# The Secret History — Chapters explained

> Chapter companions for The Secret History by Procopius.

- [Foreword by the Historian](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_history_se/chapters/foreword-by-the-historian.md): Procopius explains his shift from a formal chronicle of Roman wars to a secret history revealing the true, often scandalous, deeds of Justinian, Theodora, and Belisarius. He justifies his earlier omissions due to fear of
- [The Secret History](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_history_se/chapters/the-secret-history.md): Procopius's secret chronicle exposes the corruption, hypocrisy, and tyranny of Justinian and Theodora's reign, detailing their abuses of power, moral decadence, and the suffering inflicted upon the Roman Empire.
- [How the Great General Belisarius Was Hoodwinked by His Wife, Whose Lover Became a Monk](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_history_se/chapters/i-how-the-great-general-belisarius-was-hoodwinked-by-his-wife-whose-lover-became-a-monk.md): This chapter details the adulterous affair between Antonina, wife of the great general Belisarius, and Theodosius, a young Thracian whom Belisarius had adopted as a son. Despite being caught in the act, Belisarius is eas
- [II: How Belated Jealousy Affected Belisarius’s Military Judgment, to the Joy of the Enemy](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_history_se/chapters/ii-how-belated-jealousy-affected-belisarius-s-military-judgment-to-the-joy-of-the-enemy.md): Belisarius, consumed by jealousy over Antonina's affair with Theodosius, prioritizes personal vengeance over military duty. He takes Photius into his confidence, swears oaths of mutual loyalty, and plans to capture Theod
- [III: Showing the Danger of Interfering with a Woman’s Intrigues, Especially When the Woman Is the Friend of an Empress](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_history_se/chapters/iii-showing-the-danger-of-interfering-with-a-woman-s-intrigues-especially-when-the-woman-is-the-friend-of-an-empress.md): Theodora protects Antonina by hiding Theodosius in the palace and torturing Photius and Belisarius's friends. Photius escapes twice but is recaptured, eventually fleeing to Jerusalem. Belisarius fails in his campaign aga

> 28 more chapter companions — [open a free preview](https://www.betterreads.dev/reader?bookId=the_secret_history_se_982kb&preview=1) to unlock the rest.

- [How Theodora, Revenging Her Dear Antonina, Humiliated the Conqueror of Africa and Italy](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_history_se/chapters/iv-how-theodora-revenging-her-dear-antonina-humiliated-the-conqueror-of-africa-and-italy.md)
- [How Theodora Tricked the General’s Daughter Into a Liaison with the Empress’s Nephew, and Belisarius Became a Public Laughing Stock](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_history_se/chapters/v-how-theodora-tricked-the-general-s-daughter-into-a-liaison-with-the-empress-s-nephew-and-belisarius-became-a-public-laughing-stock.md)
- [Ignorance of the Emperor Justin, and His Stencilled Signature, and How His Nephew Justinian Was the Virtual Ruler](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_history_se/chapters/vi-ignorance-of-the-emperor-justin-and-his-stencilled-signature-and-how-his-nephew-justinian-was-the-virtual-ruler.md)
- [VII: Outrages of the Blues](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_history_se/chapters/vii-outrages-of-the-blues.md)
- [Character and Appearance of Justinian](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_history_se/chapters/viii-character-and-appearance-of-justinian.md)
- [IX: And How Theodora, Most Depraved of All Courtesans, Won His Love](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_history_se/chapters/ix-and-how-theodora-most-depraved-of-all-courtesans-won-his-love.md)
- [X: 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](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_history_se/chapters/x-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.md)
- [XI: How the Defender of the Faith Ruined His Subjects](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_history_se/chapters/xi-how-the-defender-of-the-faith-ruined-his-subjects.md)
- [XII: Proving That Justinian and Theodora Were Actually Fiends in Human Form](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_history_se/chapters/xii-proving-that-justinian-and-theodora-were-actually-fiends-in-human-form.md)
- [XIII: Deceptive Affability and Piety of a Tyrant](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_history_se/chapters/xiii-deceptive-affability-and-piety-of-a-tyrant.md)
- [XIV: Justice for Sale](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_history_se/chapters/xiv-justice-for-sale.md)
- [XV: How an Roman Citizens Became Slaves, and a Complaining Patrician Was Ribaldly Mocked by Theodora’s Eunuchs](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_history_se/chapters/xv-how-an-roman-citizens-became-slaves-and-a-complaining-patrician-was-ribaldly-mocked-by-theodora-s-eunuchs.md)
- [XVI: What Happened to Those Who Fell Out of Favor with Theodora](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_history_se/chapters/xvi-what-happened-to-those-who-fell-out-of-favor-with-theodora.md)
- [XVII: 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](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_history_se/chapters/xvii-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.md)
- [XVIII: How Justinian Killed a Trillion People](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_history_se/chapters/xviii-how-justinian-killed-a-trillion-people.md)
- [XIX: How He Seized All the Wealth of the Romans and Threw It Away in the Sea and on the Barbarians](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_history_se/chapters/xix-how-he-seized-all-the-wealth-of-the-romans-and-threw-it-away-in-the-sea-and-on-the-barbarians.md)
- [XX: Debasing of the Quaestorship](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_history_se/chapters/xx-debasing-of-the-quaestorship.md)
- [XXI: The Sky Tax, the Selling of All Offices, and How Border Armies Were Forbidden to Punish Invading Barbarians](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_history_se/chapters/xxi-the-sky-tax-the-selling-of-all-offices-and-how-border-armies-were-forbidden-to-punish-invading-barbarians.md)
- [XXII: Further Corruption in High Places](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_history_se/chapters/xxii-further-corruption-in-high-places.md)
- [XXIII: How Landowners Were Ruined](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_history_se/chapters/xxiii-how-landowners-were-ruined.md)
- [XXIV: Unjust Treatment of the Soldiers, and How Justinian Tricked the “Students” Out of Their Pay by Threatening to Send Them to War](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_history_se/chapters/xxiv-unjust-treatment-of-the-soldiers-and-how-justinian-tricked-the-students-out-of-their-pay-by-threatening-to-send-them-to-war.md)
- [XXV: How He Robbed His Own Officials, Merchants, Sailors, Workmen, and Everybody Else](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_history_se/chapters/xxv-how-he-robbed-his-own-officials-merchants-sailors-workmen-and-everybody-else.md)
- [XXVI: How He Spoiled the Beauty of the Cities and Plundered the Poor](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_history_se/chapters/xxvi-how-he-spoiled-the-beauty-of-the-cities-and-plundered-the-poor.md)
- [XXVII: How the Defender of the Faith Protected the Interests of the Christians](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_history_se/chapters/xxvii-how-the-defender-of-the-faith-protected-the-interests-of-the-christians.md)
- [XXVIII: His Violation of the Laws of the Romans, and How Jews Were Fined for Eating Lamb](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_history_se/chapters/xxviii-his-violation-of-the-laws-of-the-romans-and-how-jews-were-fined-for-eating-lamb.md)
- [XXIX: Other Incidents Revealing Him as a Liar and a Hypocrite](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_history_se/chapters/xxix-other-incidents-revealing-him-as-a-liar-and-a-hypocrite.md)
- [XXX: Further Innovations of Justinian and Theodora, and a Conclusion Which Imagines the Death of an Emperor](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_history_se/chapters/xxx-further-innovations-of-justinian-and-theodora-and-a-conclusion-which-imagines-the-death-of-an-emperor.md)
- [Endnotes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_history_se/chapters/endnotes.md)

HTML index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_secret_history_se/chapters