A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

PROCOPIUS. PROCOPIUS. 539
PROCO'PIUS (IfpOKT7rMOS), one of the most several French medical dictionaries. But this is'
eminent Byzantine historians, was a native of Cae- going too far. Procopius betrays, in all his works,
sareia in Palestine, where he was born, at the be- a vast deal of miscellaneous knowledge, and while
ginning of the sixth century of the Christian era. describing the plague, probably derived some adlie went to Constantinople when still a young man, ditional information from medical friends, which,
and there obtained so much distinction as an ad- however, no more makes him a physician, than his
vocate and a professor of eloquence, that he attracted work on the Buildings of Justinian constitutes him
the attention of Belisarius, who appointed him, in a professional architect.
A. D. 527, his v7ro-ypapEvs, or secretary. In this As an historian Procopius deserves great praise.
quality Procopius accompanied the great hero on Many of his contemporaries, as well as writers who
his different wars in Asia, Africa, and Italy, being lived a short time after him, speak of him with unfrequently employed in state business of importance, reserved esteem. His style is good, formed upon
or in conducting military expeditions. In the classic models, often elegant, and generally plastic
Gothic war we find him entrusted with the com- and full of vigour. The general impression of his
missariat department, and at the head of the By- writings is that of a man who has thought much
zantine navy, a post of vital importance for the and seen much, from a position at the highest
success of the campaign. Procopius returned with quarters of information. Procopius is the principal
Belisarius to Constantinople a little before 542. historian for the eventful reign of Justinian.
His eminent talents and corresponding merits were Among the works of Procopius the most imappreciated by the emperor Justinian, who con- portant is:-1.'IOrTopfat, in 8 books; viz., two On
ferred upon him the title of illustris, made him a the Persian War, containing the period from A. D.
senator, and in 562 created him prefect of Constan- 408-553, and treating more fully of the author's
tinople. Procopius died a little before, or a little own times; two On the War with the Vandals,
after the death of Justinian, that is, about A. D. from A. D. 395-545; four On the Gothic War, or
565, at the age of sixtyand upwards, probably nearer properly speaking, only three books, the fourth
to seventy. Of this great historian Gibbon says, (eighth) being a sort of supplement containing
with much truth, that according to the vicissitudes of various matters, and going down to the beginning
courage or servitude, of favour or disgrace, he suc- of A. D. 553. It was continued by Agathias till
cessively composed the history, the panegyric, and 559. The work is extremely interesting; the dethe satire of his own times. It is, however, still scriptions of the habits, &c. of the barbarians are
doubtful whether Procopius actually was the author faithful and masterly done. Photius gives an
of that collection of satire and scandal which is analysis of the first two books, and Agathias, the
attributed to him, under the title of " Historia Ar- continuator of Procopius, gives an analysis of all
cana" or " Anecdotes." We shall speak of it after the eight books, in the preface to his History.
first mentioning two other points of doubt regard- 2. KTrleo/a'ra, Libri VI. de Aedificiis conditis vel
ing our author, the solution of which has occupied restoratis auspicio Justiniani. A work equally inthe mind and the pen of eminent scholars. First, it teresting and valuable in its kind, though apparently
has been questioned whether he was a Christian too much seasoned with flattery of the emperor.
or a Pagan. Space, however, will not allow us to Gibbon thinks that Procopius was afraid of having
give even the shortest account of the different offended the pride of Justinian, through too faithful
opinions that have been, or are still, prevalent on a narrative of glorious events in which the emperor
that subject, and we consequently merely mention had no personal share, and that he subsequently
that, while Eichel and La Mothe de Vayer, both wrote on the splendid buildings of his master, in
quoted below, declared him to be a Pagan, Gerard order to regain his favour.
Vossius, Fabricius, Harles, and others thought 3.'AvKCora, Historia Arcana, a collection of
that he was a Christian. Indeed, Procopius fre- anecdotes, some of them witty and pleasant, but
quently speaks of faith, either Christian or Pagan, others most indecent, and sometimes absurd, reflectin a manner inconsistent with his own words, so ing upon Justinian, the empress Theodora, Belisarius,
as fully to justify doubts respecting his creed. and other eminent persons. It is a complete ChroAssemanni and Cave take a middle course. The nique Scandaleuse of the court of Constantinople,
latter thinks that he was neither Christian nor from A. D. 549 till 562. The authorship of Procopius
Pagan entirely, but being somewhat of a sceptical has been much doubted, partlybecause his contempoturn of mind (or perhaps we ought to say, extremely raries do not mention it, and partly because such a
liberal and excessively tolerant in religious matters) production can hardly be reconciled with the charache used to despise the superstitions of the Pagans in ter of a grave historian and statesman. However, the
his conversations with Christians, and would admit, first writer who attributed this work to Procopius,
when in company with Pagans, that there was also namely Suidas (s. v. IlpoKtco'7ros), does so in a very
truth without the sphere of Christianity. We may positive manner, and adds that it had until then
add that Justinian, who was a bigoted Christian, not been issued for circulation, which, indeed, it
whether in orthodoxy or heterodoxy, would pro- was not fit for. Montesquieu and Gibbon both
bably not have permitted a Pagan to discharge the give credit to the Anecdotes, and do not doubt the
functions of a senator, or a prefect of Constantinople. authorship of Procopius.
The other doubtful point alluded to above is of a 4. Orationes, probably extracts from the " Hisvery strange description. For, since Procopius has tory," which is rather overstocked with harangues
given a most graphic description of the plague and speeches.
which devastated Constantinople in 543, render- Editions:-l. Historia. Latin Versions. The
ing his narrative still more lucid and scientifically first of these was published under the title De Bello
descriptive, by entering into medical details con- Italico adversus Gothos gesto, lib. iv. Foligno, 1470,
cerning the symptoms of the disease, &c., it has fol., Vcnet. 1471, fol., by Leonardo Aretino, or
been thought by some that he was a professional Leonardo Bruni of Arezzo, who, thinking that he
medical man. He thus figures as a physician in had the only existing MS. of the work, was dis