The Secret History of Procopius. By Richard Atwater. Full Audiobook
"The Secret History of Procopius" is a book written by Richard Atwater that provides a detailed account of the reign of the Byzantine emperor Justinian and his wife Theodora. The book is based on the works of Procopius, a historian who lived during the reign of Justinian. Procopius was a counsel to the great general Belisarius and wrote several official histories, including "On the Wars" and "On the Buildings". However, his most famous work is "The Secret History", which was published after his death and provides a scathing critique of Justinian and Theodora.

In "The Secret History", Procopius portrays Justinian and Theodora as corrupt, arbitrary, and demonic tyrants. He accuses them of engaging in various immoral and illegal activities, including murder, theft, and adultery. Procopius also describes Justinian as a cruel and incompetent ruler who was responsible for the deaths of millions of people. He claims that Theodora was a former prostitute who used her position as empress to engage in sexual activities with various men.

Richard Atwater's book provides a summary of Procopius' work and offers insights into the historical context of the time. Atwater's writing is clear and concise, making it easy for readers to understand the complex political and social issues of the time. He also provides a critical analysis of Procopius' work, highlighting its strengths and weaknesses.

Overall, "The Secret History of Procopius" is an important historical work that sheds light on the reign of Justinian and Theodora. It is a must-read for anyone interested in Byzantine history or the history of the Roman Empire. .
More: Procopius, Justinian, Theodora
Byzantine Empire, historical account, corruption
immorality, evil, military history
monuments, Anecdota, fantastic accounts
vampiric, shapeshifting, horror
mass of flesh, headless, trillion people
ancient historian, primary source, invective tone
demonic tyrants

00:00:00 Introduction
00:19:48 Foreword By The Historian
00:22:42 1. How The Great General Belisarius Was Hoodwinked By His Wife, Whose Lover Became A Monk
00:30:12 2. How Belated Jealousy Affected Belisarius's Military Judgment, To The Joy Of The Enemy
00:38:54 3. Showing The Danger Of Interfering With A Woman's Intrigues, Especially When The Woman Is The Friend Of An Empress
00:45:48 4. How Theodora, Revenging Her Dear Antonina, Humiliated The Conqueror Of Africa And Italy
00:54:30 5. How Theodora Tricked The General's Daughter Into A Liaison With The Empress's Nephew, And Belisarius Became A Public Laughing Stock
01:03:17 6. Ignorance Of The Emperor Justin, And His Stencilled Signature, And How His Nephew Justinian Was The Virtual Ruler
01:08:47 7. Outrages Of The Blues
01:17:10 8. Character And Appearance Of Justinian
01:24:12 9. And How Theodora, Most Depraved Of All Courtesans, Won His Love
01:34:03 10. How Justinian Created A New Law Permitting Him To Marry A Courtesan On Her Promise To Repent Her Past; And The Truth About The Apparent Quarrels Of A Happy Pair
01:40:59 11. How The Defender Of The Faith Ruined His Subjects
01:49:40 12. Proving That Justinian And Theodora Were Actually Fiends In Human Form
01:57:49 13. Deceptive Affability And Piety Of A Tyrant
02:04:33 14. Justice For Sale
02:09:52 15. How An Roman Citizens Became Slaves, And A Complaining Patrician Was Ribaldly Mocked By Theodora's Eunuchs
02:16:52 16. What Happened To Those Who Fell Out Of Favor With Theodora
02:23:13 17. How She Saved Five Hundred Harlots From A Life Of Sin, Made Away With Her Own Natural Son, And Other Curious Incidents Of Her Passion For Match Making
02:32:23 18. How Justinian Killed A Trillion People
02:41:04 19. How He Seized All The Wealth Of The Romans And Threw It Away In The Sea And On The Barbarians
02:45:10 20. Debasing Of The Quaestorship
02:50:38 21. The Sky Tax, The Selling Of All Offices, And How Border Armies Were Forbidden To Punish Invading Barbarians
02:56:38 22. Further Corruption In High Places
03:04:30 23. How Landowners Were Ruined
03:10:01 24. Unjust Treatment Of The Soldiers, And How Justinian Tricked The "Students" Out Of Their Pay By Threatening To Send Them To War
03:16:36 25. How He Robbed His Own Officials, Merchants, Sailors, Workmen, And Everybody Else
03:23:35 26. How He Spoiled The Beauty Of The Cities And Plundered The Poor
03:33:25 27. How The Defender Of The Faith Protected The Interests Of The Christians
03:39:29 28. His Violation Of The Laws Of The Romans, And How Jews Were Fined For Eating Lamb
03:43:19 29. Other Incidents Revealing Him As A Liar And A Hypocrite
03:50:35 30. Further Innovations Of Justinian And Theodora, And A Conclusion Which Imagines The Death Of An Emperor
03:57:38 Glossary

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