The Demon and the Prostitute Justinian and Theodora in Procopius’s biographical Secret History from sixth-century CE Constantinople

Procopius’ sixth-century Secret History combines biographic material with other literary genres, such as rhetorical invective and political satire. It purports to reveal the ugly truth about Emperor Justinian and Empress Theodora. As such, it is a clear attempt at character assassination. This paper explores (1) how Procopius sought to create a reliable narrator character in order to launch credible character attacks. and (2) how he employed alleged biographic facts to paint extremely hostile portraits of Justinian and Theodora. Specifically, the paper will focus on the emperor’s portrayal as a demonic character and the empress’s association with the lewd world of theatre and prostitution.