The Secret History · Concept
Abuse of Power
The narrative shows how those in authority, from the imperial couple to appointed magistrates, exploit their positions to murder, confiscate property, and terrorize citizens without fear of accountability.
The narrative shows how those in authority, from the imperial couple to appointed magistrates, exploit their positions to murder, confiscate property, and terrorize citizens without fear of accountability.
Antonina uses her influence over Belisarius to murder witnesses and even Constantine, demonstrating how personal power can be abused for revenge and to cover up crimes.
Belisarius prioritizes personal jealousy over military duty, withdrawing the army and abandoning strategic objectives, while Antonina uses her influence to slander her son.
Theodora tortures Photius and Belisarius's friends, violates sanctuary, and forces reconciliation.
Theodora uses her imperial authority to imprison Buzes without trial, strip Belisarius of command, and confiscate his wealth for personal revenge.
Characters
Chapters
- How the Great General Belisarius Was Hoodwinked by His Wife, Whose Lover Became a Monk
- II: How Belated Jealousy Affected Belisarius’s Military Judgment, to the Joy of the Enemy
- III: Showing the Danger of Interfering with a Woman’s Intrigues, Especially When the Woman Is the Friend of an Empress
- How Theodora, Revenging Her Dear Antonina, Humiliated the Conqueror of Africa and Italy
- How Theodora Tricked the General’s Daughter Into a Liaison with the Empress’s Nephew, and Belisarius Became a Public Laughing Stock
- Ignorance of the Emperor Justin, and His Stencilled Signature, and How His Nephew Justinian Was the Virtual Ruler
- Character and Appearance of Justinian
- IX: And How Theodora, Most Depraved of All Courtesans, Won His Love
