31st Annual Student Research Conference
Procopius of Caesarea: The End of Classical Historiography
Zackery T. Koch
Prof. Alex Tetlak, Faculty Mentor
The end of Classical historiography is an important thing within the Classical field. I focus on Procopius of Caesarea as the last Classical author and give an analysis of why he fits the Classical model while being a turning point to a Medieval tradition. Secondhand, more modern, sources are brought in with the intent to expand the viewpoint of Procopius and his works. The primary focus of these secondary sources are the Secret History due to its strange nature. Primarily working with Procopius, Thucydides, and Herodotus I argue that Procopius' unabashed inclusion of supernatural features without crediting the narrative to secondhand accounts leads to his deviation from Classical tradition into Medieval traditions while remaining a Classical author, with the resulting conclusion that 554 AD is where Classical historiography meets its end and Medieval historigraphy begins.
Keywords: Procopius, Historiography, Classics
Topic(s):Classics
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 107-5
Location: VH 1212
Time: 9:00