An Analysis of Aischrology in Procopius' Anecdota (Secret History)
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Abstract
The study of the terminology used by Procopius in the Anecdota (“unpublished writings”), commonly known as the Secret History (Historia Arcana) –which constitutes a form of invective against Justinian and his wife Theodora– offers an insight into the axiology of the culture of the Eastern Roman Empire in the 6th century AD. This paper analyzes the rhetorical elements of aischrology against the emperor and his wife in the work, establishing the Anecdota as an essential source for exploring the cultural values of the period. First, a lexical search is carried out through a classification of the aischrological elements used by Procopius to denigrate the figures of Justinian and Theodora. Then, the semantic interrelationships of the terms present in the text are analyzed, showing the conceptual dependence articulated by the author, thus achieving the composition of a unified and holistic invective discourse of greater forcefulness against the emperor. In effect, this analysis aims to highlight, in addition to the Procopius's rhetorical and compositional resources, some moral conceptions shared between the author and the recipients of the discourse.
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