian himself is nowhere near the paragon Procopius depicted him as in his "official" history. When Justinian isn't scheming or engaged in petty retributions, he is basically passive, letting his wife run the show.

However interesting numerous passages are throughout the Secret History (P's recounting of the Plague that wiped out most of Constantinople in 542 AD, for instance), what it boils down to are the juicy parts. Who can say how many Latin scholars through the ages have turned to Procopius when they felt the need for a little titillation? Though the shock value has definitely diminished as far as our "modern" sensibilities are concerned, it's still some pretty heady stuff. I mean, Theodora makes Catherine the Great look like Mother Theresa, by comparison.

Procopius' official histories (eight books on military campaigns and five books on architecture) are perhaps of more merit to Byzantine scholars. In terms of enjoyable reading, however, this is definitely the place to start.

BK

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The most devastating character assassination ever written ...., 15 Feb 2007
By Marshall Lord (Whitehaven, UK) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   
In which an apparently loyal aide gets a mountain of bile off his chest and proves that no man is a hero to his private secretary ...

Procopius was the Byzantine equivalent of a civil servant. Among other things he was secretary to the great general Belisarius. Throughout his life, and in the books which he published in his lifetime, he appeared to be totally loyal to Belisarius, and even more so to Emperor Justinian.

He wrote an eight-volume history of Belisarius's campaigns, usually referred to as "The Histories" which is one of the definitive historial sources. Later he wrote an an account of the great works of architecture construced under Justinian's regime. That book, known as "The Buildings," is so nauseatingly sycophantic to Emperor Justinian that it makes the average New Labour MP look like a severe critic of Tony Blair by comparison.

But in "The secret history" which he wrote to be published after his death, Procopius got off his chest all the negative comments about Belisarius, Justinian, and their wives which he ruthlessly suppressed himself from making anywhere where they might get to hear about them. The book is pure undiluted poison, but in a horribly fascinating way.

This book accuses Belisarius as being a trusting fool, but he gets off lightly. His wife Antonina is accused of fornication (including with her adopted son) and murder. Justinian is accused of being quite literally a demon in human form, and his Empress Theodosia of being a Messalina: both Justinian and Theodosia are represented as mass murderers.

God only knows how much truth there is in this account. It seems unlikely that the people Procopius worked for could have been either as perfect as he presented them in the books he published openly or as demonic as he presents them in this book written behind their backs.

Personally I suspect the real Belisarius was much closer to the man presented in Graves' novel "Count Belisarius" than the figure in this book. Nevertheless "The Secret History" will continue to be read for two reasons.

First, it is the most devastating exercise in character assassination ever written. And secondly if anyone wants a critical account of anything in the reign or life of Justinian, you are guaranteed to find it here.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Resist the temptation
If you want to read an obscene (and probably fictitious) account of the empress Theodora and her entourage, together with a scarcely sane attack on her husband Justinian as not... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Dr. Richard M. Price

5.0 out of 5 stars Dodgy business in Byzantium
The Secret History was suspected to be a fake for some years but is now regarded as genuine. I have my doubts: Procopius paints Justinian to be a complete stinker and his wife... Read more
Published on 15 Nov 2002 by Chris Lawton

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Feedback

The Body Shop

The Body Shop - Vitamin C Skin Boost
Protect and boost your glow with The Body Shop Vitamin C Skin Boost.

›Shop The Body Shop

  

Let Olay Amaze You

Olay Total Effects Day Moisturiser SPF15 50ml
Amazon.co.uk sells all your favourite ranges from Olay, including Regenerist and Total Effects.

›Discover Olay at Amazon.co.uk

  

We've Got Converse

Converse
Stock up on your favourite styles with great deals on Converse shoes.

›Shop Converse

  

Treat Someone

Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates--available in any amount from £5 to £500 With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

›Learn more about Gift Certificates

  
Ad

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.
Continue Shopping: Top Sellers

amazon.co.uk Amazon Home
International Sites:  United States  |  Germany  |  France  |  Japan  |  Canada  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Fulfilment by Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Customer Service  |  Help  |  View Basket  |  Your Account
About Amazon.co.uk  |  Careers at Amazon
Conditions of Use & Sale |  Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates